Jack of All Trades vs Master of Some: Searching Ideal Knowledge Portfolio for Tech Start-Ups
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Authors
Sharma, Madhav
Bowman, Andy
Kirtley, Jerome
Issue Date
2024
Type
Article
Language
Keywords
Information Systems , Entrepreneurship
Alternative Title
Abstract
Senior leadership is indisputably central to firm performance. Numerous studies have delved into various attributes of firm leadership as predictors of performance, primarily focusing on educational background and prior tenure in other organizations. Surprisingly, the role of technical skills within firm leaders remains an under-researched area. Given that these leaders often serve as chief decision-makers in technology-centric firms, managing numerous engineers, their technical skills likely play a crucial role in ensuring seamless operations and fostering productive teams. This study addresses this gap by examining the influence of leaders' technical skills, specifically evaluating the diversity of these skills, and their depth and breadth within each technical domain on firm performance. Using data from Angel.co and LinkedIn, we constructed technical profiles for 100 firms based on the technical skills of their founders. Our analysis focused on the relationship between the Euclidean distance of technical profiles, their breadth and depth, and firm performance was measured in terms of the capital raised. Our findings suggest that the diversity and depth of technical profiles affect firm performance. We further discuss the broader implications of our results for both research and practical application.
Description
17 pages
Citation
Publisher
Drake Management Review