Tech for Non-Techies

How do you start a marketplace when you have no customers? Or a dating app with no users?
This is the classic chicken-and-egg problem every platform faces: you need both sides to attract either side.
In this episode, I break down six proven methods successful platforms used to solve this problem, including:
How Amazon converted from a pipeline business to a platform
Airbnb's controversial (but effective) Craigslist strategy
Why dating apps create fake profiles in the early days
How Facebook started with just 500 Harvard students
The $100M offer Joe Rogan received to switch platforms
You'll learn exactly how to get your first users when you're starting from zero.
This episode is part of a series on platform businesses. Listen to the full series:
Episode 90: What makes platform businesses so successful
Episode 92: How to get people to be nice to each other on your platform
Episode 93: Lessons from the Netflix C Suite
Episode 94: Learning effects: why getting more users isn't the only key to success
Resources mentioned:
Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy - And How to Make Them Work for You (Book)
Full transcript: https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/292-how-to-launch-a-platform-when-you-ve-got-no-users-rerun

A beautiful logo won't save your startup.
If you treat go-to-market as a slick website and a rebrand, you're already behind.
Here's the thing. In tech, marketing isn't a department. It's product strategy. From day one.
In this episode, Sophia Matveeva breaks down the seven pillars of go-to-market strategy that every non-technical founder needs to understand before writing a single line of code.
No jargon. No "spray and pray" ads. No fantasy launch parties.
In this episode, you will hear:
Why your "pretty logo" won't save a bad go-to-market — and what actually drives early traction
How to define your exact target customer so you stop building for everyone and start selling to someone
The hidden cost of customer acquisition — and how to avoid burning 40% of your budget on ads
Why your first 10 customers matter more than your first 1,000 — and how to land them without a flashy launch event
Resources from this Episode
Free AI Mini-Workshop for Non-Technical Founders
Learn how to go from idea to a tested product using AI — in under 30 minutes.
Get free access here: techfornontechies.co/aiclass
Follow and Review:
We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/291-go-to-market-strategy-what-to-do-before-you-launch

AI isn't just coming from Silicon Valley anymore.
A growing number of startups — and companies like Airbnb — are turning to Chinese open-source AI models instead of US-based APIs. Not because it's trendy. Because it's cheaper, more flexible, and often good enough.
In this episode, Sophia Matveeva speaks with Alex Hern, AI correspondent at The Economist, about what's driving this shift.
They break down how DeepSeek disrupted the market, why constraints fueled smarter engineering, and what founders can realistically try today if they want more AI options without more spend.
Alex Hern is The Economist's AI Writer, focusing on the science and technology of artificial intelligence. Before joining the paper, he covered technology for 11 years at The Guardian, where he was the UK technology editor.
In this episode, you will hear:
Why relying on US AI APIs may be quietly limiting your product and your margins
How Chinese open-source models let founders experiment, customize, and ship faster without runaway costs
The real reason DeepSeek shocked Silicon Valley — and what it reveals about building under constraints
What you can realistically try today if you want AI leverage without an AI-sized budget
Free AI Mini-Workshop for Non-Technical Founders
Learn how to go from idea to a tested product using AI — in under 30 minutes.
Get free access here: techfornontechies.co/aiclass
Follow and Review:
We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/290-why-airbnb-switched-from-openai-to-chinese-ai-and-what-it-means-for-your-budget

Costs dropped 90%. Funding got 10x harder.
It's now much cheaper to build an AI product than it was two years ago — and far harder to convince investors your product has a moat.
In this episode, Sophia Matveeva breaks down the four investing shifts shaping who gets funded, who doesn't, and why.
You'll learn why vertical AI is winning, B2B beats consumer, acquisitions are replacing IPOs, and deal terms are getting riskier for founders.
If you're building a tech product or considering raising capital, this episode will help you see what investors actually care about—before it's too late.
In this episode, you will hear:
Why it's 90% cheaper to build AI — and still harder than ever to get funded
How "AI for everyone" quietly kills your defensibility with investors
The hidden reason B2B startups keep winning while consumer apps struggle to survive
What today's deal terms can cost you at exit if you don't understand them now
Resources from this Episode
Tech for Non-Techies episode: 213. How NOT to sell your company

YouTube: APIs for Non-Techies

Free AI Mini-Workshop for Non-Technical Founders
Learn how to go from idea to a tested product using AI — in under 30 minutes.
Get free access here: techfornontechies.co/aiclass
Follow and Review:
We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/289-the-ai-paradox-and-3-other-trends-shaping-tech-investing-in-2026

Starting a tech company sounds exciting: autonomy, upside, the chance to build something meaningful.
The reality is tougher.
Startups demand constant decision-making with incomplete information, emotional resilience, financial sacrifice, and the ability to withstand rejection from investors, customers, and even family.
In this episode, Sophia Matveeva delivers a clear-eyed reality check on tech entrepreneurship.
She breaks down why the path isn't right for most people, what founders underestimate, and the traits that actually predict long-term success.
In this episode, you will hear:
Why building a tech startup is far more brutal than most founders admit
How to know if you're genuinely built for uncertainty, rejection, and pressure
The hidden lifestyle tradeoffs that make many founders quit too early
How to decide if tech entrepreneurship is your path — or a costly mistake
Resources from this Episode
Free AI Mini-Workshop for Non-Technical Founders
Learn how to go from idea to a tested product using AI — in under 30 minutes.
Get free access here: techfornontechies.co/aiclass
Follow and Review:
We'd love for you to follow us if you haven't yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We'd love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select "Ratings and Reviews" and "Write a Review" then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.
Episode Credits
If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com Let them know we sent you.
For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/288-why-you-shouldn-t-become-a-tech-founder