If you are a business leader in need of learning technology jargon, then Tech Speak for Entrepreneurs might just be for you! Join me as I interview Nelly Yusupova, the founder of Tech Speak, in this episode of Tech Leader Talk as she shares how she got involved in the technology world, initially believing that computer science would merely teach her how to use Word and Excel more efficiently (which, of course, led to a big surprise in store for her).
She reflects on having become a C.T.O. at a very young age through Webgrrls International which gave her invaluable experience in sales and business development. Nelly also discusses how advanced technology has made a lot of things easier for this generation's entrepreneurs compared to her own experience back in the '90s, a trend that isn't going away any time soon. In fact, the mission behind Tech Speak for Entrepreneurs is to help business leaders become more technology literate because, as she predicts, every company will be a tech company within the next couple of years because technology, no matter what your company brands, is no longer going to be optional. Artificial intelligence, as she projects, will even become easier and easier for people to implement even if they don't have backgrounds in STEM.
Nelly also shares important advice with us aside from learning tech jargon – such as never taking more than three months to release your first idea due to the importance of customer feedback, learning early and often from what might otherwise be seen as failures, and how important that it is to be communicative. Communication, in fact, is, in her opinion, the most important trait for a tech leader to have.
Nelly even recommends a couple of books to us and shares how we can get in touch with her online. Be sure to check out her resources, and remember to subscribe to Tech Leader Talk so that you never miss an episode!
Time Stamps
[0:07] – Steve introduces this episode's guest, Nelly Yusupova, to the podcast.
[0:38] – Nelly details how she got involved in the world of technology, such as how she studied computer science and joined Webgrrls International.
[2:03] – Nelly explains how she came to hear troubling stories of entrepreneurs losing thousands of dollars because of technology mistakes and how that led to her creating Tech Speak for Entrepreneurs.
[3:03] - We learn about the benefits of taking advantage of Tech Speak's resources.
[4:59] – Nelly offers three real-world examples from her own experience of the types of companies that could benefit from Tech Speak – a yoga instructor, a realtor, and a social media consultant.
[7:34] – We are offered advice from Nelly regarding looking for opportunities – to look for and understand problems and to ensure that we understand how to manage developers efficiently so that we don't waste money.
[8:30] – Nelly stresses the importance of becoming technology literate which is what Tech Speak does for people.
[10:22] – Nelly argues that it's important to learn early and learn often, recommending Eric Ries' book The Lean Startup.
[11:50] – Steve and Nelly comment on how customer feedback comes into play.
[13:28] – Nelly clarifies that, via Tech Speak, she teaches people how to implement the speedy process that she advises, even people who are not fluent in technology jargon.
[15:47] – Nelly projects toward the future, predicting that artificial intelligence will be heavily incorporated into the world of technology over the next couple of years.
[19:01] – Nelly posits that effective communication is the most important skill for a technical leader to have.
[20:08] – Nelly provides tips to company leaders looking to grow or add software, reiterating the importance of becoming tech literate.
[22:17] – Nelly advises that something like Tech Speak would be a good starting point for someone looking to become more fluent in tech jargon.
[23:45] – Nelly credits the book Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products as the best book that she has read within the last year.
[24:48] – We discover what Nelly has planned for 2021, such as opening up global opportunities for Tech Speak due to having to go remote because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
[27:11] – Nelly suggests where to go online to get in touch with her.
Links and Resources
Eyal Nir – Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products