266. Founder-Led vs. Product-Led Growth: how to pick the right path for your startup
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Release Date: 08/20/2025
279: What to Do If You've Already Spent $100K on Developers and Have Nothing to Show for It
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Founders assume that if they just hire “good developers,” the product will magically take shape. Sadly, that’s rarely what happens. Too many non-technical founders burn through $50K … $80K … even $100K, only to end up with half-baked code and zero users. Not because they’re careless but because they skip the unsexy, zero-glamour work that actually protects their budget. In this episode of Tech for Non-Techies, Sophia Matveeva breaks down the real reason this problem keeps happening and what to do if you’re already deep in the mess. In this episode, you will hear: The hidden trap...
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278: The One Success Metric Every Non‑Technical Founder Must Know (Encore)
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Many founders think their product’s success can be measured in downloads or revenue. But here’s the truth: those are business outcomes, not product goals. In this encore episode, Sophia breaks down the one success metric that every non-technical founder must understand before leading a tech team or pitching investors. By the end, you’ll know how to lead with clarity, ask sharper questions, and track the metric that matters most — without writing a single line of code. In this episode, you will hear: The one metric that separates product success from business success Why Airbnb’s...
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277: Why You Shouldn't Use AI to Build Your Product
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Every founder is looking for ways to save time and money. And right now, AI promises both. But here’s the catch: while AI can write code, it can’t think through your product’s logic, security, or scalability. The result? A shiny prototype that collapses under real-world use. In this episode of Tech for Non-Techies, Sophia Matveeva interviews Natalie Kaminski, CEO of JetRockets, with a knack for bridging the gap between non-tech founders and the digital world. With experience spanning multiple countries and roles she brings a hands-on approach to turning ideas into real, successful...
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276: How AI is Reshuffling the Rules of Business
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
How many founders think AI is about faster automation? What if the real opportunity lies in reimagining how entire systems work? Sophia Matveeva sits down with Sangeet Paul Choudary, best-selling author of Platform Revolution and Re/Shuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Knowledge Economy, to explore how AI isn’t just speeding up workflows. It’s rewriting the rules of business models. From TikTok’s behavior-driven growth to Shein’s algorithmic supply chain, Sangeet explains how AI coordination is quietly reshaping industries. You’ll learn why being a “second mover” might now be...
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275: 5 Founder Lessons From the JP Morgan Tech Conference
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
What separates founders who make it from those who stall out? After spending two days surrounded by billion-dollar CEOs and investors at JP Morgan’s Tech Investor Conference in London, Sophia Matveeva discovered that the conversations happening in those rooms reveal far more than market gossip. They hold the blueprint for building resilient, fundable tech companies. Whether you’re preparing to fundraise, expand internationally, or simply sharpen your strategy, this episode gives you a rare look at how top leaders think and how you can apply those insights to your own company’s next move....
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274: The Non-Technical Founder Mindset: How to Lead When You Can't Code
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Many startups collapse not because the idea fails, but because the pressure gets unbearable. Sadly, it’s not strategy or funding that takes them out. It’s the grind, the chaos, and the sheer mental weight of building something new. In this episode, Sophia Matveeva shares three mindset shifts that every non-technical founder needs to survive the rollercoaster. From moving past imposter syndrome to staying calm when launches stall, these are practical tools to help you think strategically when everyone else panics. Listen in and learn how to turn pressure into your unfair advantage. In...
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273: What AI Can (and Can’t) Do for Non-Technical Founders
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Founders love the idea of skipping engineers and letting AI code their dream app. Sadly, that dream falls apart fast. AI can write code, but it also hallucinates, breaks in production, and leaves you with messes you can’t fix if you're not a coder. What looks like a shortcut turns into a costly detour. In this episode, Sophia Matveeva shows you where AI really helps founders—and where it doesn’t. You’ll learn how to use AI to design prototypes, validate features, and impress investors without blowing thousands on guesswork. And you’ll hear why scaling, security, and serious...
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272: Why This Is the Best Time to Be a Non-Technical Founder
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
For years, non-technical founders were second class citizens in tech. Not anymore. In this episode, Sophia Matveeva shares five reasons why today is the best time in history to start a tech venture without being a coder — and why, in some cases, non-technical founders actually have the advantage. You’ll learn: Why investors are backing non-technical founders more than ever How AI and no-code slash startup costs from $35,000 to $20 Why niche markets are exploding — and how to spot them How global talent and cheaper tools make launching safer and faster Why distribution —...
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271: What Big Tech Taught Me About Leading Without Code
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Can you really lead a tech company if you’re not technical yourself? David Windley has done exactly that. He’s the former CHRO at Yahoo, held senior HR roles at Microsoft, Intuit, and Activision, scaled a startup from under $1M to $50M as CEO, and now leads HootRecruit — a recruiting tech company. David has spent his career at the intersection of people, technology, and leadership. Listen to this episode to learn: How non-technical founders blow it when hiring their first developers Why a startup CTO is nothing like a corporate CTO The “Windley Rule” — why engineers must...
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270: Real People, Real Startups: Lessons from Our Alumni
Tech for Non-Techies - Practical app & AI strategy for non-technical founders.
Most people think you need to be a Silicon Valley insider — or have millions in funding — to start a tech venture. That’s just not true. In this episode, Sophia Matveeva shares the journeys of four Tech for Non-Techies alumni who built products and startups without writing a single line of code. You’ll learn: How a dentist turned lockdown frustration into a healthtech app (and how you can spot opportunities in your own field). Why a fund manager realised he didn’t need to code — and the mindset shift that freed him to start building. How a CFO uses tech knowledge to make smarter...
info_outlineMost founders dream of creating a product so good it sells itself.
That’s the promise of product-led growth: customers discover, share, and adopt your product with little to no sales effort.
Sadly that's rarely the reality.
In the early stages, almost every founder has to do the hard, unglamorous work of founder-led growth: building trust, making offers and facing rejection.
In this episode, you will learn from Vijay Rajendran, author of The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding With Confidence.
Vijay previously led portfolio value at 500 Global, a venture capital firm with $2.7 billion under management, where he supported startups in more than 80 countries.
Vijay has helped hundreds of founders grow, scale, and raise capital.
Listen to learn:
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The difference between founder-led and product-led growth — and when each approach works best.
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How design partnerships and pilots can win your first customers (and even get them to fund product development).
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Why “influence” is a better mindset than “sales” — and how listening to customers creates trust.
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Stories from Airbnb to enterprise startups that reveal what growth really looks like behind the scenes.
Whether you’re launching your first product, leading innovation inside a corporate, or backing founders as an investor, this episode is for you.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Robert Cialdini
- Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, Chris Voss
Chapters
05:24 — The seductive dream of product-led growth (and why it rarely works early on)
07:52 — Design partnerships: how customers can fund your product
13:39 — The Airbnb toilet photos story: why every founder must talk to customers
18:55 — Stop pitching, start listening: turning sales into influence
23:23 — Empathy and persuasion: the human skills behind tech success
28:48 — When to move from founder-led growth to a professional sales team
FREE Course: 5 Tech Concepts Every Business Leader Needs To Know https://www.techfornontechies.co/freecourse
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