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Access weekly live masterclasses from successful founders, product managers, investors and Big Tech executives.
You can't get access like this anywhere else.

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Get exclusive online tutorials on the most important concepts in tech.
You will get video lessons, webinar recordings and check lists only available on TFNT.

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Unique professional network
Be part of a unique community of other smart non-technical professionals navigating the world of tech.
Swap success stories, share dilemmas and find opportunities.

Irina Klokova, Management Consultant
I consider myself lucky that I have discovered "Tech for Non-Techies" platform created by Sophia Matveeva (recommended by my friend).
Her webinar on Product Management helped me to see some of the mistakes that could have been avoided on my personal journey to creating a tech product.
Sophia has a talent to explain complicated tech concepts with simple words. Her own experience gives non-digital native people like me some hope that we can also play roles in the new Digital Era.
When I got into business school, I thought my career was sorted
When I got the admissions letter from Chicago Booth, I thought life was going to be sorted. Or at least my career!
The University of Chicago Booth School of Business is consistently ranked as the global #1 business school by Business Week and The Economist, and counts Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, and the founders of Grubhub among its alumnae. Honestly, I was feeling pretty smug.
My plan, as I wrote in my admissions essay, was to get to business school, come up with a brilliant startup idea, get a team together, get funding and leave with an MBA and a startup. Naturally, world domination would follow.
By this point, I had worked in a top financial PR company, had a stint in a private equity firm in London and worked in India. I had very little knowledge of the tech sector, but it seemed to be where all the opportunity was coming from.

I decided to launch a tech venture
But I had zero tech knowledge
I desperately wanted to join the tech boom, and spent most of business school testing various ideas for tech startups. Eventually, the beginnings of an idea for a retail tech business began to take place.
I managed to convince some of my classmates to join me and, through sheer bloody-mindedness, we got into the Chicago Booth New Venture Challenge, the top academic accelerator in the United States.
The problem was, none of my classmates actually new how to build the thing we were pitching. Naturally, we didn't get very far in the accelerator, but again, through more persistence, I managed to raise some angel funding and marched bravely forth.
I pretended to understand what developers were talking about
This is when disasters began to strike.
I began working with a CTO who said words to me I did not understand. I secretly Googled them and watched endless YouTube explanations that left me more confused. I signed up and paid for coding courses, which I either hated and completed, or failed to finish and wallowed in guilt.
There are plenty of courses helping you to retrain to become a developer or a data scientist, but that's not what I needed. I needed to know how to work with technical professionals to deliver a product into users' hands.
I ended up learning how to hire and work with developers, designers and data analysts on the job. It was a hard, painful and expensive journey, but when I was going through it, there was no other way.

Then I realized that to succeed in tech
You need to learn how to work with developers, not become one
I began writing about what I was learning in Forbes, and when my article What Non-Technical Founders Really Need To Know About Tech reached thousands in less than a day, I realised that I was not alone. This article was the beginning of Tech for Non-Techies.
I saw that there was a group of people like me, who wanted to understand the tech world and join this economic boom, but we were not going to become tech bros.
If you've ever gone to a tech meet up, you'll know that being a non-technical professional there can feel like being an illiterate ape.
Hackathons with bro-grammers, beer and pizza did not welcome me with open arms.
I don't believe the brogrammer way is the only way
I began giving talks to help non-technical innovators get the skills and confidence to build their tech products. I taught University of Chicago alumni, spoke at the Mayor of London's international trade promotion agency London and Partners and at entrepreneurial hubs like WeWork.
One day, an MBA student from London Business School came to my talk and found it so useful, he convinced London Business School to host my course.
Since then, the students have used this course to create apps and sites, get funding and get clarity for their business plans.
I believe it is not only possible but desirable for people without computer science backgrounds to create digital products, so we can all benefit from diversity of thought and have fun, useful new tech.
I created Tech for Non-Techies because it is exactly what I wish I had when I began my rocky road into the technology sector. It is a place where smart, curious and ambitious professionals can come together to learn and boost their careers.

Let's not leave creativity and innovation to the tech bros
Let's make the world fun and beautiful instead!
Join masterclasses from experts at







Samantha Constance
University of Chicago
Assistant Director, Career Development
In January 2020 Sophia hosted a webinar for the UChicago alumni community titled "The Non-Technical Founder's Introduction to Tech."
She provided insights on how to effectively work in the tech business without having a tech background, touching on product management, front-end vs. back-end development, user experience design and testing, and analytics.
She was a wonderful presenter providing actionable and motivating tips for fellow UChicago alumni.
We loved working with Sophia!
Live weekly sessions
TFNT members access weekly live masterclasses from successful founders, product managers, investors and Big Tech executives.
You can't get access like this anywhere else.

Learning resources
TFNT membership gives you access to online tutorials on the most important concepts in tech. You will get access to video tutorials, webinar recordings and check lists not available anywhere else.
Community
Access to a unique community of other smart non-technical professionals navigating the world of tech. Swap your success stories and dilemmas with other non-technical founders, aspiring product managers and advisors to Big Tech firms.


Build New Connections
Monthly member meet-ups to build your professional network

Learn From Your Peers
Learn and get inspired by how other people have transitioned into tech entrepreneurship, product management and more!

Discover New Opportunities
Online community to share your wins and brags and find opportunities