Today, I’m doing something a bit different. As our smart community grows, I know that some of you might not know much about me, my story or how I got into this tech thing.
That’s why today, I’m sharing a little bit about me.
I’m sharing this with you so that you can see that the confusion you feel about tech, or the fear that your lack of tech knowledge will be discovered, does not have to be your permanent reality. I want you to see from my example that there are many more opportunities for you than you probably think.
You will also learn what not to wear when riding a camel.
Summary notes from this episode:
Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen famously wrote that “software is eating the world.” While digital transformation is everywhere, and even your coffee shop has an app, this doesn't mean we all need to learn STEM subjects and become coders.
The vast majority of jobs remain non-technical.
To succeed in today's economy, ambitious professionals need to learn how to become Digital Collaborators. This means learning additional skills, rather than completely retraining.
Learning notes from this episode:
When an app has too many features and pop ups, most users get confused and frustrated. This is feature creep: when the product’s core functionality becomes hidden in too many options and things to do.
Feature creep happens when a team is determined to stay productive, but loses sight of its strategy. Sometimes stopping is better for the product than doing more.
Learning notes from this episode:
Would you leave a high flying career in advertising to set up an adult content site? Most people wouldn't, but Cindy Gallop is not most people.
After leading one of the world's top advertising agencies, BBH in the United States. Cindy decided to try her hand at tech entrepreneurship. Her venture, Make Love Not Porn, is in the new category of "social sex" and aims to revolutionise how people talk, share and watch sex.
As a non-technical founder of an adult content business, Cindy had to learn how to work with developers, get users despite being banned by advertisers and create a troll free online environment.
Learning notes from this episode:
Every company wants to be innovative, but how do you balance the risk of innovation with the need to keep the lights on? Listen to this interview with Kapil Kane, Head of Innovation at Intel China, to find out.
Learning notes from this episode:
Design is often at the core for why products go viral or flop. But, how can you tell good design from bad right at the start? How do you hire the right people and avoid costly mistakes?
That’s what you’ll learn on this episode.
Learning notes:
Resources mentioned in this episode:
You've probably heard about network effects, but they aren't the only thing you need. Learning effects build the ultimate moat against your competition.
Learning notes from this episode:
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How do you get to the top of a tech company as a non-technical professional? How can you drive innovation, when you’re not building the technology yourself?
That’s what you’ll learn from this interview with David Wells, ex CFO of Netflix and chair of the board at Wise.
Learning notes from this episode:
On Airbnb, people stay at strangers' homes. On Twitter, people get trolled. Both are global tech platforms, but why do people treat strangers well on one, and badly on the other?
The answer lies in platform governance: the rules you make to encourage good interactions and punish the bad stuff. Learn how to set up platforms where people are nice to strangers with this week's podcast episode.
Learning notes from this episode.
How do you launch a dating app, if you have no men and no women on it? Or, how do you launch a market place with niether buyers nor sellers?
This is the chicken and egg problem that all platforms have to solve to succeed.
In this week's episode, you'll learn 6 methods for how to launch a platform when you have no users. Some are sneaky, some are fun and all are very clever.
Sophia's favourite book on how to build & grow platforms is Platform Revolution: How Networked Markets Are Transforming the Economy - And How to Make Them Work for You.
1. Pipeline to Platform conversion, e.g. Amazon to Amazon marketplace
2. Using a company that has the user base you want, e.g. Airbnb & Craigslist
3. Seeding content, e.g. dating apps & Quora
4. Bringing influencers to your platform for an incentive, e.g. Joe Rogan
5. Producer Evangelism: e.g. Kickstarter, Indigogo, Partyslate
Listen to Sophia's interview with Partyslate CEO & Co-Founder Julie...
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