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 grow their user base, make more money and collect more data about user behaviour. Deciding what APIs you product should have open is therefore both a business and a technical decision.

Join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

Following us on Facebook and Instagram will make you smarter.

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 research be careful not to use steering questions to feed answers to the research participants. Ronan recommends reading The Mom Test to learn how to survey users.

Check out Digital Trawler here.

To watch the full session on video and access learning notes, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

Following us on Facebook and Instagram will make you smarter.

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 Android apps make money via advertising.

To join Sophia's free masterclass on mid March 2021 on Break Into Tech: Masterclass for Non-Technical Founders, register here.

To join our weekly expert masterclasses, access learning notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

Following us on Facebook and Instagram will make you smarter.

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 was done manually. By doing this, JS proved that his algorithm was making correct decisions.
• JS Kung does not have a co-founder. This is contrary to what a lot of prominent VCs say they want, but is in line with several successful founders who have spoken to us: Robyn Exton at HER, Asaf Navot at Home Made, and David Segura who sold Giant Media and is now one of NYC's top angel investors.

If you want to go from idea to action and work with Sophia one on one, here's the February Idea To Action offer.

To join our weekly expert masterclasses, access learning notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

Following us on Facebook and Instagram will make you smarter.

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, access learning notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

Following us on Facebook and Instagram will make you smarter.

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 a product team, the work cycle will go as follows:

1. Designers create your prototype
2. Back end developers build the back end
3. Front end developers build the front end

If you want to go deeper, then check out the What Non-Technical Founders Really Need to Know about Tech course, where I teach you the process of how to go from idea to a live product and how to work effectively with developers, designers and other people involved in the process.

For advice on how to hire product teams, here's Sophia's e-book on How To Hire Your Product Team and Go From Idea To App

To join our weekly expert masterclasses, access learning notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

Following us on Facebook and Instagram will make you smarter.

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 become a good venture investor, so either work in a start-up or advise several before getting into VC.

Say hi to Nilesh here.

To join our weekly expert masterclasses, access learning notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

Following us on Facebook and Instagram will make you smarter.

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 Podcast: 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 notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

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 From Idea To App: Guide For Non-Technical Founders.

In the e-book you will get:

• A list of product studios recommended by non-technical founders including a firm I've worked with
• A guide on how to set your budget for prototypes, minimum viable product and market testing
• What to do if you don't have a technical co-founder
• What to look for when hiring a user experience designer
• Difference between development shops, product studios and in-house development teams
• Examples of successful non-technical founders

Enrolment for What Non-Technical Founders Really Need To Know About Tech opens in January. Join the free info session here.

To join our weekly expert masterclasses, access learning notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership

Say hi to Sophia on Twitter.

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 our ebook: How To Hire Your Product Team And Go From Idea To App: a guide for non-technical founders.

You can learn more about Intergalactic here and about Eventbase here.

To join our weekly expert masterclasses, access learning notes and our unique professional community, join the Tech for Non-Techies membership community. As a community member, you'll get:

• Weekly live masterclasses with global experts
• Mini-course on how to go from idea to live app
• Supportive Online Community
• Library of masterclasses
• Monthly live coaching with Sophia Matveeva, tech entrepreneur & Chicago Booth MBA
• Exclusive Resources & Perks

Learn more and sign up at https://www.techfornontechies.co/membership