Tech for Non-Techies

Sophia Matveeva
  • 5.0 (1)
  • CAREERS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Tech for Non-Techies helps Business Leaders have great careers in the Digital Age, with episodes on innovation, digital transformation, start-ups and how technology is changing business. Learn tech concepts, apply them to business strategy, and get practical advice on how to succeed as a Digital Leader today. Learn how to work with tech clients, transition career, succeed in digital transformation and start a company as a non-technical founder. Tech for Non-Techies is for: - Leaders in corporates going through digital transformation - Non-technical founders - Professionals who want to transition into a career in tech - Tech investors Hosted by tech entrepreneur, executive coach and Chicago Booth MBA Sophia Matveeva.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    267: 7 Startup Lessons from BlackBerry’s Rise and Fall

    Most non-technical founders dream of building a game-changing tech product—without learning to code. But bridging the gap between vision and execution? That takes more than just a good idea. In this episode, Sophia Matveeva breaks down 7 essential lessons from the rise and fall of BlackBerry, a tech company that revolutionized communication, then lost it all. You’ll learn why great engineers aren’t enough, how clueless sales pitches kill trust, and why falling in love with your invention might be your biggest risk. Whether you’re planning your first app or scaling your second startup, this episode is packed with real talk and timeless wisdom, straight from a founder who’s been there. In this episode, you will hear: BlackBerry's rise and fall as a case study for tech and business collaboration Importance of mutual respect and tech fluency between engineers and non-technical founders Lessons from the BlackBerry movie for non-technical founders to avoid past mistakes Strategies for non-technical leaders to effectively bridge the tech gap Importance of top-tier engineering talent and the value of significant investment in tech expertise Need for effective communication between sales and technical teams to prevent crises Resources from this Episode Free class: Introduction to Tech for Non-Technical Founders https://www.techfornontechies.co/freeclass Follow and Review: We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast. Episode Credits If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you. For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/267-7-startup-lessons-from-blackberry-s-rise-and-fall

    16 min

  2. 20 AUG

    266. Founder-Led vs. Product-Led Growth: how to pick the right path for your startup

    Most founders dream of creating a product so good it sells itself. That’s the promise of product-led growth: customers discover, share, and adopt your product with little to no sales effort. Sadly that's rarely the reality. In the early stages, almost every founder has to do the hard, unglamorous work of founder-led growth: building trust, making offers and facing rejection. In this episode, you will learn from Vijay Rajendran, author of The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding With Confidence. Vijay previously led portfolio value at 500 Global, a venture capital firm with $2.7 billion under management, where he supported startups in more than 80 countries.  Vijay has helped hundreds of founders grow, scale, and raise capital.  Listen to learn: The difference between founder-led and product-led growth — and when each approach works best. How design partnerships and pilots can win your first customers (and even get them to fund product development). Why “influence” is a better mindset than “sales” — and how listening to customers creates trust. Stories from Airbnb to enterprise startups that reveal what growth really looks like behind the scenes. Whether you’re launching your first product, leading innovation inside a corporate, or backing founders as an investor, this episode is for you. Resources mentioned in this episode: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, Chris Voss Chapters   05:24 — The seductive dream of product-led growth (and why it rarely works early on) 07:52 — Design partnerships: how customers can fund your product 13:39 — The Airbnb toilet photos story: why every founder must talk to customers 18:55 — Stop pitching, start listening: turning sales into influence 23:23 — Empathy and persuasion: the human skills behind tech success 28:48 — When to move from founder-led growth to a professional sales team FREE Course: 5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know https://www.techfornontechies.co/freecourse   Growth Through Innovation If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here. Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University. For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/266-founder-led-vs-product-led-growth-how-to-pick-the-right-path-for-your-startup

    36 min

  3. 14 AUG

    265. From vodka shots to Y Combinator: how a non-technical founder built a global tech company

    If you’re a non-technical founder building your first product, this episode is for you. In today’s lesson, Robyn Exton shares the real story of how she went from branding agency employee to founder of a global tech company — without writing a line of code. She didn’t raise millions on day one. She learned by doing, made all the early-stage mistakes, and got her first users with vodka shots in nightclubs. Now, her app has millions of users and she’s been through Y Combinator. Robyn is the founder of HER, the dating app for queer women. Listen to this episode to learn: How to build a tech product without knowing how to code What to do when your first version fails The difference between product design and graphic design (and why it matters) How to work with developers when you don’t speak tech Whether you’re dreaming up your first MVP or struggling through version two, this is your honest guide to building in the dark — and making it work.   Chapters 00:00 — Vodka shots for downloads: the hustle begins 03:10 — From branding job to building a tech product 10:30 — The wake-up call: “You’re doing too many things” 14:00 — Fake research, failed MVP, and what she learned 27:20 — How a non-technical founder led a dev team 33:45 — Hiring a CTO, letting go of ego, and building trust 45:35 — Raising $1M before YC — and why she joined anyway 51:10 — Final audience Q&A: churn, product, and user feedback   FREE Course: 5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know https://www.techfornontechies.co/freecourse   Growth Through Innovation If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here. Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University. For the full transcript, go to: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/265-from-vodka-shots-to-y-combinator-how-a-non-technical-founder-built-a-global-tech-company

    59 min

  4. 6 AUG

    264. The vacation strategy for people who can’t switch off

    If you’re the kind of leader who is “on” all the time — even on vacation — this episode is for you. In today’s lesson, Sophia Matveeva shares a practical, honest approach to taking time off without pretending you’ll fully unplug.  Because when you're in charge, not checking work emails is often a pipe dream. Listen to this episode to learn: Why inner peace isn’t realistic for early-stage founders How to structure your break without lying to yourself The one rule you must follow if you get a great idea mid-vacation Why learning to trust your team now will set you up to scale How to use downtime to spot blind spots and reset your strategy Whether you’re heading to the beach or just trying to unplug for a weekend, this is your guide to making rest work for your ambitious brain. Chapters 00:00 — The founder brain that never stops 01:50 — You don’t need inner peace, you need creativity 04:52 — Structure your vacation like a pro 07:15 — What to do when inspiration strikes on holiday 09:35 — Smart founders use vacations to train their teams  FREE Course: 5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know https://www.techfornontechies.co/freecourse   Growth Through Innovation If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here. Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University. For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/264-the-vacation-strategy-for-people-who-can-t-switch-off

    13 min

  5. 30 JUL

    263. The feature factory trap: when output doesn’t equal progress

    Why do so many software teams feel busy — but deliver so little value? Fractional tech leader Thanos Diacakis shares why shipping more features doesn’t always mean progress. Drawing on 25+ years in software — from startups to scaling JUMP Bikes at Uber — he explains how to escape the trap of over-planning, feature overload, and technical debt. Listen to learn: Why planning more often leads to less progress What non-technical leaders need to ask their tech teams How to find your team’s bottleneck (and why that changes over time) The 4 stages of becoming a high-velocity software team If you’re a founder, product leader, or innovation exec frustrated by slow progress, this episode will give you the mindset and tools to course-correct. Follow Thanos Diacakis on LinkedIn and on his website.    Chapters 02:01 — Stop planning, start shipping 06:16 — Software isn’t construction: you can’t forecast innovation 09:58 — The 4 stages of high-velocity teams 13:56 — Spot the bottleneck, fix the system 20:11 — How business and tech teams can actually work together   FREE Course: 5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know https://www.techfornontechies.co/freecourse   Growth Through Innovation If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here. Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.   For the full transcript, go here: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/263-the-feature-factory-trap-when-output-doesnt-equal-progress

    31 min

  6. 16 JUL

    262. Why the CEO is the most dangerous person in a tech startup

    Most startup CEOs think they’re the visionary. But in today’s episode, you’ll learn why the CEO is often the single biggest threat to team productivity — and how to avoid becoming one. Based on a real conversation with a seasoned CTO and a sales leader who’ve scaled startups to exit, this episode dives into the blind spots that trip up even well-meaning founders. Whether you’re a CEO, part of a startup team, or investing in one — this lesson will help you lead smarter, build better, and waste less time. Listen to learn:  Why startup CEOs are more dangerous than corporate CEOs (and it’s not about ego) What “Seagull CEO Syndrome” does to your roadmap and morale How developer paralysis destroys velocity — and how to fix it What smart founders, teams, and investors can do to keep priorities on track Lesson mentioned in this episode:  Why MVPs are Always Late, Why That's Okay, and What to do About It   Chapters 00:00 — The Real Threat: Why Startup CEOs Kill Productivity 02:10 — Power Without Process: How CEO Impulses Go Unchecked 04:30 — Seagull Syndrome: How CEOs Derail Roadmaps 09:15 — Nothing to Do? Why Bored CEOs Delay MVPs 14:10 — Bottlenecks in Human Form: When CEOs Bypass Their Own Leaders   Growth Through Innovation If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here. Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University. For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/262-why-the-startup-ceo-is-the-biggest-risk-to-their-own-team

    20 min

  7. 9 JUL

    261. AI won’t kill jobs — but short-term thinking will

    Some CEOs are already replacing engineers and junior staff with large language models. But what if the real risk isn’t that AI replaces your team — it’s that it doesn’t, and you’re left without a talent pipeline? In this episode, Sophia Matveeva breaks down: Why cutting junior hiring today could sabotage your company in 3–5 years What IBM’s CEO gets right that others get very wrong How the hype around “AI-first” companies is creating poor decision-making What the S-curve of innovation tells us about the real pace of AI progress And why thinking long-term — not just cutting costs this quarter — is a strategic advantage Whether you’re a government leader, innovation executive, or non-technical founder, this episode will help you make smarter, more resilient decisions in the age of AI.  Fortune: IBM’s CEO says ‘the first thing you can automate is a repetitive, white-collar job,’ but he’s not cutting workers: ‘I’ll get more’ Chapters 00:00 — The Real Risk Isn’t AI — It’s What Happens When It Doesn’t Work 02:45 — What CEOs Are Saying: Duolingo, Klarna… and IBM’s Contrarian View 06:30 — The Junior Job Crunch: Accountancy’s Mistake Repeats in Tech 09:15 — The S-Curve Explained: Why AI Progress Is Slowing 14:10 — Your Strategic Takeaways: What Smart Leaders Are Doing Now   Growth Through Innovation If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here. Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.   For the full transcript, go here: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/AI-wont-kill-jobs-but-short-term-thinking-will

    18 min

  8. 2 JUL

    260. How non-techies succeed in tech: lessons from Microsoft’s CTO

    What does it really take to lead in tech without a technical degree? In this episode, Jennifer Byrne, former CTO of Microsoft US, shares how she built a top-tier tech career starting with a psychology degree — and why understanding context, not code, is your key to success. You’ll learn: How Jennifer transitioned from nonprofit work to tech leadership The difference between digital fluency and context (and why it matters) What cloud computing really is — minus the jargon How Microsoft handled global trust issues post-Snowden What CTOs actually do at big companies (hint: it’s not coding) Whether you’re a founder, investor, or business leader, this episode will help you think more strategically about tech — and your role in it. Chapters 00:00 – Why this episode still matters 02:30 – Jennifer’s path from psychology to tech 08:55 – Cybersecurity and the WikiLeaks era 14:40 – What cloud computing really is 25:25 – Digital context vs. fluency explained 35:45 – What a CTO actually does in big tech Growth Through Innovation If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here. Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University. For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/260-how-non-techies-succeed-in-tech-lessons-from-microsoft-s-cto

    38 min
See All (267)

Hosts & Guests

About

Tech for Non-Techies helps Business Leaders have great careers in the Digital Age, with episodes on innovation, digital transformation, start-ups and how technology is changing business. Learn tech concepts, apply them to business strategy, and get practical advice on how to succeed as a Digital Leader today. Learn how to work with tech clients, transition career, succeed in digital transformation and start a company as a non-technical founder. Tech for Non-Techies is for: - Leaders in corporates going through digital transformation - Non-technical founders - Professionals who want to transition into a career in tech - Tech investors Hosted by tech entrepreneur, executive coach and Chicago Booth MBA Sophia Matveeva.

Information

  • Creator
    Sophia Matveeva
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    267
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Tech for Non-Techies Ltd
  • Show Website
    Tech for Non-Techies

You Might Also Like