Tech for Non-Techies

Sophia Matveeva
  • 5.0 (24)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Weekly

If you want to build new things and be known as the innovator in the room — this is your show. Whether you're launching a tech venture from scratch as a non-technical founder, bringing a new product to market inside a large organisation, or advising tech and VC clients — I'll give you the thinking and the frameworks to do it. The smartest founders and the most ambitious senior executives are obsessed with the same skill: product thinking. It's the ability to figure out what is worth building, why it is worth building, and how to make it work. Founders develop it out of necessity. Senior leaders suddenly need it the moment they reach the top. Almost nobody teaches it. I do. I've taught these frameworks at Oxford, London Business School, and Techstars, written for the Harvard Business Review, and spoken at GITEX and Cannes Lions. I have over 800 alumni across four continents. This is not theory. It is the thinking, tested at the highest level, and now yours.

  1. 2d ago

    327. Co-founder or catastrophe? How to get the relationship right from the start

    Co-founder conflict is one of the top reasons startups fail. And even when it does not kill the company, it can put it at serious risk, distract from building, and make founders miserable in the process. This episode is for anyone working with tech startups — as a founder, team member, investor or advisor. It is especially relevant if you are a non-technical founder trying to figure out who to build with and how. You'll learn from Alisa Cohn - one of the world's leading startup coaches. She has coached founders at companies including Etsy, Venmo and Tory Burch, is the author of From Startup to Grown Up. Listen to this episode to learn: The red flags that tell you a potential co-founder is not actually committed to your venture Whether you actually need a co-founder at all — or whether a senior hire with equity might serve you better The co-founder prenup — the questions you must work through before you formalise anything The single most important thing you can do to stop small resentments becoming company-destroying conflicts Free personal brand strategy session: 2/10 free spots remain at the time of recording! If you want to work through how to position yourself as a credible, visible innovator — the kind that attracts the right co-founders, investors and clients — book yours now. Book here: https://calendly.com/sophia-matveeva/personal-brand-discovery Timestamps: 00:00 – Why co-founder conflict causes startup failure 02:02 – 2 free personal brand strategy sessions left 05:02 – Meet Alisa Cohn, top startup coach 05:40 – Technical vs. non-technical founder mindsets 10:15 – Do successful founders need to be young? 11:50 – How to find the right co-founder 14:46 – Co-founder vs. early employee: what's the difference? 20:08 – Why desperation leads to bad co-founder decisions 23:52 – How to build a healthy co-founder relationship 32:08 – Advice for non-technical founders in the age of AI 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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Connect with Sophia Matveeva on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-matveeva-556365a/?isSelfProfile=true Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/327-co-founder-or-catastrophe-how-to-get-the-relationship-right-from-the-start

    327. Co-founder or catastrophe? How to get the relationship right from the start

  2. Oct 21

    326. The innovator identity: why you need the reputation before you get the opportunity

    Today, in the age of AI, execution is easy. Anyone can write code, produce a report, or generate a LinkedIn post. What AI cannot do is imagine what does not yet exist, spot opportunities others have missed, or combine ideas in a new way. That is the innovator identity. And it is now the most valuable thing a knowledge worker can be known for. In this episode: Why you cannot wait until you have done something innovative before claiming the innovator identity — and why that thinking will cost you Why being seen as an innovator is a pricing strategy, i.e. it means you get paid more Why the innovator identity is the only professional positioning that is genuinely defensible in the long term This episode is for you if: You are a founder, executive or ambitious professional who wants to be known for your thinking, not just your output You want to attract better opportunities, higher fees and more interesting work You are ready to claim the innovator identity deliberately — not wait for someone else to give it to you Free personal brand strategy session: Book a free one-on-one session to figure out exactly how to position yourself as an innovator in your specific field. [Book your session here]. ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT. Timestamps: 00:00 – Why innovators earn more than executors 01:35 – Why this episode ties the personal brand series together 02:24 – 4 free personal brand strategy sessions left 05:11 – Myth: you need to earn the innovator title first 09:36 – Why innovators get paid more in the age of AI 11:51 – Why AI-generated content damages your reputation 13:30 – How to lead conversations like an innovator 15:59 – How to capture value without sounding whiny 16:34 – Recap: building your innovator reputation 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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophia-matveeva-556365a/?isSelfProfile=true Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/326-the-innovator-identity-why-you-need-the-reputation-before-you-get-the-opportunity

    326. The innovator identity: why you need the reputation before you get the opportunity

  3. Oct 14

    325. How to get paid more [TFNT classic]

    Too many smart, hardworking professionals focus on creating value, but never capture it. They take on more responsibility, lead bigger projects, deliver real results — and somehow end up getting paid the same. This is one of the most popular episodes in the Tech for Non-Techies back catalogue, and the timing could not be more relevant. It is Q4. Promotion decisions are being made right now. Budgets are being signed off. Whether you are running a business, looking for your next role, or want to get paid more in the job you are already in — this episode is for you. In this episode: The exact approach one client used to get a 35% pay rise — with no threats, no drama, and no mention of leaving Why talking about fairness and extra hours will never get you paid more — and what to do instead Why being perceived as a victim is the most expensive career mistake you can make How to align your value to what the budget holder actually cares about This episode is for you if: You are doing more work than your compensation reflects You are leading a transformation or innovation project that has grown way beyond its original scope You want to negotiate better without damaging the relationship Free personal brand strategy session: This month only, I am offering 10 free brand strategy sessions. We will diagnose exactly what you need right now — whether that is getting discovered by the right people or capturing the value you already create. At the time of recording, 2 sessions have already been booked, so only 8 are left. Book your session here Timestamps: 00:00 – How to get a 35% pay rise without negotiating 02:18 – Free personal brand strategy sessions this month 04:43 – Case study: a project that ballooned out of scope 07:04 – Why digital transformation projects often fail 09:24 – Why complaining to your boss backfires 11:47 – How to quantify the value you've created 14:11 – The real reason David got his pay rise  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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/325-how-to-get-paid-more-tfnt-classic

    325. How to get paid more [TFNT classic]

  4. Oct 7

    324. Are you the expert Claude recommends? How to stand out in the age of AI

    Q4 is here. This is when budgets get signed off and promotions get decided.  The opportunities won't necessarily go to the smartest or most hard working people in the room. They will go to the most visible. This episode is about how to be that person — without making daily LinkedIn content, without a PR agency, and without becoming someone you are not. Listen to learn: How to stand out now that everyone can create content with AI  How to be on the list of experts that AI recommends (because people aren't going to Google search to find out anymore) The one thing that makes you look credible to both humans and LLMs (it's not your LinkedIn follower count) This episode is for you if: You are a founder, executive or ambitious professional who knows they are good at what they do — but the right people do not know it yet You want opportunities to come to you instead of chasing them You want to charge more, negotiate better and be taken more seriously — without cold pitching Free class — next Monday: Smart, skilled and invisible: how to get seen by the people who decide your career. Register here: https://www.techfornontechies.co/smart-skilled-and-invisible Timestamps: 00:00 – How visibility earns $500/hour consulting gigs 01:21 – Why Q4 is the best time to get noticed 02:21 – How content built Sophia's global business 03:35 – Client case study: $500/hour from LinkedIn posts 06:03 – Free class: how to get seen by decision-makers 07:03 – Why AI-generated content hurts your personal brand 09:26 – How to stand out from AI slop on LinkedIn 10:26 – Getting recommended by ChatGPT and other AI tools 11:51 – How to get featured in industry publications 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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/324-are-you-the-expert-claude-recommends-how-to-stand-out-in-the-age-of-ai

    324. Are you the expert Claude recommends? How to stand out in the age of AI

  5. Sep 30

    323. The grown up side of crypto: how JP Morgan, Visa and Mastercard are using blockchain to reshape global finance

    Crypto has grown up. It's now no longer just about overnight millionaires and meme coins. It is now how the largest corporations do business.  JP Morgan has processed over $5 trillion through its blockchain division, even though Jamie Dimon famously hated crypto a decade ago. Visa, Mastercard, Fidelity and BNY Mellon are all in now too. This episode is about the grown up side of crypto — where nobody goes to jail or becomes a millionaire overnight — and why it matters to you as a business leader even if you have no intention of buying a single coin. Listen to learn: Why JP Morgan, which famously hated crypto, now has three major blockchain divisions handling over $5 trillion in transactions The difference between the silly end of crypto and the serious end — and why the serious end is reshaping global finance What tokenisation actually means in plain English — and why major asset managers are paying attention How corporates are using blockchain to make international payments faster, cheaper and more reliable What size of company should be thinking about this — and the specific use cases worth exploring now This episode is for you if: You are a business leader who wants to understand what crypto actually means for your industry — beyond the headlines You work in finance, treasury or payments and want to understand what is coming You are a founder or investor who wants to know where the serious institutional money is going Vanessa's book: Digital Assets and Crypto for Investors — available now from Wiley Free masterclass — 12 October: Smart, skilled and invisible: how to get seen by the people who decide your career.  Timestamps: 00:00 – JP Morgan's $5 trillion crypto blockchain business 01:26 – Free class: how to get seen in your career 03:33 – Meet Vanessa Grellet, crypto and blockchain expert 05:08 – Why JP Morgan built its own crypto coin 09:10 – Do companies like Coca-Cola use blockchain too? 10:49 – Public vs. private blockchain networks explained 13:13 – What is the Melania meme coin, really? 16:02 – How companies custody digital assets and crypto 17:05 – How gold gets tokenized on the blockchain 22:29 – Is crypto right for your company's size? 25:53 – Real use cases: crypto for global payroll and payments 29:29 – Vanessa's new book on crypto investing 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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/323-the-grown-up-side-of-crypto-how-JP-Morgan-Visa-and-Mastercard-are-using-blockchain-to-reshape-global-finance

    323. The grown up side of crypto: how JP Morgan, Visa and Mastercard are using blockchain to reshape global finance

  6. Sep 23

    322. How much does it cost to build an app? And other questions non-technical founders are afraid to ask

    How much does it cost to build an app? Is my agency ripping me off? How do I know if what they built is any good? Am I being too demanding — or not demanding enough? Every non-technical founder is terrified when they start working with developers. If you don't have a background in tech, you don't know what you don't know and asking AI can spin you down a rabbit hole.  My guest this week has spent years on the other side of that conversation. He knows what founders get wrong, what agencies hide, and what it actually costs to build a product.  Vuk Nikolic leads Hurricane Studio — a development team that specialises in working with non-technical founders.  Hurricane Studio is also the first ever sponsor of this podcast! In the intro I explain exactly how we vetted them — because the process gives you a glimpse of how to choose a development partner yourself. Listen to learn: How much it actually costs to build an MVP — with real budget brackets for three different types of product The single biggest red flag when evaluating a development agency  How to tell if your Lovable or no-code prototype is ready for real users  Why most projects fail because of communication, not technology — and the specific questions to ask before you sign anything This episode is for you if: You are a non-technical founder who is about to hire developers for the first time You already have a development partner and want to know if they are the right one You have built something with a no-code tool and want to know what to do next FREE GUIDE for non-technical founders: Hurricane Studio's Storm Survival guide Book a call with Hurricane to discuss how to build your venture: https://hurricane.studio/ Timestamps: 00:00 – The most expensive mistake in hiring developers 00:20 – Introducing Hurricane Studios, first podcast sponsor 03:56 – How to spot red flags in your development team 06:47 – Signs your outsourced developers aren't being honest 10:34 – How to track progress when you can't read code 13:55 – Understanding feature trade-offs with developers 16:28 – How much it costs to build an MVP 19:48 – Why MVP launch dates always slip 22:27 – How to reduce your development budget 27:29 – Case study: taking a Lovable prototype to production 32:46 – The #1 sign of a trustworthy development partner 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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/322-how-much-does-it-cost-to-build-an-app-and-other-questions-non-technical-founders-are-afraid-to-ask

    322. How much does it cost to build an app? And other questions non-technical founders are afraid to ask

  7. Sep 16

    321. Why 80% of AI projects fail — and it's not the AI's fault

    Contrast two AI projects. One cost $600,000 to build, $500,000 per year to maintain and was shut down as functionally unusable. The other cut energy waste, reduced equipment damage, and returned 35.8% on investment. Same tech. Different outcomes. The difference had nothing to do with the AI — and everything with how the project was set up and managed. In this episode: The New York City AI chatbot that confidently told people to break the law The Korean steel plant that used AI to solve one specific measurable problem — and returned 35.8% on its investment The five reasons AI transformations fail and how to avoid every one of them Why AI is execution and product thinking is judgment — and why you cannot out-execute a wrong decision This episode is for you if: You are a business or political leader with an AI budget and want to make sure it is not wasted You are a corporate innovator trying to make the case for an AI initiative internally You want a clear framework for evaluating AI projects before you commit to them Timestamps: 00:00 – The $600K AI chatbot that failed vs. the AI that worked 02:11 – NYC's government AI chatbot disaster 07:01 – Korean steel company's successful AI project 09:23 – Why the steel company's AI project succeeded 10:45 – Why 80% of enterprise AI projects fail (RAND research) 11:45 – 5 reasons AI transformation projects fail 14:06 – 2 solutions to fix failing AI initiatives 15:12 – Why product thinking matters more than AI technology 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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/321-why-80-of-ai-projects-fail-and-it-s-not-the-ai-s-fault-2

    321. Why 80% of AI projects fail — and it's not the AI's fault

  8. Sep 9

    320. Calendly: the $3bn non-technical founder success story

    Tope Awotona had no co-founder, no coding ability, and three failed startups behind him. None of that stopped him — today, Calendly is worth $3 billion, used by over 20 million people in 230+ countries, and adopted by 86% of the Fortune 500. In this episode, I break down exactly how a non-technical founder built one of the most capital-efficient startup success stories of the last decade — and what you can actually steal from his playbook. What you'll learn: How he chose the idea that finally worked, after two failures  How he built a $3 billion company completely alone, with no co-founder, ever How to tell if a development team actually believes in your product, not just your budget How running out of money by accident became Calendly's biggest growth engine Want to build a tech venture as a non-technical founder? Our Non-Technical Founders' Product Accelerator program is for you.  People have used it to build apps and platforms, raise funding and completely change their careers.  Timestamps: 00:00 – How Calendly's founder ran out of money by accident 02:23 – Listener shoutout and podcast review 03:04 – Meet Tope Awotona, Calendly's non-technical founder 04:43 – Calendly's $3 billion growth story 07:05 – Why sales, not coding, built Calendly 09:21 – The 3 failed startups before Calendly 11:39 – Why Calendly had no technical co-founder 14:06 – Paying $200K to outsourced developers 16:29 – How Calendly went viral by accident 21:18 – Fundraising only after proving traction 25:26 – 6 lessons for non-technical founders 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 an honest review 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. Listen to our podcast on: Apple Spotify YouTube Audible Pandora Transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/320-calendly-the-$3bn-non-technical-founder-success-story

    320. Calendly: the $3bn non-technical founder success story
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5
out of 5
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About

If you want to build new things and be known as the innovator in the room — this is your show. Whether you're launching a tech venture from scratch as a non-technical founder, bringing a new product to market inside a large organisation, or advising tech and VC clients — I'll give you the thinking and the frameworks to do it. The smartest founders and the most ambitious senior executives are obsessed with the same skill: product thinking. It's the ability to figure out what is worth building, why it is worth building, and how to make it work. Founders develop it out of necessity. Senior leaders suddenly need it the moment they reach the top. Almost nobody teaches it. I do. I've taught these frameworks at Oxford, London Business School, and Techstars, written for the Harvard Business Review, and spoken at GITEX and Cannes Lions. I have over 800 alumni across four continents. This is not theory. It is the thinking, tested at the highest level, and now yours.

Information

  • Creator
    Sophia Matveeva
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    328
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Tech for Non-Techies Ltd
  • Show Website
    Tech for Non-Techies

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