Building Great Tech

Simon Hook & Anastasija Krysa

Growing, scaling, and selling tech businesses. Building Great Tech takes you inside the product decisions that drive growth, protect margins, and make tech companies worth buying. What's killing your conversion. Why your customers churn. Where the real product value sits before, during, and after a deal. Hosted by Simon Hook & Anastasija Krysa. Two product value creation specialists behind £41M and $87M exits, a 156% conversion increase, and a 93% retention uplift. Expert interviews with PE investors, CEOs, founders, and operators. Real case studies. Practical playbooks for growing, scaling, and selling tech businesses.

  1. 16 Jul

    The AI Laws Every Tech Business needs to know in 2026 with Funke Abimbola

    In this week's episode, Simon and Anastasija talk with Funke Abimbola MBE, AI Governance Expert and Chief Legal Officer, about AI law and how it impacts UK businesses. If you are a UK based business founder you may not be fully aware of the local or international law that will either impact you now or as you grow. Did you know that the UK does not have any official single bill or legislation on AI regulation? ABOUT FUNKE: My name is Funke Abimbola and I am a multi-award winning  Corporate Lawyer, C-suite Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader, Healthcare executive, BBC media commentator, Non Executive Director, Public Speaker and Podcast host.  Most importantly, I am a very proud mother to an exceptional son who is a software engineer. Funke's linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/funkeabimbola/ Funke's personal website - https://funkeabimbola.com/ BUILDING GREAT TECH WEBSITE ⁠⁠⁠http://BuildingGreatTech.com/⁠⁠⁠ YOUTUBE ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@buildinggreattech?si=PAPXfpruiSx_Nqgt⁠⁠⁠ TIKTOK ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@buildinggreattech?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc⁠⁠⁠ LINKEDIN ⁠⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/building-great-tech⁠⁠⁠ INSTAGRAM ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/buildinggreattech/⁠⁠⁠ FACEBOOK ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/buildinggreattech/⁠

  2. 2 Jul

    How to Keep Customers During M&A and Bolt-Ons - with Jennie Vandegrift

    In this episode of Building Great Tech. Anastasija and Simon talk with Jennie Vandegrift, Chief Customer Officer at Nuqleous, about the pressures that companies face to KEEP clients through the turbulant phases of mergers, aquisitions and the addition of bolt-ons. They break down the GRR metric and debate it's usefulness when calculating customer health, they also uncover some key strategies for improving retention and renewals. About Jennie: Jennie is a strategic and results-driven Chief Customer Officer with 19+ years of experience in retail, consumer packaged goods (CPG), apparel, and footwear industries. With proven expertise in building and scaling post-sale customer organizations across implementation, customer success, support, and professional services. She is also experienced in operating PE-backed environments with deep fluency in board reporting, investor-level metrics, and value creation planning. She is a recognised leader in developing high-performing global teams, driving revenue retention and expansion, and aligning customer success motions with business growth objectives. Connect with Jennie: Linkedin -⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennievandegrift/⁠ BUILDING GREAT TECH WEBSITE ⁠⁠⁠http://BuildingGreatTech.com/⁠⁠⁠ YOUTUBE ⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/@buildinggreattech?si=PAPXfpruiSx_Nqgt⁠⁠⁠ TIKTOK ⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@buildinggreattech?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc⁠⁠⁠ LINKEDIN ⁠⁠⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/building-great-tech⁠⁠⁠ INSTAGRAM ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/buildinggreattech/⁠⁠⁠ FACEBOOK ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/buildinggreattech/⁠

  3. 25 Jun

    From 0 to 9-Figure PE Exit - with Grzegorz Blazewicz, founder of SALESmanago

    In this episode of Building Great Tech, Anastasija and Simon talk with Grzegorz Blazewicz, founder of SALESmanago. They talk about pressures facing the marketing industry amidst the AI revolution and how AI can be used as a tool to help target marketing campaigns more effectivelty. They also break down Grzegorz's jounrey from B2B to B2B and back again, and how he managed to get funding from two seperate PE firms, eventually resulting in a 9-figure exit! ABOUT GRZEGORZ An entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in marketing and management. Founded Salesmanago and as a CEO bootstrapped the company from EUR 0 - 20 mln ARR and led the company to EUR 9-digit exit. Prior to starting Salesmanago worked in marketing agencies in New York and London, was CMO of Comarch, one of the largest IT companies in Europe (2000-2006), and CEO of Interia, Poland’s 3rd largest Internet portal, quoted on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (2006-2008) which he managed to exit at EUR 100 mln valuation.Academic lecturer, startup mentor and author of the popular book “Marketing Automation. Towards Artificial Intelligence and Hyperpersonalization”. Finalist in the 2014 EY Entrepreneur of the Year award.Specializes in GTM Strategies, M&A, Product Development. GUEST LINKS Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/grzegorzblazewicz/ Book "Marketing Automation: Towards Artificial Intelligence and Hyper-personalization" - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marketing-Automation-Artificial-Intelligence-Hyperpersonalization/dp/8301222220 SALESmanago - https://www.salesmanago.com/ BUILDING GREAT TECH WEBSITE ⁠http://BuildingGreatTech.com/⁠ YOUTUBE ⁠https://youtube.com/@buildinggreattech?si=PAPXfpruiSx_Nqgt⁠ TIKTOK ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@buildinggreattech?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc⁠ LINKEDIN ⁠https://uk.linkedin.com/company/building-great-tech⁠ INSTAGRAM ⁠https://www.instagram.com/buildinggreattech/⁠ FACEBOOK ⁠https://www.facebook.com/buildinggreattech/⁠

  4. 11 Jun

    Why PE Bolt-Ons Lose Value After Close (And the Man Who Fixes That), with Thomas Varan

    In this week's episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Thomas Varan, a delivery leader for PE-backed software companies during post-acquisition integration. They talk about the key issues that affect acquisitions, why PE firms should think twice before adopting a bolt-on "buy and build" strategy, and how AI will redefine what it means to be agile in the software industry. ABOUT THOMAS: My career began on the phones — three years as a carrier sales account manager at Coyote Logistics, a company later acquired by UPS. That experience shaped everything I’ve done since: every engagement I run is ultimately about the customer’s outcome, not the internal process. From there I moved into business analysis, led teams of analysts and offshore developers, managed global implementations across three continents, and built an organization’s first structured delivery practice from zero. Each step added a layer — technical fluency, cross-functional leadership, the ability to operate at the intersection of business strategy and engineering execution. In 2018 I founded TV Consulting LLC and went independent. Since then I’ve worked inside PE-backed companies post-close — closing the gap between what diligence identifies and what actually gets fixed. Roadmap governance, sprint predictability, R&D metrics, board-level reporting. The work that turns engineering from a black box into a transparent, governed operation. Simple philosophy: make the framework work for your organization, not the other way around. GUEST LINKS: Website - https://thomasvaran.com/ Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasvaran/ BUILDING GREAT TECH WEBSITE http://BuildingGreatTech.com/ YOUTUBE https://youtube.com/@buildinggreattech?si=PAPXfpruiSx_Nqgt APPLE https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/building-great-tech/id1839197191 SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/3SqTKzhVxqUHHjOlWy0dWF?si=da31b7b196564319 TIKTOK https://www.tiktok.com/@buildinggreattech?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc LINKEDIN https://uk.linkedin.com/company/building-great-tech INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/buildinggreattech/ FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/buildinggreattech/

  5. 4 Jun

    Winning the SaaSpocalypse: Lessons for SaaS Companies from Jim Milbery, Partner at ParkerGale

    In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Jim Milbery, partner at ParkerGale. They discuss the evolving software markets, how AI and the SaaSpocalypse is changing what investors are looking for, and why founders now want AI in everything! ABOUT JIM: Jim has spent his entire career in technology, working with customers, founders and management teams. Prior to founding ParkerGale, he worked at Chicago Growth Partners and William Blair Capital Partners where he managed portfolio company operations and technology initiatives. Before starting in private equity, Jim held various technical, sales and strategy roles at Oracle Corporation, Compuware/Uniface, CA/Ingres and Digital Equipment Corporation. He studied Accounting and Applied Statistics at Babson College, and holds a Master’s Degree in Information Technology from IIT in Chicago. Jim spends his free time mixing it up in the black belt division on the Sport Martial Arts circuit. Connect with Jim on Linkedin - linkedin.com/in/jmilbery BUILDING GREAT TECH WEBSITE http://BuildingGreatTech.com/ YOUTUBE https://youtube.com/@buildinggreattech?si=PAPXfpruiSx_Nqgt APPLE https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/building-great-tech/id1839197191 SPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/3SqTKzhVxqUHHjOlWy0dWF?si=da31b7b196564319 TIKTOK https://www.tiktok.com/@buildinggreattech?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc LINKEDIN https://uk.linkedin.com/company/building-great-tech INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/buildinggreattech/ FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/buildinggreattech/

  6. 21 May

    How AI Can 10x your sales team - with David Pratley Mc-Gill

    In this episode of Building Great Tech, Anastasija and Simon talk with David Pratley Mc-Gill, Client Solution Director, GTM & AI Labs at Salt. The episode explores how AI can empower sales teams to become more efficient. AI can conduct research for market outreach and even send emails on your behalf, but to what extent is AI actually harmful to the sales process? And could you replace your whole sales team with AI? ABOUT DAVID: My career has centred on building momentum where growth is being blocked. That has meant different things at different stages, from recruitment and talent solutions, to digital business building, to helping shape the commercial direction of an AI SaaS product. Most recently, I played a key role in developing @Answertree’s commercial engine, website, messaging, SEO foundations, outbound structure and enterprise-facing positioning during a critical stage of growth.I am now Client Solution Director, GTM & AI Labs at Salt, where my focus is on helping build new AI-enabled and platform-led solutions that bring together talent, teams and transformation in a more connected and commercially effective way across the group. GUEST LINKS: David's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-pmcg/?originalSubdomain=uk BUILDING GREAT TECH: Website: ⁠⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠⁠ Anastasija’s Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/⁠⁠⁠⁠ Simon’s Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/⁠

  7. 14 May

    $4M Fire, Grandfather Clock and $800B Market - with Rich Amsinger founder ManyCo.ai

    In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija are in conversation with Rich Amsinger founder ManyCo.ai. An Ai-Driven inventory sell through engine. Rich explains how he let his Ai run wild with the company credit card, sometimes making werid and wonderful purchasing decisions. He also tells the story of how he lost $4 Million in shop inventory in a fire! ABOUT RICH: I’m the co-founder of The Many Company, where we’re building software to solve one of the most persistent and expensive problems in commerce: what happens to inventory after full-price selling ends. In a market defined by fragmented tools, manual workflows, and disconnected resale channels, we built a unified SaaS platform that gives brands and retailers a single system to manage excess inventory, returns, and resale. Our software uses proprietary data and decisioning to determine where each item should go to generate the most profit, reach new customers, and reduce cost, while maintaining brand control. The Many Company was founded with my co-founder and CEO, Carolyn Butler, on the belief that post-purchase commerce needed its own operating system—one built for margin recovery, compliance, and scale.Today, I focus on helping brands turn excess inventory from a cost center into a strategic revenue layer. We’re building the infrastructure that modern apparel companies rely on as commerce, regulation, and consumer behavior continue to evolve. GUEST LINKS: See how Manyco.ai can help you - https://www.manyco.ai/ Connect with Rich on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardamsinger/ The Many Company on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-many-company/ BUILDING GREAT TECH: Website: ⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ Anastasija’s Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/⁠⁠⁠ Simon’s Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/⁠

  8. 7 May

    How to Price Your SaaS in the Age of AI - with Fessal Rahman

    In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija speak with Fessal Rahman, originator of the Agentic Commercial Model framework and founder of FR Advisory, about the impending upheaval of SaaS platforms due to AI integration. Is the “SaaSpocalypse” real? And is it coming sooner than we anticipated? They also discuss what the PE landscape looks like in 2026, and what PE firms are looking for when investing in ever changing markets. About Fessal Fessal Rahman is the originator of the Agentic Commercial Model, a framework for rebuilding commercial operating models for the agentic AI era. Founder of FR Advisory, advising PE- and VC-backed SaaS businesses on agentic AI monetisation and commercial transformation. fessalrahman.github.io THE PODCAST: Growing, scaling, and selling tech businesses. Building Great Tech takes you inside the product decisions that drive growth, protect margins, and make tech companies worth buying. What's killing your conversion. Why your customers churn. Where the real product value sits before, during, and after a deal. Hosted by Simon Hook & Anastasija Krysa. Two product value creation specialists behind £41M and $87M exits, a 156% conversion increase, and a 93% retention uplift. Expert interviews with PE investors, CEOs, founders, and operators. Real case studies. Practical playbooks for growing, scaling, and selling tech businesses. GUEST LINKS Connect with Fessal on Linkedin - ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/fessal/?originalSubdomain=uk⁠ BUILDING GREAT TECH: Website: ⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ Anastasija’s Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/⁠⁠⁠ Simon’s Linkedin: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/⁠

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About

Growing, scaling, and selling tech businesses. Building Great Tech takes you inside the product decisions that drive growth, protect margins, and make tech companies worth buying. What's killing your conversion. Why your customers churn. Where the real product value sits before, during, and after a deal. Hosted by Simon Hook & Anastasija Krysa. Two product value creation specialists behind £41M and $87M exits, a 156% conversion increase, and a 93% retention uplift. Expert interviews with PE investors, CEOs, founders, and operators. Real case studies. Practical playbooks for growing, scaling, and selling tech businesses.

Information

  • Creator
    Simon Hook & Anastasija Krysa
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    40
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Building Great Tech