[mqzaidi]

There are 2 specialized positions (not roles) that I have been able to eliminate in a couple of successful projects (in a startup). These are Product Management and Quality Assurance. I think both the tasks are important enough to be entrusted to engineers, rather than getting someone else do it.

[ihsw]

There are advantages to getting someone else to do some of your work half as good, for example they can offload work for many people at the same time. It's good for morale and concentration.

[bdehaaff]

How did that work for you? Were the engineers assessing the overall market and competitive landscape and training the rest of the organization how to position and sell the product? Please tell us more about the project and how it went.