Tech for Non-Techies

Key learning points from this episode:   The tech sector is growing exponentially, so the time to invest in tech is now. A decade ago only 1 company out of the top 10 companies in the world by market capitalisation was a tech company. Today, 7 out of the top 10 are tech companies. The Techquisition process Paul describes consists of 12 steps. The first step to making the right acquisition is clarity of vision of what the corporate needs.  Red flags in startups include under-prepared financials and conflict between founders. Startups can prepare themselves for acquisition by working with potential acquirers years before acquisition is on the horizon, e.g. as customers or partners.   Read Go Tech, or Go Extinct: How Acquiring Tech Disruptors Is the Key to Survival and Growth for Established Companies to get the full 12 step process.   If you want to access the rest of the session and learning notes, become a Tech for Non-Techies member.    To participate in future live events and ask your questions, sign up to the Tech for Non-Techies mailing list.   Say hi to your host Sophia Matveeva on Twitter.  

Key learning points:   AI is already changing industries and the economy by making simple operations run faster A business model is how a company aims to create and capture value An operating model is how the company delivers that value to the customer. Prof Iansiti calls this “the hard part” AI is already being used by companies like Ant Financial to take humans and cost out of their operating model, by putting an AI factory in the core of their business COVID has accelerated the adoption of AI across industries   For more insights, get the book Prof Iansiti co-authored Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World   To hear the rest of the session and access all Tech for Non-Techies live events, office hours and recordings, sign up to TFNT membership  Get your free guide on how to go from idea to live product for non-techies here Say hi to Sophia Matveeva on Twitter

Key Learning Points:   The International Standardisation Organisation defines user experience as “a person’s perceptions and responses that result from the use and anticipated use of a product, system or service.”  UX is so important that you shouldn’t put it on the shoulders of just the designer The main thing about UX design is that it’s USER experience, NOT YOUR experience A good UX designer considers the technical feasibility of a design and understands engineering concepts UX designers question founders and Product Managers and conduct usability studies and user interviews   Resources mentioned in this episode: Forbes: What User Experience Designers Do And How To Become One  Tech for Non-Techies membership The Design of Every Day Things by Donald Norman A Project Guide to UX Design: For user experience designers in the field or in the making Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines  Google Developer Guidelines: Design for Android   Say hi to Sophia on Twitter

The key learning points from this episode are: Algorithms are just sets of rules for computers to follow Algorithms need data to be useful Data is by definition historic because it is information on what has already happened A combination of AI and algorithms can create better user experiences, which can result in more usage, which then results in even more data and happy customers Algorithms amplify the data. If there are biases in the data, they will grow as a result of the algorithm. Rubbish data = rubbish algorithms = useless product If you want to learn more and ask your questions, then join the Business of AI session with Harvard Business School Professor Marco Iansiti on 1 July 2020. The full recording and session notes will be available in Tech for Non-Techies membership.  Prof Iansiti’s book Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World is one of the most comprehensive books on AI for non-techies available today. If you want to understand how rubbish data or the absence of relevant data creates rubbish algorithms Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez is an excellent resource. Share your ideas for future episodes with Sophia on Twitter 

In this episode Sophia Matveeva talks to Rags Vadali about what product management is, what PMs do and what you need to get a job in PM. Rags Vadali has managed product at Google, Facebook and various start-ups, and like Sophia, has an MBA from Chicago Booth. This interview is an excerpt from a PM masterclass Rags taught on Tech for Non-Techies.   Summary points A product manager is like the conductor of an orchestra. Conductors don’t play every single instrument and are not the best player, but it is their job to bring the best out of the players to create something together. To get a job in PM, you don’t need to code. You do need to think like a PM: understand who the user is, what problem they are facing and then create solutions. Influence is a key skill for PMs, because the engineers, designers and marketers working on the product don’t report to the PM. However, the PM is ultimately held responsible for the success of the product.   To see the rest of the masterclass, as well as sessions with other product makers, entrepreneurs, investors, leading academics and Big Tech executives, join Tech for Non-Techies membership.   If you have ideas for episodes or topics you would like to explore, tell Sophia on Twitter.

In this episode Sophia Matveeva covers the top five mistakes non-technical founders make, most of which she made herself.  The main five mistakes to avoid are: Don’t make developers your first hires. Your first hire should be a User Experience designer Don’t confuse product metrics with business metrics Set your team tangible product aims with metrics and time frames Co-create with your users, rather than being rigid in your thinking At the start focus on product improvement, not on growth If you want to understand the cyclical production process of how apps, sites and algorithms get made, listen to Episode 3: The Most Important Thing About Tech If you want to learn more, then check out the Tech for Non-Technical Founders Course. You can also get access to more expert resources, interviews and join the Tech for Non-Techies community with TFNT membership. If you have suggestions for future episodes, tell Sophia on Twitter

David Segura is a perfect example of how non-techies can thrive in technology. His first venture, Giant Media, was a native video advertising exchange which David sold for millions to an ad tech company backed by TPG & JMI in 2014. Since then David has invested in almost 50 startups, many of which have technology at their core.  I met David in the early Naughties, when we studied together at the University of Chicago College. At the time, it is fair to say we both had little knowledge of or interest in technology. Yet, after studying Political Science, David made a successful career in tech entrepreneurship and investing. He has never learnt to code.  In this interview, David talks about: How he worked with his CTO at Giant Media to scale and sell an ad tech platform That you don’t actually need a CTO to get started if you are a non-technical founder Knowing how to work with the tech team being more important than coding Leading a syndicate to invest in a Y Combinator startup How to invest in tech and biotech without having technical or scientific training Why non-technical founders are usually more successful entrepreneurs   If you want to get access to the TFNT book club, our masterclasses, community and monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, join us as a Tech for Non-Techies member.     Get your free guide on how to go from idea to live app here.   Say hi to Sophia Matveeva on Twitter. 

Tech products like apps, sites and algorithms are constantly evolving. Every time an app is released, its makers track how people use it. They use that information to improve it for the next release.    Traditional products like the chair you are sitting on, are just made and sold to you. The manufacturer doesn't monitor how you sit on the chair to make it more comfortable.    Tech products are made using a cyclical production process, whereas traditional products are made using a linear one.    This is the biggest difference and hardest for non-techies to understand, because it is a philosophy of imperfection and co-creation with your users. Instead of making an elaborate plan for the best product possible, you release something simple and improve it with time and use.    Listen to this episode to understand the steps in the tech cycle.

Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates eclipse the imagination as founders of tech behemoths. But being a computer science major isn't the only way to succeed in tech, either as a founder or an executive. Host Sophia Matveeva was initially embarrassed of her status as a non-technical founder when she was building her first business. Now, Tech for Non-Techies is a thriving business. No one expected that, least of all its founder.

Robyn is the CEO & Founder of HER, the world’s largest brand for LGBTQ women & queer people. Their app is home to 5 million people across the world, with dating and community connections, and their events run in 15 cities, hosting 50,000 people per year. Robyn is an alumna of Y Combinator, the prestigious Silicon Valley accelerator, and has raised $2.5 million from investors. Despite Robyn's Silicon Valley successes, she is not a technical founder. Her background is in branding. Listen to hear how Robyn: built a global technology company without a tech background made her first technical hires & hear her advice for non technical founders and non-techies working in tech For the full interview, join techfornontechies.co About Tech for Non-Techies: Tech for Non-Techies is your guide in the jargon-filled world of tech. TFNT is open to anyone who wants to learn about how technology companies and their products work. TFNT courses have been taught at London Business School, presented at Chicago Booth and featured in Forbes. We host regular events online and offline on how tech products are made, and introductory sessions on topics including product management, user experience design, analytics and machine learning.