Building Great Tech

Building Great Tech

By Simon Hook & Anastasija KrysaTechnology
Download on the App Store

Building Great Tech episodes

  • Shiny Object Syndrome: Why Tech Founders Chase Trends That Don't Pay Off

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the phenomenon of shiny object syndrome that often plagues tech founders. With over 17 years of experience in the tech space, they explore why many businesses are drawn to the allure of new ideas and trends, despite the fact that a staggering 64% of tech leaders report seeing no return on investment from cutting-edge technologies like AI.


    Simon and Anastasija discuss various trends, from gamification to the metaverse, and share real-life examples of when these innovations succeeded and when they fell flat. They also introduce a validation framework designed to help founders avoid costly mistakes and focus on what truly adds value to their customers and their business. Tune in for insights that could save you from the costly trap of chasing the latest tech fads without a clear purpose.


    Simon and Anastasija discuss the allure of gamification, highlighting its effectiveness in contexts like fitness apps but cautioning against its misuse in serious applications like loan applications, where it may not resonate with stressed users.


    The hosts reflect on the hype surrounding the Metaverse, noting how many companies invested heavily in it without clear user demand, ultimately leading to significant financial losses, particularly for Meta.


    Simon and Anastasija emphasise the importance of focusing on existing features and making incremental improvements, sharing a success story where optimising error messages led to a 154% increase in user sign-ups, demonstrating that small changes can yield substantial results.


    Follow us on Linkedin!

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/


    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.


    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

    59 min
  • How To Make Customers AWARE of Your Features - App and UX Design

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the intriguing phenomenon where only 20% of product features are actively used by customers, leaving a staggering 80% underutilised.


    They explore the reasons behind this discrepancy and discuss effective strategies to enhance feature awareness among users. Through engaging conversations, Simon and Anastasija share personal experiences with various applications, highlighting the importance of contextual triggers, progressive disclosure, and clear communication in feature updates. Tune in to discover actionable insights that can help you improve user engagement and maximise the value of your product features.


    Simon and Anastasija discuss how Starling Bank effectively communicates new features to users through concise emails and in-app notifications, ensuring that updates are relevant and easily accessible within the user journey.


    Anastasija shares her experience with the British Airways app, highlighting the confusion caused by outdated features like faxing boarding passes, which raises questions about the relevance of certain functionalities in modern applications.


    Follow us on Linkedin!


    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/


    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/


    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.


    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

    45 min
  • The REAL Reason You Are LOSING Customers! Price vs Product

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the critical issue of customer churn, exploring whether pricing or product experience plays a more significant role in driving customers away. Drawing on insights from PwC research, they discuss how businesses often misattribute churn to pricing issues, overlooking the impact of customer experience. Simon and Anastasija share compelling statistics, real-world examples, and practical strategies to help listeners identify the true causes of churn. They also provide a framework for assessing product experience versus pricing, encouraging businesses to focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences to justify their pricing. Tune in for valuable insights that could transform your approach to customer retention!

    Simon highlights that 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience, emphasising the direct link between product experience and pricing strategies.


    Anastasija discusses the importance of understanding customer feedback, noting that many customers use price as a socially acceptable reason to leave, masking deeper issues related to product experience.


    Simon and Anastasija conclude that successful companies optimise product experience to justify pricing, urging listeners to focus on behavioural analysis rather than assumptions to identify real issues affecting customer churn.

    Follow us on Linkedin!

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/

    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.

    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

    Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.


    48 min
  • Can AI FULLY replace customer feedback?!

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the intriguing world of artificial intelligence and its impact on customer insights. They explore the concept of synthetic users—AI-generated personas that mimic real users—and discuss the pros and cons of relying on them for user research. The conversation highlights the limitations of AI, particularly in understanding human context, emotions, and the nuances of user behaviour. Simon and Anastasija also outline the three biggest mistakes companies make when using AI for customer insights and advocate for a hybrid approach that combines AI analysis with genuine human interaction. Tune in to discover how to effectively leverage AI while ensuring that you remain connected to your users' real needs and experiences.
    Simon and Anastasija highlight the limitations of synthetic users, comparing them to mannequins that may resemble real users but lack the depth and context needed for genuine insights, emphasising the importance of real user interactions.
    They discuss the critical distinction between correlation and causation, urging listeners to validate AI-generated assumptions with direct customer conversations to ensure that product decisions are based on accurate understanding rather than misleading data.
    Anastasija and Simon advocate for a hybrid approach that combines AI's ability to process large amounts of data with human intelligence, stressing that while AI can identify patterns, it cannot grasp the emotional and contextual nuances that are essential for making informed strategic decisions.
    Follow us on Linkedin!
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/
    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.
    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.
    Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

    35 min
  • The KEY To Feedback ANALYSIS - Why Your Feedback SUCKS

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the critical topic of user feedback strategies. With a staggering 95% of companies collecting user feedback, the duo explores why many of these strategies fail to deliver actionable insights. They discuss common pitfalls such as confirmation bias, poor feedback collection methods, and the over-reliance on quantitative metrics without the necessary qualitative context. Simon and Anastasija also share practical tips on how to overcome these challenges, emphasising the importance of asking better questions, observing user behaviour, and utilising proven analysis frameworks. Tune in to discover how to transform user feedback into a powerful tool for growth and innovation.
    Simon and Anastasija highlight the critical issue of confirmation bias, explaining how founders often ask leading questions that only confirm their pre-existing beliefs, which can skew the feedback they receive from users.
    They discuss the importance of observing user behaviour rather than solely relying on what users say, emphasising that actions often reveal more about usability than verbal feedback.
    Anastasija and Simon stress the necessity of combining qualitative and quantitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of user needs, ensuring that businesses do not make decisions based on misleading metrics alone.
    Follow us on Linkedin!
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/
    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.
    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.
    Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

    40 min
  • Falling Out Over BUSINESS - How To Repair a Toxic Working Relationship

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into a critical yet often overlooked issue in the startup world: the hidden costs of a toxic co-founder. Drawing on insights from Harvard Business School, they reveal that over 65% of startups fail due to co-founder conflicts, rather than market conditions or product issues.
    Simon and Anastasija discuss the detrimental effects of unresolved disputes, including time drains, decision paralysis, and the impact on team morale and productivity. They also share real-life stories, such as the tumultuous history of Tinder and the rise of Bumble, highlighting the importance of mutual awareness and understanding in co-founder relationships. Tune in to discover how to navigate these challenges and foster healthier partnerships in your entrepreneurial journey.
    Follow us on Linkedin!
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/
    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.
    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

    45 min
  • STREAMLINE YOUR APP - Why Your SaaS Product is OVERLOADED With Features

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into a startling statistic: 80% of features in SaaS products are rarely or never used. They explore the implications of this phenomenon, discussing the common pitfalls that lead teams to overinflate their product roadmaps with unnecessary features.
    From relying on assumptions to building for investors rather than users, Simon and Anastasija outline the nine main reasons behind feature bloat and the consequences it can have on user experience and business performance.
    They also provide actionable insights on how to trim existing features, reset your roadmap, and focus on what truly matters for your users. Join them as they challenge the notion that more features equate to more value and encourage a more strategic approach to product development.
    Follow us on Linkedin!
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/
    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.
    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.

    40 min
  • How To Successfully PIVOT Your Business!

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the often daunting concept of pivoting in the startup world. With a staggering 92% of startups failing, the duo highlights the importance of adaptability, revealing that companies that pivot experience three times higher user growth than those that remain stagnant.
    They discuss the signs that indicate it's time to pivot, the psychological barriers that founders face, and share inspiring real-life success stories of businesses that have successfully navigated change. Tune in to discover how to pivot your tech business strategically, without feeling like a failure, and learn the essential steps to ensure a successful transition.
    Follow us on Linkedin!
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/
    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.
    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.
    Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

    51 min
  • The BEST and WORST User Feedback Methods For ANY Business

    In this episode of the Building Great Tech podcast, hosts Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa delve into the critical topic of user feedback methods. With a staggering 95% of companies collecting user feedback, they explore why only two-thirds of these companies effectively act on the data they gather.
    Drawing on their two decades of experience, Simon and Anastasija rank nine common feedback methods from worst to best, highlighting the importance of qualitative user research in achieving product market fit and improving profit margins. They also discuss the often-avoided topic of negative feedback, sharing insights on how embracing it can lead to significant improvements. Tune in as they provide a feedback checklist for success and share a captivating story about a Hollywood platform launch disaster that underscores the importance of understanding user needs.
    Follow us on Linkedin!
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/
    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonvhook/
    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth.
    We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission.
    Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.

    1 hr 10 min
  • Building Great Tech | Trailer

    Building Great Tech is the podcast that helps mission-driven tech businesses become more profitable and customer-focused. Whether you're just starting out or optimising what you’ve already built, each episode helps you drive conversion, retention, and real business growth. 

 We dive into customer-focused strategies, killer product experiences, ethical tech, team dynamics, and smart roadmaps. Expect expert interviews, startup case studies, and practical advice to help make your tech profitable, scalable, and deeply aligned with your mission. 

 Build better tech. Serve more customers. Scale with purpose.


    HOST BIO

    Simon Hook and Anastasija Krysa are a powerhouse duo combining deep expertise in customer experience, technology, and product design to guide businesses toward technological excellence.


    Simon Hook is a seasoned customer experience specialist, tech consultant, and entrepreneur with a proven track record of aligning technology with real customer & business needs. Having advised major organisations like British Gas, Shell Energy, and Barclays, as well as scaling tech startups, he excels in areas such as audience validation, securing product-market fit, and post-Series A growth strategies. His insights into conversion, retention, and user experience have transformed underperforming platforms into high-growth success stories.


    Anastasija Krysa brings over 15 years of experience as a product designer and business owner. She thrives on collaborative ideation and is inspired by creating engaging and intuitive solutions through experience design. Anastasija has a remarkable ability to drive positive change, as evidenced by her work with a founder who nearly lost $100K in funding, where her expertise played a pivotal role in turning the situation around. She is also an active member of TechWomen4Boards, supporting women globally in the tech space.

    Together, as co-hosts of Building Great Tech, they share insider strategies, battle-tested frameworks, and hard-won lessons to help founders build, scale, and monetise technology the right way.


    USEFUL LINKS

    https://buildinggreattech.com/


    Our Linkedin Bio's:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastasijakrysa/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-hook/


    2 min

About Building Great Tech

From the publisher's feed

Growing, scaling, and selling tech businesses.