How to lead a tech company if you are a non-techie person

We are living in times where technology has a part to play in almost everything we do. With people rapidly adapting to tech trends like booking a cab on an app, ordering clothes online, businesses are trying to keep up with consumer trends. Companies who refuse to change with time or bend according to customer die out soon. The most recent example would be of Toys R Us, one of the biggest toy store retailers in the world, which filed for bankruptcy because online stores like Amazon and Walmart were killing its sales. So, the fact is tech companies are thriving. But how does someone start a tech business if they have a non-technical background?

So, let’s say you like to follow tech trends, and your observant nature has allowed you to come up with a creative tech solution for a problem. Now, what do you do? First, don’t panic. Second, start reading the following points.

1. You don’t have to be a techie to lead a tech company

There are so many examples I could quote here to make you believe that you really don’t need to have a technical background to lead a tech company. Remember the late co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs? He never wrote a single line of code. It was his vision that helped propel Apple into international fame for their immaculately designed products. Reshma Saujani, the woman who founded Girls Who Code, used to work as a lawyer before she realized the power of code and the impact it could have on young girls. Jack Ma had a B.A. in English when he started Alibaba, a company that now ranks 6th in terms of companies with highest revenues. So, the point here is that you don’t need to have technical qualifications to lead a tech company. What you do need is an attitude to learn and adapt.

2. Get a techie co-founder or CTO on board

So, agreed you have the passion to learn more about tech but that doesn’t me you’ll be able to build your solution on your own. You need to find a co-founder with a technical background or a kickass CTO. Surround yourself with the right people and they’ll serve as your mentors too, if you are willing to learn, and help you in recruiting the right technical employees for your startup.

3. Become more observant

When your startup begins its operation, as a founder/co-founder or CEO you bring a vision to the table and then let the techies figure out how to develop the solution. But that doesn’t mean your job ends here. You need to become a great listener and pick up on things the techies in your team talk about. Learn from your employees so that even if they do leave your startup, you don’t have to start from square one.

4. Educate yourself

Self-education is the best thing you can do for yourself. Enroll yourself in online courses on Udemy, Coursera. Grab one of those ‘For Dummies’ books. Become a part of your nearest Facebook Developers Group or Google Developers Group communities. Meet with people who are better than you and you’ll eventually start getting the hang of all things tech. This still doesn’t mean you have to become a kickass coder. But a little know-how will go a long way.

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[Image Source – CNBC]