If you are non-technical and are passionate about getting involved in the tech world, being non-technical should not deter you from following that passion. Some of the most successful and known founders were non-technical, including Steve Jobs (Apple), Brian Chesky (AirBnb), and Evan Thomas Spiegel (Snapchat). As a non-technical founder, I have learned and now pass on the knowledge of recruiting the right team, understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and having a solid vision, which are all key components for non-technical founders. Those qualities make non-technical founders just as unique and able to build a successful tech company as a technical founder.

When we think of tech, most people will think of the introverted developers who are sitting at their computer with their headphones in and coding away in a zoned-out state. In reality, tech companies consist of way more than just the developer. It takes an entire team with different skills to build a great company. Those positions range from coders to designers, marketing, business sales, and so much more.

Most startups focus on getting an investment from a VC (venture capitalist) or angel investor in order to start (pre-seed) or grow (seed and beyond) their venture. However, getting investment dollars is not the right path for everyone, and unfortunately, many don't always fully understand the pros and cons of raising money. The reality is that for every investment a company takes, the company becomes less and less controlled by the founder or founding team.

The power of bootstrapping is often overlooked and underestimated. With the understanding that bootstrapping is challenging for some because the founder is already financially strapped or without a network or "family and friends." However, bootstrapping is more realistic for everyone in today's digital world and access to AI tools.

Sheena Allen has experience with both. She bootstrapped her first startup, Sheena Allen Apps, to generate revenue and millions of app downloads. In contrast, she raised three rounds of funding for her second startup, CapWay. With her experience, Sheena can attest to the pros and cons of each side.

Key lessons from this talk include:

• The reality behind raising money is less control, pressure to get returns, etc.

• Other ways of raising funds outside of traditional venture capitalists 

• How to bootstrap as long as you can

• Acknowledging if VC dollars are right for your business or is bootstrapping a more ideal pathDescription text goes here

Women and minorities are still fighting to be respected in the tech world. For a culture that has been dominated by the “bro-code” of mainly white men, having diversity in the room is becoming more and more of a demand, with numbers showing that more diverse teams are more successful. From lack of respect to lack of funding, being a minority in tech has been an uphill battle. Though small victories have been won, there is still a long way to go. 

Sheena often has spoken about walking in rooms and realizing she has three strikes against her. She’s black, she’s a female, and she’s from Mississippi, a place a lot of the rest of the world think consists of only racists and poorly educated minorities. If three strikes you’re out is supposed to be the standard, when speaking on women and minorities in tech, Sheena talks motivate, provides resources, and provides a guide on how being a woman and minority in tech breaks the standard.