Number 1. is so important. I want to be able to build, to use the technical skills that I have, and not waste a ton of effort building something no one wants. I like coding but not enough to do it without solving anyone’s problems!
A CEO who knows a bunch of stuff I don’t know about the domain, who talks to users more than me, and who sits her ass down and researches the hell out of stuff to bring me back useful knowledge—I’m glad to have.
#1 often comes from #2, or at least is much much much easier to do if you have someone who is doing #2.
Technical folks often dramatically underestimate sales for the same reason that sales dramatically underestimates technical folks - they require very different mindsets, and almost everyone is insecure about it on one side or the other.
1. Discovering the real requirements to make the product succeed.
2. Being really really good at sales.
Technical people often lack those skills, and even if they build the best product in the world, it’s worthless without someone who can get it in front of the right people and convince them to pay for it.