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Today, we have the privilege of speaking with someone who has a proven track record of founding and exiting category-defining companies.
Nigel Verdon, born in Germany, began his journey studying Mechanical Engineering at Warwick University. After a brief stint in the automotive industry with EBS, he transitioned into financial services, carving out an impressive career. His roles include working at Swiss Bank Corporation, serving on the board of LCJ, and holding a director position at Dresdner Kleinwort Investment Bank.
Nigel has made a particularly significant impact on the world of Fintech, founding three companies, including Currency Cloud - a unicorn that has revolutionised the way businesses manage international payments.
In this discussion, we’ll dive into Nigel’s unique path to tech leadership, explore the future of Fintech, and uncover why the next wave of technological innovation feels decidedly artisanal.
What to look forward to:
00:16 Introduction to Nigel Verdon
01:45 Nigel’s unique path to tech leadership
25:48 Where does Fintech go from here?
35:26 Tech’s artisanal future
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Europe's favourite unicorn, Stripe, has announced that it is picking up crypto Stablecoin player, Bridge, for $1.1 billion. But why is the fintech powerhouse spending nearly two percent of its valuation on the roll of a crypto dice?
Could it be an ingenious category play?
Also in today’s episode, we’ll be flicking through the history books to try and predict Apple’s future, and tackle the age-old question; what is the right amount of tech branding?
What to look forward to:
00:35 Can Europe’s biggest unicorn change its Stripes?
07:20 Is Europe’s home of tech now struggling?
11:18 History repeats itself - Is Apple becoming the new Sony?
27:51 What’s the right amount of tech branding?
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Today, we explore the remarkable career of Sumir Karayi, whose journey took him from one of the UK's worst schools to becoming one of the country's most successful entrepreneurs.
As the founder and CEO of 1E, Karayi grew his company organically over 20 years, serving 1,700 organisations across 42 countries with 26 million licenses deployed. 1E is now ranked in the Sunday Times International Track 100 league of top private companies and is recognised as one of the top 20 companies for CIOs.
In this discussion, we’ll cover how Karayi developed the world’s first green software, why regulations can be a positive force in tech, and why he believes you shouldn’t start a start-up.
What to look forward to:
00:09 Sumir Karayi introduction
01:45 The green challenge for tech
08:20 The Crowdstrike debacle
18:44 Why is Government not liked in tech
25:43 Sumir’s path to success & founder advice
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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The Labour Party is about to unveil its first budget in over 14 years. This is a huge moment for the country as the foundations for its economic future are put in place. But the budget doesn’t only affect the UK’s bank balance, it also influences the behaviour and values of its citizens.
So, will the red briefcase promote entrepreneurship and the category leaders of tomorrow or will it suffocate the UK’s promising tech scene?
Also in today’s episode, we bring you the lessons from two of the UK’s most fascinating meetings of minds; DigiGov and the Sifted Summit
What to look forward to:
00:42 The UK budget. Are we killing the golden goose
13:24 DigiGov Expo review
26:34 Sifted Summit review
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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How did Microsoft’s controversial ‘partnership’ with UK AI firm Inflection slip through the CMA's (Competition and Markets Authority) net, while Adobe’s multi-billion-dollar Figma acquisition got blocked? In this episode, we dive deep into the paperwork to uncover the methods and motivations behind the CMA’s puzzling ruling on the Inflection deal.
Is the regulator inconsistent, misunderstood, or simply out of its depth?
Also in today’s episode, we share the intellectual spoils from this year's Boardwave event and discuss Intel’s uncertain future.
What to look forward to:
00:30 Is the CSA’s clearing of the Inflection deal an inflection point or just a mistake
09:27 Intel’s crossroad
22:42 Broadwave review
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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In this episode of The Difference Engine, we sit down with a major figure in the global software industry - Phill Robinson. With a career spanning multiple continents and as the CEO of Velocix, IRIS, and Exact, Phil's contributions to the tech world has been monumental.
Today, he’ll share what he learnt from working in the heart of industry giants including Oracle, Sybase, Siebel, and Salesforce.
We’ll also delve into his latest venture: Boardwave. A unique community aimed at helping Europe compete with Silicon Valley and create the next generation of tech category leaders.
What to look forward to:
00:10 Phill Robinson introduction
01:22 Boardwave: addressing Europe’s category creation deficit
18:28 The lessons of serial category leadership
29:37 Grinds my gears - unicorns
33:33 Why authenticity matters if you want to be different
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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We like Elon Musk's style. In previous episodes, we’ve championed him as a visionary innovator and category king. One of the things we’ve always admired is his bold approach to business. But, his recent posts on X seem less bold, and more barmy. Is Musk’s free speech starting to backfire?
Will he be the engineer of his own downfall?
Also in today’s episode, We’ll be looking at the love affair between politicians and tech jobs, asking if the SaaS playbook is the road to category leadership and analysing the aftermath of when Cisco and Linksys collided.
What to look forward to:
00:34 Has Musk gone mad?
15:03 Why Tech jobs are not as helpful for politicians as they hope
20:32 When categories collide: Cisco and Linksys
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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If you’re a regular listener of the show then you’ll know that we’re always banging on about two things: European category leaders and AI. Well, while sniffing around this year's SaaStr event, our dreams came true. We think we found a potential AI category leader based in Cologne, Germany.
Could Jaroslaw Kutylowski’s translation service, DeepL, be the golden goose?
Also in today’s episode, We’ll take a look at how Apple is redefining privacy and why London Tech Week needs a big rethink.
What to look forward to:
01:24 Can Europe create an AI category leader?
12:41 Apple will redefine the meaning of AI privacy.
17:54 What is the point of London Tech Week?
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Nissan, Honda and Mitsubishi. Three of the greats, and sometimes under-rated manufacturers of automobile. From Honda’s engines revolutionising motorsport to Nissan making the iconic British Austin 7 cars under license, they’ve got a rich history. But where will the future take them? How will their new joint research venture create fundamental software for the next generation of SDVs?
It’s clear that not only are manufacturers seeing a shift in value from parts to software, but that consumers are too. Mainly, we just want Apple CarPlay…
Also in today’s episode, we’ll look at whether it was Crowdstrike’s desire to pursue commercial hegemony that put the globe’s IT systems into disarray, why analysts are predicting that Apple will lose 4-5% of profits after the Google court ruling, and we’re not sure what this says about the UK’s tech industry but only six people are actually entrepreneurs in Computer Weekly’s list of UKTech50…
What to look forward to:
0134 - Putting the SDV in SUV
1733 - What CrowdStrike teaches us about the wisdom of creating ‘platforms’.
2816 - The Sage of Omaha-ha isn’t funny over in Cupertino
3319 - The UKtech50 2024 - APPARENTLY the most influential people in UK technology
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Paul Maher
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In the last episode, we began our exploration of the greatest tech acquisitions of all time, concluding with Booking.com at number six. Their purchase of Priceline returned an impressive $46.6 billion. Now, we move into the top five. These acquisitions dwarf what has come before, each one generating returns of over $100 billion.
So, who is going to be number one? (It’s probably not who you think.)
Also in today’s episode, We’ll ask who are the best people to lead a Category Design project and what can be learnt from when Dell and EMC collided.
What to look forward to:
00:33 The greatest tech acquisitions of all time (part 2)
15:26 How to set up the ultimate category design team
25:54 When categories collide - Dell and EMC
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Decisions, decisions, decisions. Every workday is just a collection of decisions. Who to hire, when to sell, what shirt goes with this tie. We take a punt and hope it pays off. But what about the decisions with the biggest payoffs? What are the best business decisions of all time? In today’s episode we uncover the stories behind the greatest tech acquisitions ever.
Were category leaders created or bought?
Also in today’s episode, We’ll find out how AI is reframing the employee experience and what happened when Elon Musk and Twitter collided.
What to look forward to:
00:37 The greatest tech acquisitions of all time (part 1)
18:22 How is AI re-framing the employee experience?
25:54 When Categories Collide - Elon Musk & Twitter
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Paul Maher
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Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.
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Last month the start-up news publication Sifted introduced us to Europe's fastest growing fintechs. The 10 listed companies are successfully bucking the trend and managing to raise capital in these difficult times. Congratulations to them. However, today on the Difference Engine, we take it one step further. We find out which of these fintechs are not just better, but different.
Do any have a shot at becoming a category leader?
Also in today’s episode, We’ll find out how AI is promoting the proliferation sloppiness and learn from the chaos that arose from Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard.
What to look forward to:
00:36 Will Europe produce new fintech Category leaders?
14:47 Is AI creating sloppiness?
23:12 When Categories Collide - Microsoft & Activision Blizzard
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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In this episode of The Difference Engine, we sit down with a pivotal figure in the tech world who helped shape one of the most iconic brands in history. Apple.
Andy Cunningham had a seat at the table for one of the most exciting periods in the tech industry’s history. The birth of Silicon Valley, The emergence of the groundbreaking Macintosh in 1984 and the rise, fall and rise again of Steve Jobs. If it was happening, Andy was there.
During this time she worked closely with Steve and other industry heavyweights, developing her skills and becoming one of the world leaders in tech positioning. As the founder of Cunningham Communications Inc. she has been influential in the success of numerous high-tech companies in Silicon Valley.
In 2017 she released Get to Aha! Discover Your Positioning DNA and Dominate Your Competition, a book that shares the winning framework she uses to transform markets and industries. Her expertise has been a guiding force for many businesses looking to carve out their unique space in competitive markets.
In our conversation today, we explore Andy's journey in the tech industry, her experiences working at Apple and her insights into effective brand positioning. We'll discuss the pivotal moments in her career and the invaluable lessons she's learned about category and beyond.
What to look forward to:
00:13 Andy Cunningham Introduction
01:40 What makes Silicon Valley special?
05:54 Apple, the Macintosh and Steve Jobs
17:20 Tech positioning today
23:07 Utilising the DNA of your business
34:24 Andy’s category philosophy
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Jason Lemkin is not afraid to admit to his errors. In fact, a few weeks ago he eagerly shared them with a room full of people in East London. The founder of SaaStr revealed his top 10 go-to-market mistakes at this year’s SaaStr conference. So, who should you avoid hiring? Which cuts should you steer clear of? And what single word on someone's LinkedIn profile should raise a red flag?
In addition, we'll delve into the recent acquittal of long-suffering tech tycoon Mike Lynch and analyze the repercussions of eBay's acquisition of Skype.
What to look forward to:
00:35 A conclusion to the Mike Lynch saga
06:45 Top ten go-to-market mistakes according to SaaStr
22:37 When Categories Collide - eBay and Skype
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Paul Maher
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Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.
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All eyes will be on Paris next month as they welcome athletes and fans from all over the world for the 2024 Olympic Games. However, the international sports day isn’t the only event drawing significant foreign investment into France. The 7th Choose France showcase announced €15 billion of industry investments, promising an estimated 10,000 jobs.
Could this influx of capital be the driving force behind France’s sprint to category gold?
Also in today’s episode, We’ll analyse the failed Apple advert. Are they losing touch with their audience? We’ll show you how a decent Category strategy can improve your chances of securing funding and we’ll go back in time to see what we can learn when categories collide.
What to look forward to:
00:33 Is France heading for tech Category leadership?
10:02 Apple apologises for ad that ‘missed the mark’
16:55 How does a decent Category strategy improve your chances of securing funding?
28:11 When categories collide: Avago & Broadcom
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Paul Maher
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Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.
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We are living in the age of regulation. Going forward, category creators will have to dance to the tune of the CRA, NIRS2, GDPR and numerous other weighty rulebooks. But, can we learn to love the music? Embrace the constraints? Turn the rules to our advantage and waltz our way to success.
Also in today’s episode, We’ll analyse the emergence of `Storytelling` as, apparently, a new tech marketing discipline and look into our crystal ball to see how the line between VCs and PEs will become increasingly blurred.
What to look forward to:
00:30 Governments demand WhatsApp enforce age restrictions.
08:57 The emergence of `Storytelling`
12:41 What rules should you follow?
20:48 The age of casino PE
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Electric vehicles are expected to make up 25% of all new passenger car registrations this year, with projections indicating that by 2030, EVs will capture two thirds of the market share. As consumer choices change, so does the whole transport ecosystem. This technological shift demands new fueling stations, tyres, job roles and even road design.
So, are electric vehicles just an automotive upgrade or a whole new category?
Also in today’s episode, We’ll analyse the aftermath of when categories collide, peer down our microscope to discover the unintended consequences of thinking small and learn how AI changing the design of every category blueprint?
What to look forward to:
00:30 How is AI changing the design of every category blueprint?
12:03 What does the rollout of EVs tell us about building Categories?
21:21 The unintended consequences of thinking small
27:04 When categories collide - Microsoft & Nokia
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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“I wish upon you ample doses of pain and suffering”
These are the encouraging words of Nvidia founder Jensen Huang. For Jensen, suffering is the whetstone on which one sharpens their character. It is the shaper of greatness. But, what about the lucky ones? The painless people whose lives have avoided such sore turns. Can they achieve such heights? One of the UK’s greatest entrepreneurs, James Dyson, shows us how we can invite agony into our lives.
Also in today’s episode, we’ll have an intimate look at Tory flasher William Wragg and the political Luddites, before turning away from tech and looking to art for a lesson in category design.
What to look forward to:
00:42 Pain and Suffering Part 1 - Huang-ing in there
07:49 Pain and Suffering Part 2 - Rolling the Dyson
15:38 William Wragg and the political Luddites
19:31 The rise of impressionism is a masterclass in category
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Throughout this series, we have been surveying the battlefield of the AI war. From an elevated outpost, we have analysed and reported on the tactical moves of both Microsoft and Google. Data centres, acquisitions, and an arms race of innovation have all weaponised in their attempts to wrestle control of tech’s future.
But who just won the latest battle?
As Winston Churchill said "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."
Stick with the Difference Engine to find out exactly how the AI war is unfolding, as it happens.
Also in today’s episode, we look at the attention economy and the rise of the SuperApp. And, EU lawyers fire their first shots in the AI war.
What to look forward to:
00:49 Who won the second battle of the AI war?
08:05 The attention economy and the rise of the Super-app.
16:15 EU lawyers enter the AI battlefield.
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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In this episode of The Difference Engine we talk to a captain at the helm of the category ship.
Vincent Peters brings a wealth of experience to the table, having held prominent leadership positions at renowned companies such as TIBCO, Qlik, Siebel Systems, and Oracle. Not only has he navigated the global landscape of tech leadership, but he's also delved into entrepreneurship, co-founding Curo Technologies, which was later acquired by Adobe.
At Productsup, Vincent spearheads a category-leading Product to Consumer (P2C) commerce platform that revolutionizes product content management and fosters crucial connections between brands, retailers, marketplaces, and consumers.
In our conversation today, we'll delve into Vincent's motivations for category design, his experiences leading a category-defining company, and the invaluable lessons he's learned along the way.
There is more information on how to design your category on our blog
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Paul Maher
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Want to create a podcast for your business or brand? Contact Flamingo Media to make it happen.
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