Tech for Non-Techies

Learning notes from this episode: The server is like a brain: it is a processing organ. But, just as a brain needs sensory organs to give and receive information in the form of a mouth, eyes and ears, so does a server. The server's sensory organs are the APIs. APIs are snippets of code that let you borrow another app's functionality or data, like Google Maps within Uber. APIs can help companies gr...

Learning notes from this episode: A product is a solution to a people problem. Before even contacting a product team, take time to investigate the people and the problem. Marketers and designers go through a very similar process  to validate the user problem at the start. This is because both are very user focussed. User research is done in two ways : quantitative and qualitative. For  qualitative...

Learning notes from this episode:   While there are more apps on the Google Play store, Apple apps account for 70% of all revenue generated on Apple and Google combined. Apple users are wealthier than Android users. The median iPhone app user earns $85,000 per year, which is 40% more than the median Android phone user. Most apps on Apple monetize via subscriptions and in-app purchases, while Andro...

Learning notes from this episode: An algorithm is just a set of instructions that you put into a computer. JS created a prototype of his algorithm using a spreadsheet.  The aim of his algorithm was to give out loans to customers. He bought lending data from the Lending Club and tested it against a control group. This means one set of loan applications was assessed by the algorithm and the other wa...

Learning notes from this episode:   A product is a solution to a people problem Companies that are successful over a long period of time understand the problem and make new solutions for it A company is also a product, which can be a solution experienced by people at a company. This is important to remember for investing and mergers and acquisitions.   To join our weekly expert masterclasses, acce...

Key learning notes from this episode: Developers write computer code to make the design come alive. The vast majority of apps will need to have a front end and a back end. Front end developers create computers that interact with humans. If you can see it, touch it or speak to it, it is a front end.  Back end developers create computers that interact with other computers. When you are working with...

Learning notes from this episode:   Venture capitalists are investors in startups, but they also have to raise money from investors . Investors that invest into VC funds are called Limited Partners, or LPs. VCs have to spend time growing their brand and network because the competition to invest in good startups is fierce. Getting operational experience in a start-up is invaluable if you want to be...

To get your questions answered, submit them via Direct Message to our Facebook or Instagram .  Here are the resources Sophia mentioned her the answers: FREE training: The Non-Technical Founder's Introduction To Tech TFNT Podcas t: What Investors Really Need To Know About Tech E-Book: How To Hire Your Product Team And Go From Idea To App To join our weekly expert masterclasses, access learning note...

Learning notes from this episode:   Work with designers first: your first hire should be a user experience designer, not a developer. You don't need a CTO co-founder , but you do need a technical lead or advisor. Work with a product studio, rather than freelance developers or a development shop at the start. If you want to delve deeper, then check out the ebook: How to Hire Your Product Team & Go...

Learning notes from this episode:   Always work with designers before hiring developers.  Come to UX designers with a problem you want to solve, rather than a feature list When you're thinking of target users for your product, think about their behaviour, not just demographics.    If you want to get more practical advice on how to hire designers and developers to make your idea come to life, get o...

Learnings notes from this episode:   Good product managers Know the market, the product and the competition Take full responsibility for the success of the product Marketing counterparts to the engineering manager Feel good when they figure out WHAT, i.e. what problem they are solving for the user   Bad product managers Have lots of excuses Feel good when they figure out HOW, i.e. how to build the...

Learning notes from this episode:   To get into product management, you need to build a product. I doesn't have to be a full mobile app. You can start with something very simple, like a blog or a newsletter. Growth hacking is a system of experimentation and incremental improvements to grow a specific metric, e.g. revenue per user or time in app. Good product managers and growth hackers both have a...

Learning notes from this episode:   Asaf Navot does not have a technical co-founder at Home Made . His first technical hire was a Product Manager, not a CTO. When you are considering investing your time, money or energy into a new project, Asaf recommends approaching like an investor.  Ask yourself: are the market fundamentals good? Is my solution better than the competition? Would a bigger compan...

Learning notes from this episode:   There is a difference between technology enabled businesses and deep tech businesses. Technology enabled businesses use tech to deliver a product or service cheaper or at scale, but their business is not selling the technology itself. Those businesses do not require a technical co-founder from the start. Having a technical advisor to help you in the early stages...

Lessons from this episode:   These lessons are based on Walter Isaacson's biography of Steve Jobs . "The reason Apple can create products like the iPad is that we've always tried to be at the intersection of technology and liberal arts " - said Steve Jobs Knowing how to commercialise innovation is as important as inventing something new. At Apple, design came first. This is contrary to most tech c...

Learning notes from this episode:   There is a difference between deep tech investing , such as bio tech, and investing in commercial and UX innovation . For deep tech, you absolutely must have deep tech domain expertise, but this is not the case for commercial or UX innovations, such as Uber. Venture funds often work with technical partners, who help them do due diligence on investments they are...

Learning notes from this episode:   Non-technical founders are the interface between the product team and the users. They f ocus on making the right product , not getting the product right. Setting the big vision and working out the steps to get there is another responsibility for non-technical founders. Once you've found a real problem to solve and set the vision, you have to hire and lead the te...

Learning notes from this episode:   The Silicon Valley unicorn model of growth at all costs is not applicable to all tech startups. "Camel companies" can survive a drought , i.e. they were created in constrained environments so could not just pump millions into marketing and R&D before they had a proven business model. Camel companies focus on unit economics from the start. Unit economics  is defi...

Learning notes from this episode:   The time to transition into tech is now, as lockdowns have moved our lives online. You can do this with a job change, or by investing or starting your own tech venture.  Learn concepts, not skills. Understand how tech products are made, but don't retrain to be a coder or a data scientist. Get involved with digital initiatives to put your new knowledge to the tes...

Learning notes from this episode:   The design process begins with questioning whether a product needs to exist in the first place. Start with research and customer interviews before you build a prototype. A good design must be usable, solve a real problem, and buildable within the company's budget. This is why collaboration with developers, product managers and founders is essential for good desi...

Learning notes from this episode:   As a non-technical founder, you don't need a technical co-founder, but you do need a web of tech experts to advise you. Learning to admit that you don't have all the answers is a far more useful skill for non-technical founders than learning to code. "Put those engineering books aside and make sure you've got the strength to be vulnerable. That's the most import...

Learning notes from this episode:   Outsourcing can be done in 3 ways: with an agency (focus on design), a development shop (focus on engineering) or a product studio (holistic approach to the entire product). Make sure whoever you hire uses agile methodology and adapts the product specifications as you learn. An MVP should take no more than 6 - 8 weeks to develop. Knowing this can help you plan y...

Learning notes from this episode:   Prepare to pitch to a technical co-founder as you would to an investor: have a plan, understand your market and know your target customer Choices developers make early on about the tech architecture can have a serious impact later on. Non-technical founders should learn some basic tech concepts to ask the right questions from the start. Before you look for a tec...

Learning notes from this episode:   Networking is key to making a career transition. Meet people who are doing the job you are interested in and learn from them. To transition into a PM role, start by working on digital initiatives first. This will be your stepping stone to get to PM. Take courses to understand what developers are working with. Amber recommends AWS certification.   Say hi to Amber...

Learning notes from this episode:   If you want to transition into Big Tech from a non-technical career, start by working on digital initiatives  Use storytelling and public speaking to stand out in front of Big Tech recruiters When Bruce led Twitter for EMEA, his job was divided into 3 sections: brand management, user growth and revenue growth. Can you bring one of these specialities to a tech co...