97. How I built Make Love Not Porn - with Cindy Gallop

Tech for Non-Techies

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:

• "You don't have to be a tech person to build something absolutely phenomenal in tech," says Cindy. Instead, you need a strong vision, the right team and the determination to keep going.
• "You do not need a technical co-founder from the beginning." In fact, delegating your vision to the tech person simply because they are a coder and you are not, can be very damaging. Instead, get people to help you build your vision, and good CTOs and co-founders will find you.
• "Do interesting things, and interesting things will happen to you."
• "Too many people make the mistake that a job is a safe option. It's not. In a job you are at the complete mercy of management changes, industry downturns and market dynamics. Whose hands would you rather place your future in: those of a large corporate entity, or someone who will always have your best interests at heart, i.e. you?"

Tech for Non-Technical Founders

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• In person in London, 10 May 2022
• Live on Zoom, 14 May 2022

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