Building Great Tech

In this episode of Building Great Tech. Anastasija and Simon talk with Jennie Vandegrift, Chief Customer Officer at Nuqleous, about the pressures that companies face to KEEP clients through the turbulant phases of mergers, aquisitions and the addition of bolt-ons. They break down the GRR metric and debate it's usefulness when calculating customer health, they also uncover some key strategies for i...

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Anastasija and Simon talk with Grzegorz Blazewicz, founder of SALESmanago. They talk about pressures facing the marketing industry amidst the AI revolution and how AI can be used as a tool to help target marketing campaigns more effectivelty. They also break down Grzegorz's jounrey from B2B to B2B and back again, and how he managed to get funding from two se...

In this week's episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Thomas Varan, a delivery leader for PE-backed software companies during post-acquisition integration. They talk about the key issues that affect acquisitions, why PE firms should think twice before adopting a bolt-on "buy and build" strategy, and how AI will redefine what it means to be agile in the software industry. AB...

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Jim Milbery, partner at ParkerGale. They discuss the evolving software markets, how AI and the SaaSpocalypse is changing what investors are looking for, and why founders now want AI in everything! ABOUT JIM: Jim has spent his entire career in technology, working with customers, founders and management teams. Prior to founding P...

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Anastasija and Simon talk with David Pratley Mc-Gill, Client Solution Director, GTM & AI Labs at Salt. The episode explores how AI can empower sales teams to become more efficient. AI can conduct research for market outreach and even send emails on your behalf, but to what extent is AI actually harmful to the sales process? And could you replace your whole s...

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija are in conversation with Rich Amsinger founder ManyCo.ai. An Ai-Driven inventory sell through engine. Rich explains how he let his Ai run wild with the company credit card, sometimes making werid and wonderful purchasing decisions. He also tells the story of how he lost $4 Million in shop inventory in a fire! ABOUT RICH: I’m the co-found...

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija speak with Fessal Rahman, originator of the Agentic Commercial Model framework and founder of FR Advisory, about the impending upheaval of SaaS platforms due to AI integration. Is the “SaaSpocalypse” real? And is it coming sooner than we anticipated? They also discuss what the PE landscape looks like in 2026, and what PE firms are lookin...

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija are in conversation with Dr. Travis Hoppe, Chief AI Officer at GroundVue and Former White House Assistant Director of AI Research and Development at OSTP. Travis also co-developed The Pile, the first open-source data pile for large language models. In this episode they discuss how AI will shape the future of democracy and the science beh...

https://buildinggreattech.com/ In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Josh Dorfman, Founder of Plantd and host of The Supercool Podcast. They talk about how AI will actually save the planet from climate change, and why companies need to STOP talking about the environment to actually make consumers care! Follow Josh on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorfmanjo...

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Maxime Barbier, founder of Timeleft. Timeleft matches you with like-minded people for a shared meal in 250+ cities across 55 countries. They talk about global app distribution, how often you should be pivoting and why being a CEO is the loneliest job you can have! Timeleft DISCOUNT Code - BGT25...

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk with Matt Cashatt, founder of Polyrific and The Geniverse. They debate if AI is really taking everyone's jobs, and reveal how beginners can get started in discovering how AI can improve your everyday life and unleash your creativity. Follow Matt on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-cashatt/...

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk to Armen Arustamov, founder of Got It Life. The app, aimed at high-performing founders, is an AI self-coaching tool that allows them to unlock their minds and achieve peak potential. They also unpack Armen's experience as a founder, struggling with self-doubt and pitching ideas with little-to-no mone...

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk to Rebecca Christian, mindset consultant and founder of Limitless Academy. They explore how high pressures in the corporate world can lead to burnout, and how women are expected to overperform to be seen as equal in all male-dominated industries. Follow Rebecca on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/...

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk to Peter Wood, SEO of The Gradute Guide. About the common misconceptions surrounding the employability of Gen-Z. Are the younger generations REALLY not worth hiring? Or does the recruitment industry needs to shake things up to become more adaptable in the modern age? Tune in to find out! Connect with...

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk to Ellis Taylor, founder of Glyde and Fintech specialist. Together they expose the scams of the FX sector, discussing the need for transparency and reflecting on how it could foster a more competitive, consumer focused market. Follow Ellis on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellis-taylor-llm-la...

⁠https://buildinggreattech.com/⁠ Follow Shannon on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannon-seaver-nbct-23a2a933/ About Shannon Relentless about driving equity and innovation in education, I bring 20+ years of experience as an educator, nonprofit leader, and founder focused on building meaningful pathways into STEM and tech careers. As Executive Director of createMPLS and co-founder of FULL...

In this episode of Building Great Tech, Simon and Anastasija talk to Ian Cook about the implications of AI in the modern world. They talk about the American government's race to beat china in AI development, Google vs Apple's AI implementation AND they explore some of the worse AI products ever brought to market! Follow Ian on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianpcook/ About Ian: Keeping the...

In this thought-provoking episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on our cognitive abilities. They explore the alarming notion that our reliance on platforms like TikTok and AI tools may be contributing to a decline in memory, attention span, and overall intelligence. With references to vari...

Follow Daniel on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcheaib/?originalSubdomain=fr Check out the Feels App - https://www.feels-app.com/ In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa sit down with Daniel Cheaib, the founder and CEO of Feels, a dating app designed specifically for Gen Z. With over 8 million downloads and an impressive 80% year-on-y...

Follow Gretchen on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gretchen-lennon-55455664/?originalSubdomain=uk Lennon Legal Website - https://lennonlegal.com/ In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa sit down with Gretchen Lennon, a seasoned startup lawyer who transitioned from a prestigious city law firm to establish her own boutique practice. With a foc...

See how Nicki can help your business relationships - https://www.nickicoe.com/ In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa sit down with Nicki Coe, a coach dedicated to helping co-founders navigate the complexities of their partnerships. Often referred to as the "couple's therapist for business partners," Nicki shares her insights on the critical impor...

In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the often costly world of rebranding. They discuss the staggering $20 billion wasted annually by global tech companies on ineffective rebranding strategies, highlighting the potential pitfalls and hidden costs associated with such initiatives. Through engaging examples, including the recent rebrand...

In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the challenging world of venture capital funding with special guest Ritika Mehta. As a New York-based go-to-market strategist and advisor to venture-backed startups, Ritika shares her insights on the role of Venture Scouts in bridging the gap between founders and investors. With a wealth of experie...

In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa outline the top 7 interview biases that are stopping you and your startup from getting accurate user feedback! 86% of startups dismiss the most important feedback! Are you putting your efforts in the wrong place? Interview bias can cuase founders to validate their vision and NOT satisfy what user actually nee...

In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into a recent report by HSBC that raises eyebrows about the financial sustainability of OpenAI and the broader AI industry. With claims that OpenAI may require a staggering $207 billion by 2030 just to continue operating at a loss, Simon and Anastasija explore whether AI is genuinely transformative or m...