Founders in The Code Age
It is such a fun time to be alive. I’ve played with more interesting tools in the last 3 months than I have in the last few years.
As an example, 6 months ago I could not write any meaningful code. Today I still can’t write code, but now I have a whole heap of fairly complicated interconnected programs that GPT wrote for me. Cost? Almost zero.
That’s not to diminish the importance of coding or understanding code. Rather, I see this as an evolution of the “no code” paradigm. In some ways, knowing how to code is more important than it has ever been. With ChatGPT, it will give you an answer. The potential downside is that it just might not be right.
Humans with superpowers
Over the last few weeks, Marc Randolph (co-founder of Netflix) shared a thought of “layering domain expertise over AI”, and Reid Hoffman (co-founder of LinkedIn) coined the term “AHA”, standing for Augmentation of Human Ability.
While the core concept isn’t new, it seems like now is the time when these related concepts are likely to become a reality.
I think there are a few different archetypes that will emerge, particularly in relation to founders:
Enhanced technologists: Those with specific technical skills who can make the most of AI and also have the ability to know if something is wrong
Amplified experts: We’ll see subject matter experts who are able to increase their output radically by leveraging AI, likely by increasing volume and speed while maintaining or improving quality
Digital builders: Those who are able to work with AI and other low code/no code platforms to stitch together highly valuable offerings
It doesn’t mean people aren’t important, but it does mean there will be different areas of focus. For example, today we are seeing the emergence of new roles like the “prompt engineer”.
At least for the moment, AI systems are not capable of closing the loop on their own without the aid of prompts from humans. As Andrej Karpathy shared on Twitter recently: “The hottest new programming language is English”.
The architect, the curator and the spark
There has been a lot written about what makes a great founder. Paul Graham, Marc Andreesen, and Fred Wilson have all written great posts on the topic. Back in 2010, Fred shared a thought in relation to the CEO role for a founder:
“A CEO does only three things. Sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholders. Recruits, hires, and retains the very best talent for the company. Makes sure there is always enough cash in the bank.”
That still feels true. As of today, talent is generally a mix of code and people. As we move into The Code Age, where an ever-increasing amount of a business will be created or run by code, there will be some elevated areas for founders to focus on:
The architect: a strong vision, choosing what to do and how to do it
The curator: selecting the best, maintaining quality, choosing what to highlight
The spark: creating meaning or purpose, adding the human element and building and nurturing relationships
Over time, these roles will continue to evolve. I’m expecting some businesses will automate the curation element, or already have.
Summary
It is an exciting moment for founders. The emergence of AI and other digital tools is changing the way we work and creating new roles and archetypes for leaders. The focus is no longer just on technical skills but on how we can layer expertise over AI.
While the use of AI and other digital tools is growing, the human element remains essential. The architect, curator, and spark are key roles for founders to consider in this new era of business.
Ultimately, now is a time of great opportunity for those with the right mix of technical and people skills. With creativity and a strong sense of purpose, founders today have an incredible opportunity to create, build and scale truly great businesses.