adjective · first recorded 2018 · status: emerging
Non technical (slur)
1.An ostensibly neutral label for someone without coding or engineering skills, jokingly described as one of San Francisco tech culture's harshest status insults. The joke satirizes a local hierarchy in which technical ability confers social and professional prestige.
The founder handles sales and fundraising, but people here dismiss him as non-technical.
01Origin
The idea predates the viral meme. In a June 2018 Hacker News discussion about recognition for non-technical startup contributions, commenter erikpukinskis wrote, "Sometimes I wonder if non-technical is just a slur." No definitive coiner was found.
Isaiah Granet popularized the SF-specific formulation on March 30, 2025, posting, "my favorite SF slur is ‘non technical’." The post received about one million views and 10,000 likes, was featured in newsletters, and prompted related jokes such as Simone Syed's "If your bf is non technical that's your gf." Later commentary explicitly described "non-technical" as a San Francisco slur used for people outside programming and engineering.
02Notable sightings
Simone Syed · @SimoneSyedIf your bf is non technical that's your gf
03Spread the ism
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