I have to disagree there. The only sensible bosses I ever had were ones who understood the nature of what their employees do. The more knowledge they had, the better. Dilbert is a documentary precisely because so many managers are clueless.

Managers should interfere if the rank'n'file are going off on a wild tangent with a project, but otherwise stay out of their hair. How would a non-technical manager know the difference?

The main purpose of mid-level managers is to provide a buffer between the troops and the clueless high-level management. High-level management decides what needs to be done. Mid-level managers keep the high-level dorks from mucking with the troops so that the technical people can get the job done. At the same time, they make sure that the troops are actually getting the job done.

Any company that doesn't understand that is a train wreck waiting to happen.

Case in point: The company I used to work for was run by technical managers. The CEO and VP of Engineering were both engineers, and the company was successful for more than a quarter century. Then a VP of Marketing (aka The Snake Oil Salesman) sweet talked the board of directors into ousting the CEO and installing said Snake Oil Salesman in his place. Less than two years later the company closed its doors for the last time.