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

If you're thinking about joining Tech for Non-Technical Founders, this episode is for you.

In this episode, I walk you through exactly what you'll be doing for the next 6 weeks—and where your app, platform, or marketplace will be by the end of February.

When you listen to this episode, you will learn:

• What "going from 0 to 1" actually means for your tech venture
• The million-dollar skill most founders skip (and why it costs them $100K+)
• Why talking to real users is harder than learning to code — and more important
• How the 1:1 coaching works with me and Rags Vadali (Instagram filters, YouTube Partner Program)
• The ROI math: why $2K now saves you $20K+ later

Enrollment closes Tuesday, January 20 at midnight ET.

Only 10 spots available.

Join Tech for Non-Technical Founders: techfornontechies.co/offer

Or book a call if you have questions.

Get 1:1 product coaching from Rags Vadali—the product leader who launched Instagram filters to 600 million people and the YouTube Partner program.

This is mentorship you'd normally only get at top accelerators like Techstars (for 6% of your equity) or at a top MBA program like Chicago Booth ($180K tuition).

You get it for $2,000.

If you're ready to stop thinking and start building, this is how you do it.

It is harder to raise funding as a non-technical founder as a non-technical one.

Some of this is silly stigma, but some of it is reasonable risk awareness.

Investors aren't worried that you can't code.

They are worried you'll burn through their money because you don't know how to get a tech product made - and they don't want you to learn on their dime.

I get that.

In this episode, I break down why non-technical founders face more skepticism in fundraising — and what actually changes the conversation.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why investors don't care if you can code — and what they're actually judging instead
• How non-technical founders accidentally burn $100k+ before product-market fit (and how to avoid it)
• The fastest way to turn investor skepticism into confidence without pretending to be technical
• What a credible product and hiring plan looks like when you're asking for someone else's money

Resources from this Episode

FREE class: How to raise capital as a non-technical founder.

Join this class to learn:

• The system I used to raise $1 million from investors
• Mistakes non-technical founders make when fundraising & how to avoid them
• Key points you must include in your investment pitch if you're a non-technical founder

Sign up here: https://www.techfornontechies.co/capital

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/287-why-investors-fund-non-technical-founders-and-why-they-don-t

Even billion-dollar teams start simple first.

Rags Vadali's team at Meta gave small businesses in Brazil two phones—one red, one blue—and spent two months tracking every customer message in a spreadsheet.

No fancy tech. No code. Just analog data collection.

That experiment validated what became a $5 billion product.

In this episode, Rags explains why the hardest part of building a tech product has nothing to do with technology—and why non-technical founders who understand this have a massive advantage in 2026.

What you'll learn:

• Why Meta validated billion-dollar products with spreadsheets before writing code
• The difference between what to build (your job) and how to build it (AI's job)
• Why talking to customers beats "figuring it out" behind your computer
• Why 2026 is the best time in history for non-technical founders to start

If you're ready to stop overthinking and start building, this episode will show you exactly where to begin.

P.S. This January, Rags is joining Tech for Non-Technical Founders as a guest instructor.

If you want 1:1 coaching from someone who has launched products to 600 million people, enrollment opens January 13th. Details at the end of the episode.

Resources from this Episode

FREE class: From Business Owner to Tech Founder, without the $100,000 developer disaster

Join this class to learn:

• The 2-step framework to go from idea to scalable tech product
• Why smart business owners waste $100k+ on their first tech venture—and how to avoid it
• When AI helps vs. when it destroys products (and your ROI)

Sign up here: https://www.techfornontechies.co/january

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/286-lessons-from-meta-and-google-for-non-technical-founders-in-2026