How do you recognise good business guys if you're a programmer?
mkuhn: So, I'm a business guy and currently doing my Masters in Strategy and International Management, then I will go on to take my MBA in Singapore. So much about how I got to know a lot of business guys, so now how do you recognize good ones:1. There is a lot of arrogance among business people. They (probably as engineers) think that they know things, that others don't. If you meet someone with an arrogant attitude I would steer away from him. And even if it is only because it will e hard to work with them.2. Smart. Really good business people are truly smart, but how do you recognize a smart business guy? I have found, that people who have mastered their subject can explain it in very simple terms. They can teach people the reasons behind their decisions and why they are doing something the way they do. And most of the time that explanation (at least in business) will be very straight forward and seem like something that is obvious, but it wouldn't have occurred to many other people and it had to be spotted. it's almost like good business ideas, the best ones often are obvious and can be understood by almost anyone.3. Good business guys are curious. They are broadly interested and fascinated with a lot of stuff. In the article that spun off this thread the Blogger mentions curiosity and self teaching as important in a good programmer. And I would reiterate that point here. A good or even great business guy probably isn't into business because of business but because of other interests he wants to connect / advance. I for example study business because I am very interested in Technology (IT and classical engineering), Biology, Chemistry and Physics. My interest in business lead me to pick up that for my studies because it makes it possible for myself to later connect my areas of interest through my work. Am I a good business guy? I don't know, but I hope to be one day. But I have seen a lot of good business folk who shared that trait. They start learning about e.g. programming and they will probably never be as good as the experts in such a field but they will start to understand a field and can contribute a sense for business and the business perspective to the field.4. A good business guy understands the field he works in.