Tech Talks

Marketing and brand are so important to a startup’s success; but many founders haven’t worked in branding or content before! So how do you build a brand, and what represents ‘best practise’ in such a fluid discipline. Today we chat to The Startup Van cofounder Mark and Graham. In 3 years they’ve built a brand by taking risks, and listening to their audience. Here are their thoughts on content and some of the lessons they’ve learnt on the road to success!

Later in the show we’re joined by Sian Bradley, a published journo who has featured in Wired, on UKTN, and will shortly debut on Tech-Talks.co.uk. She takes Dave and Jack on a journey to Mars:

https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/

Today we meet Manon DeFelice, CEO and founder of Inkwell. Manon started Inkwell from her kitchen and has grown a business that places executives into flexible working arrangements; both part time and full time. This episode of the podcast queries how the employer/employee relationship is evolving.

Our news article dives further into this subject: https://www.uktech.news/news/industry-analysis/microchipping-employees-what-are-the-legal-implications-20181123

Whilst we have you, why not check out the 4th issue of Startups Magazine: Human?

https://thestartupsmag.com/the-fourth-issue/

Today’s guest is Deirdre McGlashan, the Chief Digital Officer of MediaCom. We caught up in Lisbon where she was addressing technology businesses, challenging them to think about marketing and content in an omnichannel environment. As we move to an increasingly customer centric industry this is a discipline many founders are having to grapple with for the first time in their career.

Our news story this week is all about bias in artificial intelligence:

https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/21/cvcompiler-is-an-robot-that-fixes-your-resume-to-make-you-more-competitive/

This week Johnny Hugill (Lead Researcher at PUBLIC) is our guest, and we’re wading into the waters surrounding Brexit. Trading waters at our ports that is! Whatever your view on Brexit, tradetech is a growing industry offering huge opportunity to British startups. We discuss the tech, the role of central government, and have some tips for entrepreneurs.

For more info on PUBLIC visit http://www.public.io/

Our news story this week is all about tech clusters:

https://www.curbed.com/2018/11/13/18091914/los-angeles-real-estate-snap-google-venice

Hugh is a Cyber Expert and CISO at BT Defence. Before joining BT he spent 12 years in the Royal Navy as a commissioned Engineering Officer. As a cyber defence and information security specialist he shares his views on attitudes to cyber in the enterprise sector, how the c-suite needs to work with infosec teams, and what learnings there are for the startup sector.

Also in the show, Dave and Jack get stuck into how tech can thrive outside of London:

https://www.theguardian.com/business-to-business/2018/nov/14/can-the-tech-sector-thrive-outside-london

Peter is the founder and CEO of Shieldpay, a patented digital escrow facility that enables secure, transparent and cost-effective transactions for high-value items such as cars, real-estate and M&A. Founded in 2016, Peter’s business is able to convert any classified site into a fully transactional marketplace that secures users from fraud. We chat about startup pains, and the lessons he’s learnt from past failure.

Our article is from the Guardian (in this week’s news):

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/nov/11/donna-zuckerberg-social-media-misoyny-violence-classical-antiquity-not-all-dead-white-men

Three more interviews from the final day of Web Summit, and a wrap up with Jack. Dave picks over the general themes coming out of the conference and reasons for attending. We also hear from Shadow Cabinet member, Chi Onwurah MP.

I am at Web Summit, talking to leaders, speakers, founders, attendees… finding out why 70,000 people have made the trip to Lisbon, what they’re interested in, and what trends are emerging from the biggest tech gathering of the year.

We attended the CIOWatercoolerLIVE in Leeds this autumn, capturing five interviews with speakers, and conference delegates. It was an amazing opportunity to hear the views of technology leaders beyond the London bubble. Key to the day was collaborating, making sure that the north has a voice. Thanks to everyone who spoke to us on the day!

Dave's at WebSummit this week. Want to have your input on the show? Join our WhatsApp channel:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/invite/EQoKjHH8W4bKBckJs4R6WJ

Today’s show focused on tackling the problem of food waste. OLIO connects neighbours and communities so that surplus food can be shared. Co-founder Tessa Clarke joins us to chat about the origins of their business, and a radical, retro approach to marketing many founders are overlooking!

Also on the show… the budget. We had to have our say! Basing our chat on these articles:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/oct/29/hammond-targets-us-tech-giants-with-digital-services-tax

https://www.uktech.news/news/government-and-policy/budget-2018-good-or-bad-for-uk-tech-20181030

https://www.uktech.news/news/government-and-policy/70821-20181029