I think this is only true with larger teams. On tasks that are't too large, 2 or 3 great "product smart" developers will beat a team of 6 or 7 with divided responsibilities.
It is also a function of how novel the product is. The ability of a team to think and work at multiple levels is invaluable when evolving along a new idea into a usable product. A product leader, would drive his developer team crazy if he changed his mind as often as is typically needed for a novel product.
Since start-ups begin with small teams and typically work on novel products, it makes sense that the HN crowd would be partial to the product smart generalist team approach.
It is also a function of how novel the product is. The ability of a team to think and work at multiple levels is invaluable when evolving along a new idea into a usable product. A product leader, would drive his developer team crazy if he changed his mind as often as is typically needed for a novel product.
Since start-ups begin with small teams and typically work on novel products, it makes sense that the HN crowd would be partial to the product smart generalist team approach.