The Difference Engine | B2B Category Design | Private Equity | Venture Capital

Categorical
  • 0,0 (0)
  • ПІДПРИЄМНИЦТВО
  • КОЖНІ ДВА ТИЖНІ

The Difference Engine helps founders and funders maximise business growth through category design. Hosted by two British northerners with decades of experience in launching, managing, and marketing disruptive tech companies. Paul Maher and Jonathan Simnett have been there, done it and thrown away the slogan t-shirts - now they'll help you become a category king. The Difference Engine - Disrupting Tech Strategy https://www.becategorical.com/

  1. 8 КВІТ.

    74. David Friend: From Synth Legend to Cloud Storage King

    We’re joined by David Friend, co-founder and CEO of Wasabi, for a deep dive into building category-defining tech companies. A six-time founder alongside Jeff Flowers, David’s journey spans pioneering synthesisers at ARP Instruments, whose sounds were used by Pete Townsend, David Bowie, and even R2D2, to leadership roles at Carbonite and beyond. We explore his impact across music, data, and cloud innovation. From shaping soundtracks to shaping storage, David shares lessons from decades as a groundbreaking innovator at the forefront of technology. There is more information on how to design your category on our blog Follow us on LinkedIn: Paul Maher Jonathan Simnett Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.

    35 хв

  2. 25 БЕР.

    73. The AI Impact Episode

    Tactics don’t last forever. We’re seeing it right now in the Premier League. The era of Pep Guardiola’s possession dominance is coming under pressure, as teams like Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal gain an edge through set-piece mastery. We’re seeing tactic shifts in the tech, as the old blueprint for category dominance, the SaaS Playbook, loses its edge in the age of AI. But AI hasn’t just changed the game, it’s reshaped the field it’s played on. So how should today’s gaffers rethink their tactics to create the next generation of category leaders? Also in this episode: we’ll be digging into some AI paradoxes and What to look forward to: 00:37 The Great Software Switcheroo 14:17 Two Paradoxes and a Law 33:49 ‘Double your PR budget now’, says Gartner

    54 хв

  3. 11 БЕР.

    72. OpenClaw: Analysing the hype

    OpenClaw is making waves as an open-source, self-hosted AI agent platform. But is it a true breakthrough, a passing fad, or simply another feature dressed up as a revolution? With a reported 2 million weekly users, its momentum is hard to ignore. Founders are rapidly deploying agents, investing in hardware, and experimenting at full speed. Even Jason Lemkin of SaaStr has integrated 20 AI agents into his team. Yet his hands-on trials have also surfaced some messy limitations. So what’s the verdict? In the latest episode of The Difference Engine tech strategy podcast, Paul Maher and Jonathan Simnett show whether AI agents outperforming human workers, or are they in fact more similar than we expect? Also in this episode: We’re going to highlight the Europeans leading the AI charge and sift through the debris of the so-called Saaspocalypse What to look forward to: 00:33 Is OpenClaw a fashion, fad or now just a feature? 16:39 Who are the Europeans who are challenging in AI? 27:05 What does digital sovereignty mean across the continent? There is more information on how to design your category on our blog Follow us on LinkedIn: Paul Maher Jonathan Simnett Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.

    43 хв

  4. 25 ЛЮТ.

    71. How Europe can fight back!

    You would be forgiven for thinking that Europe has missed tech. As the US and China become global tech powerhouses, it’s easy to think that Europe is simply waving from the shoreline as the tech boat sails away. However, there's another way to look at this. Instead of dominating it’s specialising. From pioneering commercial computing to building systems for complexity, regulation, and the physical world, Europe builds the tech that societies run on Also in this episode: We’ll explore where Europe can truly lead over the next five years, and bring some clarity to the blurry lines of digital sovereignty across the continent. What to look forward to: 00:37 Why Europe hasn’t missed tech 10:00 Where can Europe lead in tech over the next five years? 20:57 What does digital sovereignty mean across the continent? There is more information on how to design your category on our blog Follow us on LinkedIn: Paul Maher Jonathan Simnett Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen. To find out more about Element, click here

    33 хв

  5. 11 ЛЮТ.

    70. Why is Freemium Back in Fashion?

    People say that style moves in cycles. From skinny jeans to mullets to Northern Soul, everything waits in the wings before returning to centre stage. So, is it freemium’s time to take the spotlight? With AI companies increasingly choosing open access over strict paywalls, we explore why freemium is back in fashion—and what this resurgence reveals about winning in today’s market. Also in this episode: we’ll assess the new reality of Category power, and ask how do you beat a 40-year-old tech incumbent at its own game What to look forward to: 00:35 Freemium as a route to AI category domination 09:49 The New Reality of Category Power 17:48 How do you beat a 40-year-old tech incumbent at its own game? There is more information on how to design your category on our blog Follow us on LinkedIn: Paul Maher Jonathan Simnett Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.

    30 хв

  6. 28 СІЧ.

    69. Christina Caffarra: The biggest issue facing European tech

    In this episode, we’re joined by Cristina Caffarra, one of Europe’s most respected voices on competition, regulation and the digital economy, to unpack what European tech really needs to succeed. A leading economist educated at the University of Oxford, Cristina brings decades of experience advising companies and governments across Europe. She previously led the European competition practice at a top global consultancy and has been at the centre of many of the debates shaping today’s tech policy. More recently, she is the prominent voice behind EuroStack, an initiative advocating for a more competitive and resilient European digital ecosystem - challenging Europe to think bigger about its technological future. There is more information on how to design your category on our blog Follow us on LinkedIn: Paul Maher Jonathan Simnett Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.

    43 хв

  7. 14 СІЧ.

    68. The Definitive Guide to Category Leadership in 2026

    In the early 2020s, it was easy to mistake category design for a marketing exercise. A new name, a sharper narrative, a brand refresh, and job done. But as we enter a post-SaaS world, that thinking no longer holds. Category leadership isn’t built by fast-following or ripping off existing winners. It’s earned by defining the future problem space before competitors even realise it’s emerging. Today, we explore what it really takes to lead a category in 2026. Also in this episode: We’ll dig down into all the things that can go wrong on your category journey, and we’ll be reviewing the relationship status of Category creation and VCs What to look forward to: 00:33 Category creation in a post-SaaS, post-SEO tech world 17:51 So you’re on a category journey - what can possibly go wrong? 43:30 The “Dead in the Water” Trap - the new relationship between VC and Category There is more information on how to design your category on our blog Follow us on LinkedIn: Paul Maher Jonathan Simnett Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.

    1 год 1 хв

  8. 2 СІЧ.

    67. Top 10 Category Predictions for 2026

    It’s time to dust off our crystal balls as we conjure our Top 10 tech predictions for 2026.  In this episode, we take a look into the year ahead and unpack a bumper crop of new tech ideas and category acronyms from AWO and ANAA to EIG and beyond.  AI is firmly in the driving seat for 2026. It’s racing us towards real paradigm shifts in how businesses operate, how value is created, and how entirely new categories are born.  So buckle your seat belts. This is going to be a fun ride. There is more information on how to design your category on our blog Follow us on LinkedIn: Paul Maher Jonathan Simnett Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.

    26 хв
Переглянути всі (75)

Опис

The Difference Engine helps founders and funders maximise business growth through category design. Hosted by two British northerners with decades of experience in launching, managing, and marketing disruptive tech companies. Paul Maher and Jonathan Simnett have been there, done it and thrown away the slogan t-shirts - now they'll help you become a category king. The Difference Engine - Disrupting Tech Strategy https://www.becategorical.com/

Інформація