Most startup CEOs think they’re the visionary.

But in today’s episode, you’ll learn why the CEO is often the single biggest threat to team productivity — and how to avoid becoming one.

Based on a real conversation with a seasoned CTO and a sales leader who’ve scaled startups to exit, this episode dives into the blind spots that trip up even well-meaning founders.

Whether you’re a CEO, part of a startup team, or investing in one — this lesson will help you lead smarter, build better, and waste less time.

Listen to learn:

• Why startup CEOs are more dangerous than corporate CEOs (and it’s not about ego)

• What “Seagull CEO Syndrome” does to your roadmap and morale

• How developer paralysis destroys velocity — and how to fix it

• What smart founders, teams, and investors can do to keep priorities on track

Lesson mentioned in this episode:

Why MVPs are Always Late, Why That's Okay, and What to do About It

Chapters

00:00 — The Real Threat: Why Startup CEOs Kill Productivity

02:10 — Power Without Process: How CEO Impulses Go Unchecked

04:30 — Seagull Syndrome: How CEOs Derail Roadmaps

09:15 — Nothing to Do? Why Bored CEOs Delay MVPs

14:10 — Bottlenecks in Human Form: When CEOs Bypass Their Own Leaders

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/262-why-the-startup-ceo-is-the-biggest-risk-to-their-own-team

Some CEOs are already replacing engineers and junior staff with large language models.

But what if the real risk isn’t that AI replaces your team — it’s that it doesn’t, and you’re left without a talent pipeline?

In this episode, Sophia Matveeva breaks down:

• Why cutting junior hiring today could sabotage your company in 3–5 years

• What IBM’s CEO gets right that others get very wrong

• How the hype around “AI-first” companies is creating poor decision-making

• What the S-curve of innovation tells us about the real pace of AI progress

• And why thinking long-term — not just cutting costs this quarter — is a strategic advantage

Whether you’re a government leader, innovation executive, or non-technical founder, this episode will help you make smarter, more resilient decisions in the age of AI.

Fortune: IBM’s CEO says ‘the first thing you can automate is a repetitive, white-collar job,’ but he’s not cutting workers: ‘I’ll get more’

Chapters

00:00 — The Real Risk Isn’t AI — It’s What Happens When It Doesn’t Work

02:45 — What CEOs Are Saying: Duolingo, Klarna… and IBM’s Contrarian View

06:30 — The Junior Job Crunch: Accountancy’s Mistake Repeats in Tech

09:15 — The S-Curve Explained: Why AI Progress Is Slowing

14:10 — Your Strategic Takeaways: What Smart Leaders Are Doing Now

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

For the full transcript, go here: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/AI-wont-kill-jobs-but-short-term-thinking-will

What does it really take to lead in tech without a technical degree?

In this episode, Jennifer Byrne, former CTO of Microsoft US, shares how she built a top-tier tech career starting with a psychology degree — and why understanding context, not code, is your key to success.

You’ll learn:

• How Jennifer transitioned from nonprofit work to tech leadership

• The difference between digital fluency and context (and why it matters)

• What cloud computing really is — minus the jargon

• How Microsoft handled global trust issues post-Snowden

• What CTOs actually do at big companies (hint: it’s not coding)

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or business leader, this episode will help you think more strategically about tech — and your role in it.

Chapters

00:00 – Why this episode still matters

02:30 – Jennifer’s path from psychology to tech

08:55 – Cybersecurity and the WikiLeaks era

14:40 – What cloud computing really is

25:25 – Digital context vs. fluency explained

35:45 – What a CTO actually does in big tech

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/260-how-non-techies-succeed-in-tech-lessons-from-microsoft-s-cto

Think advertising is just TikTok, Instagram, or TV? Think again.

At Cannes Lions, a major industry summit, Big Tech set the agenda for what’s next in AI, branding, and attention. This is your insider's summary.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How offline spaces are powering smart digital brands

• What AI personas are, and how to use them to test product and brand ideas faster (and cheaper)

• Why most agencies are missing half the audience — and what that means if you’re building a mass-market product

If you’re building or marketing a tech product — whether you’re in a startup or a large org — this episode gives you a real-world edge, minus the fluff.

Chapters

FREE COURSE:

5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

For the full transcript go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/259-big-tech-ai-and-the-future-of-attention-what-you-missed-in-cannes

Most founders dive straight into building — features, user flows, no-code tools — before they’ve nailed the strategy that actually drives traction: brand.

In this episode, Sophia Matveeva shares why brand must come before product, especially for non-technical founders building tech-enabled businesses.

You’ll learn the four brand foundations every founder needs — whether you’re launching a new venture or scaling an existing one:

1. Clarity — Who you serve and why you exist

2. Story — What problem you solve and what’s at stake

3. Trust Signals — How to build credibility before or beyond your user base

4. Voice — How to speak to your market without jargon

Sophia also shares examples from Uber, Goldman Sachs, and her own company, Tech for Non-Techies, which is trusted by governments and Fortune 500s to teach non-technical leaders how to succeed in the digital economy.

If you want customers, talent, and investors to take your venture seriously — and you’re not building brand strategically — this episode is for you.

Chapters

00:00 – Code vs Brand
01:11 – Logos Are Not Brands
02:37 – Why Trust Matters More Than Features
04:37 – Non-Technical Founders’ Common Mistake: Features Before Brand
09:38 – Investors Back Missions, Not Apps
11:40 – Think Like an Investor
12:30 – 4 Brand Foundations Before Product
18:13 – What’s Next: Cannes Lions Insights

Episodes to help you build your personal brand:

• 170. Advisory Boards: why join them & why have them
• 146. How to get headhunted

For the full transcript, go to: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/258-why-you-need-a-brand-before-you-need-an-app

FREE COURSE:

5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

Analysis paralysis is BORING. And it doesn't get you results.

Most founders think they fail because of the market, the product, or the pitch.

But the real killer is a slow mindset.

In this episode, Sophia Matveeva shows you why bad work beats perfect ideas — and how shifting your mindset can be the difference between building real momentum and watching your venture die.

You will learn:

• Why perfectionism feels smart but keeps you stuck

• How no-code tools tempt you to tinker instead of launch

• Why top founders move fast and embrace imperfection

• How to build momentum before you’re ready — with real-world examples and a challenge for you to do today

Chapters

00:00 The Mindset Shift for Non-Technical Founders
03:07 The Importance of Speed Over Perfection
05:53 Accepting Imperfection in Innovation
09:02 Consequences of a Slow Mindset
11:47 Taking Action Before You're Ready

FREE COURSE:

5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/257-why-bad-work-wins

If you’re building a tech product but don’t have a technical background, this episode will save you months of wasted time and thousands in unnecessary spend.

In this re-release of one of our most popular early episodes, Tech for Non-Techies founder Sophia Matveeva shares the 5 biggest mistakes non-technical founders make — and how to avoid them.

Whether you’re a founder, a corporate innovator, or leading a new digital venture, these lessons will help you lead product teams effectively and build better tech businesses.

• Why hiring a developer first is a mistake — and who to bring in instead

• The crucial difference between product metrics and business metrics (and how to use both wisely)

• How Facebook and WhatsApp built great products by focusing on engagement before monetisation

• What non-technical leaders must know about giving clear, measurable instructions to product teams

• What success looks like in the early stages — and why early growth shouldn’t be the goal

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Non-Technical Founders' Challenges
02:26 The Importance of User Experience Design
10:36 Understanding Product vs. Business Metrics
16:21 Setting Clear Goals for Product Teams
20:13 Embracing Flexibility in Product Development
24:32 The Journey of Product Improvement Over Growth

FREE COURSE:

5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

Listen to Tech for Non-Techies on:

• Apple

• Spotify

• YouTube

• Amazon Podcasts

• Stitcher

• Pandora

For the episode transcript, go here: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/256-top-mistakes-non-technical-founders-make-how-to-avoid-them

From accelerators to corporate venture capital, most startup support structures fail to deliver. Investor and entrepreneur Andrew Ackerman explains why — and what founders and corporates should do instead.

With over 70 investments and hundreds of founders mentored, Andrew brings rare perspective from both sides of the table. Andrew is a serial entrepreneur who has founded two companies, led an accelerator, and now advises startups, VCs and corporates.

He’s also the author of The Entrepreneur's Odyssey — a novel-style guide to what startup life really feels like.

You will learn:

• Why most accelerators fail: Discover how many support programs offer flashy promises without delivering tangible outcomes like revenue or pilot deals.

• Rethinking venture capital: Understand why fundraising is often pursued for validation rather than strategic fit — and why most startups don’t necessarily need VC money.

• Corporate innovation pitfalls: Learn how misaligned incentives and internal politics transform innovation programs into mere theatre rather than engines of growth.

• The value of tailored support: Find out how startups can benefit from support structures designed as platforms that evolve with their specific stage and needs.

• What to do instead: Get practical insights on structuring your support programs, whether you’re a founder, a corporate team, or an investor.

Chapters

FREE COURSE:

5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know

If your organisation wants to drive revenue through innovation, book a call with us here.

Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

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For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/What-most-startup-support-gets-wrong-and-how-to-fix-It