Am I crazy?

You can't underestimate that value of project management experience and other "soft skills". Like in a hackathon if I join a team of students that team has an unfair advantage because, even if they are better with the tools we are using and the kind of programming we are doing, I know what a good demo looks like, I know what a realistic plan looks like, I know what it takes to make a good demo, how to present it in the most positive light -- all things I learned through hard knocks in startup life.