10-Minute Tech Talks: How Tech Entrepreneurs Fail & How You Can Avoid It

Jonathan Kersting
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Are you an entrepreneur building a technology company and looking to grow fast? This show teaches and inspires entrepreneurs to build better companies by learning from the failures of other tech companies and entrepreneurs. If you're striving for rapid growth while avoiding the mistakes that have led others to failure, this podcast is designed to help you stay on track. Avoid the devastating mistakes that tech entrepreneurs have made, which led their businesses to collapse. Hear from tech, business, and entrepreneurial experts detailing what went wrong in famous tech busts and modern-day meltdowns so you don't follow the same path. Learn how to overcome adversity and make your tech company a long-term success. If you're ready to grow your tech venture quickly and avoid pitfalls, start with our fan-favorite episode: Don't Fall In Love With Your Technology.

  1. 4d ago

    The Future of Power Doesn't Need a Plug

    What if you never had to plug in your phone, swap a sensor battery, or think about charging the thousands of smart devices around you? Pittsburgh's Powercast has been building that future for more than two decades — and they're just getting started. Host Jonathan Kersting (Pittsburgh Technology Council & TechVibe Radio) sits down with Powercast CEO Charlie Goetz to unpack how radio frequency (RF) technology delivers power through the air, no wires, no pads, no alignment required. One Transmitter, Dozens of Devices Charlie breaks down the three flavors of RF power — intentional, anticipated, and ambient — and explains why RF's one-to-many approach is fundamentally different from Qi pads and magnetic resonance. One transmitter can power dozens of endpoints simultaneously, just like a radio tower where every car pulls the same signal. Batteries Aren't the Enemy Powercast isn't anti-battery — they trickle-charge them, work alongside them, and see them as part of a larger ecosystem. But when sensors are embedded in walls, moving parts, or hard-to-reach places, RF wireless power changes the math on total cost of ownership. "Our Stuff Will Take Care of Us" Charlie shares a vision of a world where devices interrogate their environment and automatically find the best available power source — inductive in the countertop, magnetic resonance on the walls, RF everywhere — seamlessly switching between them without you lifting a finger. And with AI entering the picture (teased in the next episode), the possibilities get even wilder. Roots in Pittsburgh, Inspired by Tesla With origins at the University of Pittsburgh and a direct line back to Nikola Tesla's dreams of wireless power, Powercast is proof that some of the biggest ideas take patience, persistence, and a couple of decades to mature. Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, 10-Minute Tech Talks — where some of the biggest ideas come in pretty small packages.

  2. Oct 25

    VR Isn't Dead. It's Growing Up!

    Is virtual reality fading away or preparing for its next big breakthrough? Schell Games founder Jesse Schell has been developing VR experiences since the early 1990s, long before consumer headsets became mainstream. Now he believes virtual reality is entering a fascinating new phase. In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks, Schell explores why younger gamers are embracing VR as a social playground, how professional and hardcore gaming applications could reshape the market, and why immersive entertainment must offer experiences people simply can't get at home. From the future of VR headsets to the spectacular possibilities of interactive attractions, discover why one of the gaming industry's most experienced innovators believes the best experiences start with understanding human behavior. Get Jesse's full TechVibe interview here. Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing  entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

  3. Oct 18

    Can a Video Game Save Your Life?

    Can a video game help save someone's life? Pittsburgh's Schell Games is proving that gaming technology can do far more than entertain. In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks, founder Jesse Schell takes us inside Night Shift, an innovative medical training game developed with UPMC and Dr. Deepika Mohan to help emergency room physicians make critical trauma care decisions. Discover how immersive storytelling, emotion and interactive gameplay can help doctors practice complex decisions and why the psychology behind great games can also make powerful educational tools. It's a fascinating example of Pittsburgh innovation at the intersection of gaming, healthcare and human behavior. Watch Jesse's entire TechVibe Radio interview here. Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing  entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

  4. Oct 12

    Build First. Raise Later: Titan Robotics' Growth Story

    Can paying customers help fund the technology behind your next stage of growth? Titan Robotics' Stuart Lawrence explains how early seed support, government-funded development and a deliberate push toward commercial markets helped build the Pittsburgh robotics company. In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks, Jonathan Kersting and Audrey Russo explore Titan's financing journey—from Innovation Works and friends-and-family support to repaying that financing during COVID and considering outside investment after building a substantial operating business. Three reasons to listen: • Understand how customer-funded development helped Titan build its capabilities. • Hear why moving from defense work into commercial markets takes sustained effort. • Explore how a track record changes the conversation about raising growth capital. An entrepreneurial lesson in capital efficiency, commercialization and knowing what investment should help you accomplish.

  5. Oct 5

    When the Big Deal Falls Apart: Titan Robotics' Pivot

    What happens when the contract opportunity you're counting on stalls? Titan Robotics' Stuart Lawrence shares how anticipated Air Force contract awards ran into resistance—and why the Pittsburgh robotics company began expanding beyond laser coating removal into manufacturing applications. In this episode of 10 Minute Tech Talks, Jonathan Kersting and Audrey Russo explore the customer conversations that helped shape Titan's direction, from robots that require specialized programmers to tools that give operators more control. Three reasons to listen: • Hear how Titan responded when its original growth plan hit a wall. • Discover why easier adoption can be as important as technical capability. • Learn why Stuart's advice to entrepreneurs is simple: "Don't lie to yourself"—check the data behind your claims. A candid conversation about entrepreneurship, customer discovery, robotics and building products that deliver measurable value.

  6. Sep 25

    The Tech Founder Who Sent 10,000 Emails to Land One Customer

    What does it take to build a tech company from scratch? For Ben Taylor, co-founder and CEO of SoftLedger, it started with frustration, a piece of printer paper, and an idea for a better way to manage accounting. In this episode of 10-Minute Tech Talks, host Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council and TechVibe Radio sits down with Ben to unpack the realities of tech entrepreneurship — from sketching a software concept by hand, to building the product from the ground up, to sending more than 10,000 emails before landing on his first customer. Ben shares what it took to bridge the gap between basic accounting tools like QuickBooks and complex enterprise ERPs, and why slower early growth gave SoftLedger the foundation to build something stronger. If you're a tech entrepreneur or aspire to be one, this conversation is a reminder that the first breakthrough doesn't always arrive with fireworks. Sometimes it arrives after email number 10,001.

  7. Sep 21

    What Is Your Tech Business Really Worth? The Wealth Gap Every Entrepreneur Needs to Know

    What determines what your business is actually worth? In this episode of 10-Minute Tech Talks, host Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council sits down with Christine Robinette and Bryan Reft of Fragasso Financial Advisors for the final installment of a three-part mini-series on exit planning and business valuation. Bryan breaks down two critical concepts every Tech Entrepreneur should understand: the wealth gap: whether your business can fund the life you want after you sell; and the value gap: why a company that looks just like yours might be worth millions more. The answer comes down to one word: risk. You'll learn about the four intangible capitals — human capital, customer capital, structural capital, and social capital — that drive 80% of your company's value yet never appear on a financial statement. If you're a Tech Entrepreneur thinking about exit planning, employee ownership, or simply building something worth owning, this episode gives you the framework to start closing the gaps while you still have time. Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing  entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

  8. Sep 14

    The Tech Entrepreneur's Guide to Exit Planning and ESOPs

    How will you eventually exit your business? In Part 2 of our miniseries with Christine Robinette and Bryan Reft of Fragasso Financial Advisors, host Jonathan Kersting of the Pittsburgh Technology Council explores how employee ownership and ESOPs can become a powerful succession strategy. Learn the "three legs of the stool" — personal, financial, and business goals — and why every entrepreneur should treat exit planning as present-day business strategy, not an afterthought. Whether your exit is two years or twenty away, the smartest time to start planning is now. Produced by the Pittsburgh Technology Council, this is a podcast for tech and manufacturing  entrepreneurs exploring the tech ecosystem, from cyber security and AI to SaaS, robotics, and life sciences, featuring insights to satisfy the tech curious.

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About

Are you an entrepreneur building a technology company and looking to grow fast? This show teaches and inspires entrepreneurs to build better companies by learning from the failures of other tech companies and entrepreneurs. If you're striving for rapid growth while avoiding the mistakes that have led others to failure, this podcast is designed to help you stay on track. Avoid the devastating mistakes that tech entrepreneurs have made, which led their businesses to collapse. Hear from tech, business, and entrepreneurial experts detailing what went wrong in famous tech busts and modern-day meltdowns so you don't follow the same path. Learn how to overcome adversity and make your tech company a long-term success. If you're ready to grow your tech venture quickly and avoid pitfalls, start with our fan-favorite episode: Don't Fall In Love With Your Technology.

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