I attended a presentation from Leslie Bradshaw of Jess3 about the "10 Things CEOs Need to Know About Design".  While I found the presentation to be a little high level and lacking some details, there were some good points to make you think.  Some of the points about design I agree with, some I disagree with - see my comments below.

1. PowerPoint is for delivery not design.  Use a graphics program to do design, but PPT to do the actual presentation. [Disagree.  This requires too much technical skill for most people and slows you down too much.  Today you need to democratize the content creation process, this moves in the opposite direction.  I do think that you should start sketching on paper and not be bound by bullet points in PPT.]
2. Don't be bound by geography to hire designers.  Leverage the global marketplace and feel free to use international design talent via the web. [Agree.]
3. Get surgeons, not hacks, then get out of way.  Hire designers for their expertise, then let them practice their craft.  [I sort of agree, but I also think that the role of the designer is to meet the goals of the person hiring them.]
4. Expand what design means with illustrators, designers, and tattoo artists.  Don't be afraid to step outside the box in terms of design.  [Agree.]
5. Start in black and white - sketch, wireframe, storyboard first.  [Agree.]
6. Social media provides building blocks and parameters - button sizes, avatars, (don't smoosh them).  If you are building something online, be aware of the design elements you might integrate from other sources. [Agree.]
7. Distribution channels are infinite - your content will be eveywhere, plan for it.  Don't build content just for your website, the best content spreads all over the web.  [Agree.]
8. Design is critical for startups, hire a designer really early.  [Disagree.  It is a really nice to have, but not a necessity.]
9. Like kneading bread, don't overdo it (design).  [Agree.]
10. Design is not production. It's ok to specialize with different agencies for different parts of the marketing process. [Sort of agree.  While I can understand using different agencies for different parts of the process, there is also a great benefit to have someone who owns the process end to end.]

What do you think?  What should business folks know about design?