I'm CTO, Co-Founder and Advisor of multiple VC- and government-backed tech companies in Malaysia, UK, US, Singapore, and Dubai. My experience spans industries like FinTech, banking, insurance, GovTech, MedTech, PetTech, automotive, sustainability, education, as well as retail.
I am some who believes that most tech startups (especially the product-oriented ones) struggle in defining how much time and effort they should spend on their tech. Some startups over-engineer it from the get-go, leading to a more rigid foundation that is capable of hindering the progress of the business as a whole. Other startups under-engineer their tech by relying on the wrong people, or not having the long-term mindset.
Personally, I believe in the "Act Fast, Think Slow" mindset. I specialize in drawing the squiggly line between over-engineering and under-engineering, based on the business goals presented at the time.
To me, in a tech startup, business should always come first. Tech comes second. Tech is a tool to help the business materialize, and nurture the revenue. Tech is also a way to open up new revenue streams — when done the right way.