The Difference Engine | B2B Category Design | Private Equity | Venture Capital

In this episode, we’re joined by Cristina Caffarra, one of Europe’s most respected voices on competition, regulation and the digital economy, to unpack what European tech really needs to succeed. A leading economist educated at the University of Oxford, Cristina brings decades of experience advising companies and governments across Europe. She previously led the European competition practice at a top global consultancy and has been at the centre of many of the debates shaping today’s tech policy. More recently, she is the prominent voice behind EuroStack, an initiative advocating for a more competitive and resilient European digital ecosystem - challenging Europe to think bigger about its technological future.

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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In the early 2020s, it was easy to mistake category design for a marketing exercise. A new name, a sharper narrative, a brand refresh, and job done.

But as we enter a post-SaaS world, that thinking no longer holds. Category leadership isn’t built by fast-following or ripping off existing winners. It’s earned by defining the future problem space before competitors even realise it’s emerging.

Today, we explore what it really takes to lead a category in 2026.

Also in this episode: We’ll dig down into all the things that can go wrong on your category journey, and we’ll be reviewing the relationship status of Category creation and VCs

What to look forward to:

00:33 Category creation in a post-SaaS, post-SEO tech world

17:51 So you’re on a category journey - what can possibly go wrong?

43:30 The “Dead in the Water” Trap - the new relationship between VC and Category

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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It’s time to dust off our crystal balls as we conjure our Top 10 tech predictions for 2026. 

In this episode, we take a look into the year ahead and unpack a bumper crop of new tech ideas and category acronyms from AWO and ANAA to EIG and beyond. 

AI is firmly in the driving seat for 2026. It’s racing us towards real paradigm shifts in how businesses operate, how value is created, and how entirely new categories are born. 

So buckle your seat belts. This is going to be a fun ride.

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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In 1990, while working at CERN, Tim Berners-Lee proposed and developed what would become one of the most influential spinouts in history: the World Wide Web. The Web was opened to the public in 1991, and in 1993 CERN released the software into the public domain - enabling its rapid global spread and laying the foundation for today’s modern Internet.

In Episode 66 of The Difference Engine tech strategy podcast, Paul Maher and I explore a new report that shows European spinouts are emerging as a deep-tech powerhouse. Since 2019, they’ve accounted for 40% of all new startups in these fields - an 80% increase compared with the previous decade.  But the US is still using M&A to capture most of the value from European innovation. 

So the question is: how does Europe manage this momentum and build future global category leaders?

Also in this episode: we unpack the UK’s contentious Digital ID debate and explore the signs that Salesforce is entering the twilight of its era of uncontested category dominance.

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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Recorded in partnership with Boardwave, this episode of The Difference Engine features Colin Tenwick - a leader whose career tracks the evolution of modern tech.

Colin began in the early enterprise software era with Ingres, later leading Sybase and driving Red Hat’s European expansion long before open-source and SaaS were mainstream. 

Colin’s career is one of constant reinvention. He scaled StepStone into one of Europe’s first major digital recruitment platforms, steered BookaTable as it brought online reservations to the masses, and chaired hybrid-cloud provider Control Circle through to a successful exit.

Today, Colin serves as a non-executive chair and investor across private-equity and venture-backed companies, from cybersecurity and marketplaces to consumer platforms and education.

In this episode, we explore how Colin maintains consistency and strength within an ever-changing tech industry and how his people-first approach has made him a trusted mentor to founders and boards alike.

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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It’s easy to be captivated by the dazzling glow of AI. Sky-high valuations, relentless acquisitions, and the promise of investor cash are drawing in a swarm of hungry tech moths. But what’s really fueling this blaze? What forms the wax that keeps this light alive, and are we overlooking the real AI winners?

Today, we uncover the hidden power behind the AI boom.

Also in this episode: we’ll look to the past to uncover what the future holds for Category Design, and we’ll take a sharp look at Europe’s unicorns to explore what they reveal about exclusion in tech.

What to look forward to:

00:33 The Quiet Category Power Beneath the AI Boom

11:08 Unicorns and the Glass Ceiling – Europe’s 2025 Tech Reality Check

17:17 Category Design's future

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Jonathan Simnett

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MIT’s State of AI in Business 2025 report found that 95% of generative AI pilot projects fail to deliver a measurable return on investment. When findings like this drop, they spread fast - sparking debate, reshaping narratives, and influencing how companies, investors, and even public policymakers think about AI’s real-world impact.

So what does MIT’s and other recent reports actually tell us about the position of the AI industry and tech sovereignty? Is it a sobering reality check, meaningless noise, or something else entirely?

Also on today’s episode: We’ll be backing our brothers and sisters in Europe, asking if ChatGPT has reached its category peak and talking about a man of many tech and finance moments, Hermann Hauser

What to look forward to:

00:33 Reviewing recent AI reports

11:22 Taylor Swift nah, meet fast Hermann

19:16 ShatGPT? Let’s talk crap…  

32:29 Enough of the EU bashing

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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Cornwall, in England’s far southwest, is known for its rugged coastline and mining heritage. Home to just over 600,000 people, it’s produced cultural icons from author William Golding to Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood - and now, CUBE’s Founder & CEO, Ben Richmond.

In 2008, as the world reeled from the fallout of the financial crisis, Ben saw an opportunity in the wreckage. Predicting a tidal wave of regulatory complexity, he set out to bring clarity to the chaos - creating a platform that could turn regulatory noise into actionable intelligence. That vision became CUBE, now a global leader in RegTech.

Recorded live at Boardwave Live, this conversation explores Ben’s journey from a working-class Cornish town to building a brand-new category, redefining compliance as not just a necessity but a strategic advantage and building one of the world’s leading RegTech firms.

Ben Richmond isn’t just navigating the future of compliance; he’s defining it. That's why they call him the Rockstar of RegTech.

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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Recorded at Boardwave Live, this episode of The Difference Engine features former British Army Major General Rupert Jones. With three decades of service, from commanding 5,000 troops in Afghanistan to leading the liberation of Mosul and Raqqah, he brings unparalleled knowledge of strategic leadership. Now advising startups, Rupert guides us through the rapidly relevant world of Defence Tech. We’ll explore how technology and government intersect, the distinctive challenges of defence investing, and why the military might be an unexpected yet rewarding place to take your business. Truly, the Very Model of a Modern Major-General.

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

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This week, the Difference Engine is stepping out of the office and heading to one of the most exciting tech events of the year - Boardwave Live 2025. The Boardwave network brings together a powerful community of founders, CEOs, chairs, independent NEDs, and investors from across Europe, representing companies at every stage of growth.

At their flagship live event in the heart of London, we had the privilege of learning from some of the brightest minds in European tech. It’s an inspiring gathering that gives us at the Difference Engine great optimism for the future of the industry.

In this episode, we share our key takeaways from the standout talks, on-the-ground interviews with attendees, and our reflections on the evolving direction, ambition, and next steps for European software.

There is more information on how to design your category on our blog

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Paul Maher

Jonathan Simnett

Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.