It's no secret that starting, running, and growing a new business is hard work. That's especially true for non-technical founders starting tech companies!

Non-technical founders face unique hurdles in building their businesses, like managing technical teams while navigating their own knowledge gaps and managing budgets, deadlines, and expectations. Despite these challenges, more and more non-technical folks are taking on the role of founder and shaking up multiple industries by defying the conventions of who a founder can be.

Collette Revere, founder of Open360™, exemplifies how non-technical founders can succeed in the tech industry. Revere has spent over a decade passionately working to help leaders and organizations create effective, comprehensive systems for people and performance built on transparency, respect, and partnership. Her two companies, Open360™ and 8Kind Co., are shaping the future of work by taking a people-first approach to managing performance.

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In a recent conversation, Revere shared some tips that have been integral in her founder journey. These insights will help other non-technical founders navigate the complexities of building a tech company while also building a brand that customers care to engage with.

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Talk to Your Customers, Always

Many early-stage founders fall victim to believing they know best and fail to acknowledge customer feedback. There's a lot of ego in building a business, and a fear of negative feedback can hold some founders back. After all, no one wants to hear that their idea isn't working! But Revere poses another solution: "Don’t stop connecting with your customers."

She shared, "[Find] out what they need, what they like about your product, and what they want to see [done differently]. Because it’s always going to be a little different from before or how you’re seeing it."

Engaging with customers consistently helps you understand their needs, gather feedback, and build lasting relationships. This communication is crucial for customer retention and product innovation. Your customers should feel seen, heard, and understood by your brand so they can trust you and your services. When you conduct customer surveys and interviews, you can develop a brand that helps you speak to your customers' wants, needs, pain points, and misunderstandings and build meaningful connections with them.

Ask for Support

Building a business is incredibly lonely. Add the fact that you may be new to a given industry or feel like an outsider as a non-tech founder and that loneliness multiplies! Building a supportive community around you, your brand, and your business can help you grow and gain new perspectives on your business. This support will help you anticipate challenges before they arise and navigate them when they inevitably do.

However, the stark reality of building a support system is you have to be willing to be vulnerable and share what you're working on. Many founders feel a sense of "ick" when it comes to talking about what they do. They may suffer from imposter syndrome or have resistance to admitting uncertainties. But it's important to remember that everyone else is often too busy with their own life to think about you. It's a harsh reality, but a liberating one that enables many founders to share their work more candidly.

Revere reminds us, "There's lots of support...I have multiple mentors and I have so many people who have contributed in so many different ways to help build and support my business. There are people out there waiting to do that for you, you just have to seek it out."

Work with Brand Experts

Many founders (technical and non-technical alike!) are hesitant to outsource branding and marketing for fear of wasting resources and losing control. They may be operating on a tight budget and pouring their limited budget into product development or other operational areas. Those areas are essential for any organization. However, when you elevate your brand, you elevate every part of your business.

Working with a brand agency backed by strategy, you'll be able to build brand consistency in all touch points—from messaging to visual identity—so you can build trust with your customers and authority in your industry. And while many founders find the branding process deeply personal (it is!) outsourcing that personal story to a brand professional can help them clearly convey the right story to the right people in an authentic way.

Revere recommends that founders outsource what they don't know so they can focus their strengths on more suitable business functions. When asked about her experience working with Strange Salt to build the Open360 brand, Revere shared, "[Working with a brand agency] was a load off of me...I can show up and give what I have but I don't have to be the expert here. I think that's hard for any entrepreneur—you're shoved into the space where you have to be the expert on everything—even if you're not—you have to figure it out...Once I got to work with [Strange Salt] and trust you, I got to relax around it and go, 'Okay I can just be a passenger on this train and I don't need to grab the wheel.'"

Get to Know Open360

Starting a company may not be easy, but with the right strategies and support, success is possible. Collette Revere's journey with Open360™ and 8KindCo. illustrates how embracing customer feedback, building a support system, and working with experts can transform a business's challenges into vast opportunities.

If you're inspired by this conversation and want to learn more about Collette Revere, listen to the first episode of The Strange Salt Sessions, exclusively on LinkedIn. And be sure to explore how Open360™ and 8KindCo. are revolutionizing 360 reviews by connecting with Collette Revere.

Get Brand Support for Your Business

Ready to take your brand to the next level? Strange Salt specializes in crafting brands for businesses that dare to challenge the status quo. Contact us to learn how we can support your journey to building a brand that stands out.

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