This doesn't apply to all such people but non-technical startup founders - unless the idea is very much -non- technical - don't garner any sympathy from me. My opinion is mostly based on having worked with, but mostly just for, some types who wanna squeeze you for technical information so they can shine for VCs without giving you much stake in anything. Worse yet are the ones who're aiming to be bought by Google or some other similar tech-giant that was founded by technical members. The smart people in this group will get paired up with a technical founder quick, but even still how will they know someone's the real deal? Really it just boils down to a question of how one expects to "win the war" if they are not - and have never been - "in the trenches"? Then again, I'm pretty certain those particular guys i've worked for were just special pieces of work and that senselessness is not a trait specific to non-technical founders o:)