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

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

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. 1 DAY AGO

    35. Interview with Nigel Verdon: Fintech innovation is dead. So what next?

    Today, we have the privilege of speaking with someone who has a proven track record of founding and exiting category-defining companies. Nigel Verdon, born in Germany, began his journey studying Mechanical Engineering at Warwick University. After a brief stint in the automotive industry with EBS, he transitioned into financial services, carving out an impressive career. His roles include working at Swiss Bank Corporation, serving on the board of LCJ, and holding a director position at Dresdner Kleinwort Investment Bank. Nigel has made a particularly significant impact on the world of Fintech, founding three companies, including Currency Cloud - a unicorn that has revolutionised the way businesses manage international payments.  In this discussion, we’ll dive into Nigel’s unique path to tech leadership, explore the future of Fintech, and uncover why the next wave of technological innovation feels decidedly artisanal. What to look forward to: 00:16 Introduction to Nigel Verdon  01:45 Nigel’s unique path to tech leadership 25:48 Where does Fintech go from here? 35:26 Tech’s artisanal 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.

    42 min

  2. NOV 6

    34. Why did Stripe spend $1.1 Billion on a crypto startup?

    Europe's favourite unicorn, Stripe, has announced that it is picking up crypto Stablecoin player, Bridge, for $1.1 billion. But why is the fintech powerhouse spending nearly two percent of its valuation on the roll of a crypto dice? Could it be an ingenious category play? Also in today’s episode, we’ll be flicking through the history books to try and predict Apple’s future, and tackle the age-old question; what is the right amount of tech branding? What to look forward to: 00:35 Can Europe’s biggest unicorn change its Stripes? 07:20 Is Europe’s home of tech now struggling?  11:18 History repeats itself - Is Apple becoming the new Sony?  27:51 What’s the right amount of tech branding? 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.

    36 min

  3. OCT 30

    33. Creating the world's first green software | Sumir Karayi

    Today, we explore the remarkable career of Sumir Karayi, whose journey took him from one of the UK's worst schools to becoming one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs. As the founder and CEO of 1E, Karayi grew his company organically over 20 years, serving 1,700 organisations across 42 countries with 26 million licenses deployed. 1E is now ranked in the Sunday Times International Track 100 league of top private companies and is recognised as one of the top 20 companies for CIOs. In this discussion, we’ll cover how Karayi developed the world’s first green software, why regulations can be a positive force in tech, and why he believes you shouldn’t start a start-up. What to look forward to: 00:09 Sumir Karayi introduction 01:45 The green challenge for tech 08:20 The Crowdstrike debacle 18:44 Why is Government not liked in tech 25:43 Sumir’s path to success & founder advice 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.

    44 min

  4. OCT 16

    32. Could the budget kill the UK tech scene?

    The Labour Party is about to unveil its first budget in over 14 years. This is a huge moment for the country as the foundations for its economic future are put in place. But the budget doesn’t only affect the UK’s bank balance, it also influences the behaviour and values of its citizens. So, will the red briefcase promote entrepreneurship and the category leaders of tomorrow or will it suffocate the UK’s promising tech scene?  Also in today’s episode, we bring you the lessons from two of the UK’s most fascinating meetings of minds; DigiGov and the Sifted Summit What to look forward to: 00:42 The UK budget. Are we killing the golden goose 13:24 DigiGov Expo review 26:34 Sifted Summit review 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.

    39 min

  5. OCT 9

    31. What’s going on at the CMA?

    How did Microsoft’s controversial ‘partnership’ with UK AI firm Inflection slip through the CMA's (Competition and Markets Authority) net, while Adobe’s multi-billion-dollar Figma acquisition got blocked? In this episode, we dive deep into the paperwork to uncover the methods and motivations behind the CMA’s puzzling ruling on the Inflection deal.  Is the regulator inconsistent, misunderstood, or simply out of its depth? Also in today’s episode, we share the intellectual spoils from this year's Boardwave event and discuss Intel’s uncertain future.  What to look forward to: 00:30 Is the CSA’s clearing of the Inflection deal an inflection point or just a mistake 09:27 Intel’s crossroad 22:42 Broadwave review 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 min

  6. SEP 25

    30. The secrets to scaling your business | Phill Robinson

    In this episode of The Difference Engine, we sit down with a major figure in the global software industry - Phill Robinson. With a career spanning multiple continents and as the CEO of Velocix, IRIS, and Exact, Phil's contributions to the tech world has been monumental.  Today, he’ll share what he learnt from working in the heart of industry giants including Oracle, Sybase, Siebel, and Salesforce.  We’ll also delve into his latest venture: Boardwave. A unique community aimed at helping Europe compete with Silicon Valley and create the next generation of tech category leaders. What to look forward to: 00:10 Phill Robinson introduction 01:22 Boardwave: addressing Europe’s category creation deficit 18:28 The lessons of serial category leadership 29:37 Grinds my gears - unicorns 33:33 Why authenticity matters if you want to be different 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.

    42 min

  7. SEP 11

    29. Has Musk gone mad?

    We like Elon Musk's style. In previous episodes, we’ve championed him as a visionary innovator and category king. One of the things we’ve always admired is his bold approach to business. But, his recent posts on X seem less bold, and more barmy. Is Musk’s free speech starting to backfire? Will he be the engineer of his own downfall?  Also in today’s episode, We’ll be looking at the love affair between politicians and tech jobs, asking if the SaaS playbook is the road to category leadership and analysing the aftermath of when Cisco and Linksys collided. What to look forward to: 00:34 Has Musk gone mad? 15:03 Why Tech jobs are not as helpful for politicians as they hope 20:32 When categories collide: Cisco and Linksys 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 min

  8. AUG 28

    28. Have we found Europe's AI category leader?

    If you’re a regular listener of the show then you’ll know that we’re always banging on about two things: European category leaders and AI. Well, while sniffing around this year's SaaStr event, our dreams came true. We think we found a potential AI category leader based in Cologne, Germany. Could Jaroslaw Kutylowski’s translation service, DeepL, be the golden goose? Also in today’s episode, We’ll take a look at how Apple is redefining privacy and why London Tech Week needs a big rethink. What to look forward to: 01:24 Can Europe create an AI category leader? 12:41 Apple will redefine the meaning of AI privacy. 17:54 What is the point of London Tech Week? 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.

    27 min
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About

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/

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