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Do you have an idea for an app or a web-based business, but no idea how to build it? In this course you will get an overview of the basic concepts you need to run or launch a tech startup as a non-technical founder from someone who has done it themselves.

A non-technical founder’s job is not to learn to code, but to successfully manage the technology production process and make sure it aligns with business goals.

To do this successfully, non-technical founders need to understand technology workflows, learn how to ask the right questions and collaborate with designers and developers.

Sophia Matveeva teaches this course in person in London, including at London Business School. Course alumni have used the course to build tech businesses, get funding for their startups and transition into tech careers.

Hi, I'm Sophia

I’m the founder of Tech for Non-Techies, where I help non-technical founders turn their startup ideas into real products.

I know exactly what it feels like to have a vision but not the coding skills to build it. As a non-technical founder myself, I co-created apps and algorithms that were used by thousands of people around the world, raised investment, and learned first-hand what it takes to succeed without writing a single line of code.

Since then, I’ve taught hundreds of students — both online and at top institutions — and my alumni have gone on to raise funding, launch products users love, and transform their businesses from traditional to tech-enabled ventures.

Along the way, I’ve mentored founders at Techstars and in startup programs run by Visa and Microsoft, and I’ve lectured at Oxford University, London Business School, and Chicago Booth. My work has also been featured in the Financial Times, Forbes, and Harvard Business Review.

Today, I make the complex world of technology simple — so you can build and grow your venture with confidence.

I hold an MBA from Chicago Booth and a BSc in Politics from Bristol. I also speak English, Russian, and French, and sit on the Advisory Board of Riviter, an AI company that predicts consumer trends for the world’s biggest brands.

If you’ve ever…

• Listened to tech bros and wondered what they’re talking about
• Wondered about what you can really build with AI
• Or been unsure whether you need a product lead, a UX designer, or a back-end developer…

You’re not alone.

Most non-technical founders feel the same at the start.

And that’s exactly why I created Tech for Non-Technical Founders — to give you the clarity, confidence, and roadmap to go from idea to product without wasting time or money.

What makes this program different is that you won’t just get videos to watch — you’ll also get Your Personal Product Roadmap: 3 private coaching sessions with me to apply everything directly to your own idea.

Together we’ll:

1. Map out your strategy and decide the right test product to build.
2. Review your first test product, refine it, and create a plan to get feedback from real users.
3. Decide your next move — pivot, refine, or build for scale based on real customer feedback.

By the end of these sessions, you won’t just know what to do.

You’ll have a clear, personalised roadmap for your business and the confidence to move forward.

In this online course you will learn

1) Map Your Idea Into a Clear Product Plan

• Workflow: from idea to product. The steps to take and the professionals involved
• How to use AI in product management
• What product managers do and how that fits into the job of running a startup
• Aligning business metrics with product metrics

2) Design Products Users Actually Understand and Love

• Why designing for users is different to designing for beauty
• How to test if users like and understand your product
• The three key design documents you need to work with developers

3) Build Your First Version With AI and No-Code Tools

• When you must use AI and when to hire professionals
• Prototype development using AI tools
• Introduction to No Code tools (Lovable, Stitch, Bubble etc)
  

4) Understand What Developers Do — and How to Work With Them

• Back end vs front end
• Why one costs more than the other
• Back end and server basics
• Should you use AI to write code?

5) Get Your First Users and Build Growth Into Your Product

• How to get your first users
• Engage users to keep coming back
• Bake user growth into your product from the start

6) Use Data and AI to Keep Improving Your Product

• How to analyse your product for continuous improvement
• What data scientists really do
• AI algorithm: not as hard as it sounds
• Introduction to agents AI

BONUS Module: How to hire & lead a tech team

• What to look for: get the right resources
• Where to look: platforms and recommendations
• Do you need a CTO co-founder?
• How to manage a tech team

PLUS: Your Personal Product Roadmap

Alongside the course, you’ll work directly with me in 3 private coaching sessions.

By the end, you’ll have a clear strategy, a prototype tested with users, and a personalised plan for your next step.

This course is made for:

• Entrepreneurs who want to build technology products but do not have technical backgrounds
• Business owners who want to add an app or AI processes to their business

Others who benefit from this course are: 

• Non-technical professionals working in tech companies
• Professionals wanting to transition to the fast-growing technology sector
• Professionals servicing tech company clients, e.g. recruiters, lawyers, consultants

The Details

The course will consist of six modules, split over eight weeks. You will get pre-recorded videos, written material, suggested reading and homework each week to solidify your learning.

If you get stuck and need clarification on what you're learning, just post your question in the course website and you'll get a response within 24 hours.