Tech Bytes - with Dan Hafner

In this episode of Tech Bytes, I speak with Brittany Hansen, a mother of four and co-founder of a SaaS company focused on delivering information in users' native languages. We discuss Brittany's journey in the tech industry, the challenges women face in a male-dominated field, and the importance of innovation and diversity. Brittany shares insights from her global expansion experiences, the balance of family and entrepreneurship, and how her practice of jiu-jitsu informs her business strategy. The conversation emphasizes the need for more voices in tech and the value of embracing challenges.

Key Takeaways

• You never know where ideas will come from or when they will appear.
• Innovation should have a global impact and not be limited by localization.
• Women historically had a strong presence in tech, but numbers have declined.
• Female-founded tech companies receive only 1.8% of funding.

• Jiu-jitsu teaches valuable lessons about strategy and resilience.
• Embracing challenges can lead to personal and professional growth.

In this episode of Tech Bytes, Dan Hafner interviews Nick Garofalo, a financial advisor who shares his journey from a family business in software to personal financial planning. They discuss the challenges entrepreneurs face in managing finances, the importance of work-life balance, and how faith influences business decisions. Nick emphasizes the need for a strategic approach to financial planning, especially for small business owners, and the significance of contentment in both personal and professional life.

Takeaways

• Nick Garofalo transitioned from a family software business to financial advising.
• Entrepreneurs often lack a financial plan, leading to stress and overwhelm.
• Balancing business growth with personal life is a constant challenge.
• Contentment is crucial in both business and personal life.
• Faith plays a significant role in Nick's business decisions.
• Planning for financial stability is essential after selling a business.
• Many business owners face income gaps post-sale of their companies.
• It's important to focus on what truly matters in life and business.
• Nick's approach involves co-laboring with God in his business.
• Understanding financial metrics is key to sustainable growth.

In this episode of Tech Bytes, Dan Hafner interviews Tim O'Hearn, author of 'Framed: A Villain's Perspective on Social Media.' They discuss the impact of algorithms on emotions, the authenticity of social media content, and the implications of shadow banning. Tim shares insights from his experience in the tech industry, emphasizing the need for continuous verification and the importance of owning your audience through email marketing. The conversation highlights the challenges and future of social media in an AI-driven world.

With so many no-code tools available, it’s easy to get stuck in tool paralysis—spending more time researching than building. In this episode of The No-Code Advantage, we break down a simple framework to help you choose the best no-code tools for your project without getting overwhelmed.

What You’ll Learn:

✅ The 3-step framework for picking the right no-code tool

✅ The best no-code tools for different project types (apps, websites, automation, etc.)

✅ Common mistakes to avoid when selecting a no-code platform

✅ How to create a simple no-code stack for an MVP

Resources & Links:

In this episode of Tech Bytes, host Dan Hafner dives deep into the topic of confidence with special guest Scott Ballard, the Confidence Coach. Scott shares his inspiring journey from childhood struggles with dyslexia to becoming a successful entrepreneur and coach for top business leaders.

In this episode, we discuss:

• How courage and repetition build sustainable confidence
• Scott’s personal story of overcoming self-doubt and finding success
• Why entrepreneurs struggle with confidence, especially after failures
• How to reframe failure as a learning opportunity
• The importance of investing in yourself (and why most business owners don’t)
• How to identify and remove the "technical debt" in your mindset
• A powerful exercise to confront your biggest fear and shift your mindset

💡 Actionable Takeaway:
Scott challenges listeners to ask themselves: "What is my greatest fear?" and then uncover the truth behind it to gain clarity and confidence.

🚀 Resources & Links:

In this episode ofTech Bytes, Dan Hafner dives intoThe No Code Advantage—why shifting from aconsumer to acreator mindset is the key to success. He breaks down how tospot real problems,map out workflows, andpick the right no-code tools to build practical solutions. Instead of chasing perfection, he highlights the power of launching aminimum viable product (MVP) and improving it based on feedback. If you’ve been stuck in the idea phase, this episode will help you take action and start building.

Key Takeaways:

• Think like acreator, not just a consumer.
• The best ideassolve real pain points—not just add features.
• Keep it simple:Start with an MVP and iterate from there.
• Automation can streamline even the most complex tasks.
• Progress > Perfection—Don’t let overthinking slow you down.
• Tap intono-code communities to learn, share, and grow.
• No-code tools give youendless possibilities—use them wisely!

Tune in and startbuilding, not just dreaming! 🚀

In this episode of Tech Bytes, Dan Hafner explores the intersection of AI and business growth with guest Lillian Pearson. They discuss common misconceptions about AI, the role of AI agents, and the future of AI in business. Lillian shares insights on how startups can leverage AI for growth, the implications of AI-generated content, and the importance of strategic oversight in AI implementation. The conversation also touches on the evolving landscape of social media and the need for AI safety measures.

Takeaways:

Welcome to The No-Code Advantage! In this series, we’re breaking down how anyone can build apps, automate businesses, and launch startups without writing code.

In This Episode:

✅ What is No-Code? – A visual way to build software without programming.

✅ Why Now? – No-code is reshaping business, with 50-60% of software projected to be built this way by 2030.

✅ Who is No-Code For? – Founders, startups, agencies, and businesses looking to scale fast.

✅ Myths Debunked:

- No-code isn’t just for simple apps.

- You don’t have to switch to custom code later.

- You do need basic tech skills (but no coding required).

Free Resource: No-Code Starter Kit

In this episode of The No-Code Advantage, we sit down with AJ Jetha, CEO of Market Circle and creator of the Daylight app, to explore the journey from consulting to launching a scalable SaaS product. AJ shares insights on:

✅ How Daylight helps small businesses streamline CRM, project management, and productivity
✅ The mindset shift from trading hours for dollars to scalable product development
✅ Overcoming remote work challenges and building a productive team
✅ The importance of mental health for entrepreneurs—from journaling to morning routines

🚀 Plus, hear about the upcoming No-Code Advantage series and get AJ’s top strategies for building a sustainable, thriving business.

In this episode of the podcast, host Dan Hafner interviews Grady Teske, a seasoned expert with over 250 B2B tech launches under his belt. Grady shares invaluable insights on effective product launches, marketing strategies, and building sustainable distribution channels.

Key Points:

Distribution is King: Grady emphasizes the importance of building and owning distribution channels. He argues that focusing on distribution often leads to better product outcomes than obsessing over product perfection.

Consistent Launching: Rather than aiming for one perfect launch, Grady advocates for multiple, iterative launches. This approach allows for continuous learning and improvement.

Data Capture and Engagement: A crucial aspect of successful launches is capturing user data and maintaining ongoing communication with your audience. Grady stresses the importance of owning your user database.

Leveraging AI in Marketing: Grady discusses how AI can automate analytics, assist in content creation, and even manage aspects of marketing. He predicts the rise of client-specific AI agents in the near future.

Content Strategy: Creating high-quality, intent-driven content is vital. Grady advises using platforms like Reddit, Quora, and YouTube for long-tail SEO benefits and building authority.

Community Engagement: Utilizing community platforms like Product Hunt and partnering with influential community members can significantly amplify reach during launches.

Podcast Marketing: Grady highlights how podcast appearances can be effective for building authority and should be integrated with other marketing efforts.

In this episode, we discuss the impact of AI on software development and explore Dev Clarity's role in empowering development leaders.

• AI is significantly changing software development, but it's not replacing developers; rather, it's enhancing their productivity and impact
• Dev Clarity provides tools for development leaders to manage teams more effectively in the AI-driven landscape
• Prompt engineering and understanding AI tools are becoming crucial skills for developers
• Will predicts that in 10-20 years, 95%+ of code will involve some form of AI-assisted generation

• Will transitioned from a sole developer to CTO, leading a team of 35 developers over 7-8 years
• Dev Clarity was born from the challenges faced in scaling development teams and leadership
• The platform provides tools for development leaders, using AI to summarize meetings, extract insights, and track skills

• AI tools are seen as the next big productivity leap for software developers
• Will's team is conducting a 5-day experiment using only AI-generated code to identify and address "paper cuts" in the workflow
• AI integration in development is still in early stages, with significant room for growth in adoption and optimization

• Will predicts 95%+ of code will involve AI assistance in 10-20 years
• Developers who understand and leverage AI tools will be best positioned to increase their impact
• Legacy code systems will still require human developers with AI tool expertise

• Focuses on helping development leaders manage teams more effectively as individual developer impact increases
• Provides a system of record for development leaders, integrating with tools like Jira and Azure DevOps
• Uses AI to extract insights from one-on-ones, track skills, and improve management scalability

• Explore Dev Clarity at DevClarity.ai for those interested in development leadership tools
• Connect with Will Blackburn on LinkedIn for further discussions

Georgiana is strategic advisor, mentor, & speaker who's passionate about helping teams turn customer value into revenue-generating outcomes. Gia has been launching and building B2B and B2C brands online since 2000. In 2010, she began her track record as a marketing exec and product growth advisor working with successful high-growth recurring revenue startups, and never looked back.

🚀 Understanding Customer Led Growth

The show this week starts with a discussion about the importance of understanding customer needs through targeted research, which helps in making informed growth decisions rather than guessing.

Our conversation covers the significance of sending focused emails and tailored onboarding experiences, stressing that understanding customer needs avoids overwhelming them with irrelevant information.

Key Takeaways

Importance of Specialization

• Founders often resist specialization due to fear of limiting opportunities.
• Specializing involves saying yes to specific clients and no to others.
• Effective specialization can break the cycle of chaos and aid in achieving organized, scalable growth.

Steps to Specialize

1. Identify a vertical market aligning with personal and business values.
2. Perform a gut check: Ensure you genuinely care for your chosen industry.
3. Evaluate the market size to assess the true potential for success.

Benefits of Specialization

• Simplifies marketing efforts by defining clear areas of focus.
• Enhances reputation, making a brand more referable.
• Repetition in solving specific problems builds world-class expertise.
• Encourages more organized sales processes with less business chaos.

Long-term Impact

• Specializing clarifies marketing strategies and associations, leading to targeted and efficient outreach.
• Establishes the business's authority and credibility within the chosen market.
• Creates a competitive advantage by consistently delivering results in one market.

Next Steps For Agency Owners:

In this insightful podcast, Steve Wallace discusses effective sales strategies, the importance of relationship building, and the role of AI in sales. He shares personal experiences and practical advice for new sales reps, emphasizing that success comes from consistent effort and genuine interactions.

Dan Hafner and John Horn discuss effective strategies for growing SaaS businesses using Google and YouTube ads. Key points include the importance of budget, keyword targeting, and testing different ad creatives.

James Wilton is a renowned expert in SaaS pricing. He is the Founder and Managing Partner of Monevate, a consulting-firm focused on monetization for fast growing tech companies, and previously led McKinsey's pricing practice for startups.

Whether you are in the idea or startup phase of your SaaS, or you have an established product and are looking for insight on how to best alter your pricing or position your pricing, this is well worth a listen!

John is an entrepreneur at heart with a passion to build businesses, disrupt markets and help connect people for the greater good. A dynamic speaker and avid golfer with over two decades of experience solving complex problems.

Join us for this awesome conversation we had together discussing the current state and future of software development, startups and AI.

Juliette is a force of nature in the technology world. A seasoned entrepreneur with over six companies launched, her journey spans the evolution of software itself – from boxed products to the cloud and now, the cutting edge of AI. But Juliette's true passion lies in education, specifically tackling the critical issues of engagement and inclusion.

Jason Shafton is a 20+ year veteran in growth, where he built billion-dollar businesses at Google, Paramount, and DaVita and scaled startups like Headspace, Soothe, and Heal (acquired by Humana). At Google, he scaled the Google Ads platform and launched Google Music and Google Play. He also spent time leading marketing at Comedy Central, where he launched new seasons of South Park and The Daily Show as well as new franchises Broad City, Drunk History and Inside Amy Schumer.

In this episode, we dive deep into the world of growth marketing with industry expert Jason Shaftin, founder of Winston Francois. Jason shares his journey from working at major companies like Google and Headspace to launching his own successful growth consultancy.

With a decade of hands-on experience gleaned from prestigious tech giants like Postman Labs, ThoughtWorks, Gojek, and NuBank, Vijay brings a wealth of expertise to every company he works with.

His consulting firm specializes in providing tailored solutions that address the unique challenges faced by tech companies.

In this episode, we talked about:

• The "democratization of big tech engineering practices"
• What is a "scale-up" vs. a "start-up"
• How to build a world-class software team

Donnie Boivin serves as the CEO of Success Champion Networking and is the Founder of the Badass Business Summit, He is a top podcaster and 5 time best selling author.

Our interview is filled with many great tips and wisdom on how to make the most of networking opportunities, and why you should continue to make this a vital part of your business growth strategy.

Dagna is an Engineer turned Career Coach for Engineers. Coding for over 10 years and coaching for the past 4+ years, she’s the tough love "been in your shoes" kinda Coach.

Join us for a fascinating conversation around self-reflection, soft skills and delving into your own habits and mind as a software engineer.

We all know that video content is king in this day and age, and it's no exception when it comes to marketing your SaaS or app.

Mark Wonderlin from Mosaic Media Films joins me to talk about:

• What 3 types of videos should you have at a minimum to promote your tech product
• Using video to finally get people to understand what you do
• How to create the perfect Video funnel
• And plenty more!

Jeremy B. Shapiro is a serial entrepreneur with a focus on software as a service (SaaS), technology, and information marketing.

Since 1998, Jeremy has been helping entrepreneurs discover the core strengths in themselves and their business, and realize their true potential combining passion and expertise to grow their businesses and attain the freedom they deserve.

Check out all the resources below Jeremy was kind enough to provide!

Tina teaches creators how to automate their traffic, income, and content, leveraging email marketing, and affiliate marketing using no code tools.

In this must-listen episode of Tech Bytes, we dive into the crucial world of cybersecurity with the insightful Terry Ziemniak at the helm. As small businesses and startups become increasingly digital, the need for robust cybersecurity measures has never been more critical. Terry, with his extensive background in safeguarding digital realms, breaks down complex security concepts into bite-sized, actionable advice that even the least tech-savvy among us can implement.

From understanding the most common threats lurking in the digital shadows to establishing a culture of security within your team, we cover the A to Z of keeping your digital assets safe. Terry shares his top tips for small businesses looking to fortify their defenses without breaking the bank, highlighting affordable tools and practices that can make a big difference.

Whether you're a tech wizard or just starting to navigate the digital landscape, this episode is packed with valuable insights to help you stay one step ahead of cyber threats. Tune in to empower your business with the knowledge and tools needed to build a secure digital foundation.

This is an episode I have been wanting to do for a VERY LONG TIME. One of the most common questions I get as a no-code developer is "Is no-code the right approach for me and my idea?"

If you're in the beginning stages of launching your idea or thinking about a no-code platform to build your app, THIS IS THE SHOW FOR YOU.

Alex & Jesse founded PodMatch, a podcast matching and directory tool, using Bubble.io, but have since migrated their application to a custom coded solution. This is an evolution that I have been able to witness for most of the journey, and it is such a great example for anyone out there considering these options.

If you're torn between code or no-code, LISTEN. If you're nervous about launching something new, LISTEN. If you want to avoid roadblocks, LISTEN.

Kelsey Gilbert-Kreiling is a web designer, author, and entrepreneur passionate about transforming digital landscapes. With over 800 Squarespace websites under her belt through her agency, Week of the Website, she's a trailblazer in the tech industry. Kelsey's book, Squarespace from Signup to Launch, makes web design approachable at any stage of understanding. Her unique journey challenges conventional notions of balance as a mother, entrepreneur, and author.

In 2018, Darryl started hosting music collaboration showcases for musicians in Washington D.C. and Atlanta, where he'd pair them up and give them time to create a new song from scratch. With the popularity of these showcases he decided to open a co-working space for musicians called Bass Parlour Studios.

John Chan is an entrepreneur with a passion for user experience design and a wide range of interests that make him a true polymath. At the young age of 19, John dropped out of university to start his own web design consultancy, which led him to work for companies like UBC and Basecamp before fully transitioning into entrepreneurship.

Nick is a great friend and mentor of mine and I'm honored to finally have him on the show.

Leanne Linsky, comedian turned entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of the new online comedy club, Plauzzable (https://plauzzable.com). She's serious about comedy and democratizing the industry with live online stand-up comedy shows, open mics, and podcasts so artists can get paid.

Cathlene embodies a life full of positivity, cherishing her roles as a mom, wife, and grandmother to three amazing granddaughters. She was a stay-at-home mom for over 20 years, dedicating herself to her family while also investing to grow financially and in her health. From personal experiences, she is an advocate for keeping kids safe online, recognizing the importance of protecting children in the digital age, leading her to be the Co-founder and CEO of 2 tech startup companies.

This was such an insightful and fun interview - and for those of you with children - a must listen!

Meet Sara Avalos: Transforming Healthcare through Innovation and Empathy