In this episode of The People Teaching People Podcast, I am joined by Paisley Churchill.

Paisley is one of my incredible clients – and when I say ‘incredible,’ I truly mean it. We started working together this fall to create an online, self-directed course. From the start, Paisley impressed me with her deep knowledge, diverse and rich life experiences, and her warm, engaging personality. She’s not only fun to work with, but her commitment to crafting a high-impact learning experience for her students is unparalleled. What’s more, Paisley’s work ethic is second to none. As with all of my clients, I’ve learned so much from her throughout this process. It’s been an absolute pleasure collaborating with Paisley!

Paisley Churchill has worked with hundreds of companies, from startups to established businesses, helping them bring their software visions to life. With experience in economic development, supporting a $100M fund, and launching over 30 custom software projects, Paisley has seen firsthand how costly mistakes happen when founders don’t know what they don’t know. Drawing on her extensive background in custom software development, consulting, and entrepreneurship, Paisley founded The Tech Translator to empower non-technical founders and business leaders.

Through The Tech Translator, Paisley offers comprehensive courses designed to break down the software development process. These courses help participants reduce frustrations, avoid costly missteps, and confidently lead their projects from concept to completion. By demystifying the development journey, founders will be equipped with the knowledge and tools to collaborate more effectively with their tech teams and bring their software ideas to life.

The curriculum covers essential tech terms, software development methodologies, monetization strategies, and effective communication techniques. It also provides a structured framework for creating a product map, enabling participants to communicate their needs clearly with their development teams. By bridging the gap between business vision and technical execution, Paisley helps founders save time, money, and headaches, ensuring their product visions come to life smoothly and successfully.

Listen in as we talk about:

03:49 Paisley’s journey into tech

06:59 Bridging the tech knowledge gap

10:40 Challenges for non-technical founders

14:02 Bringing software to life for learners

22:00 The key building blocks of software development

25:33 The real cost of app development

29:21 Turning your app idea into reality

33:00 Tech myths and misconceptions

35:56 Learning beyond the classroom

39:00 Perseverance pays off

40:20 Paisley answers some rapid-fire questions

45:10 The power of bite-sized learning

Connect with Paisley:

• 
  
• Website: https://www.techtranslator.ca/
  
• LinkedIn: 
  
  • 
    
  • Paisley Churchill
    
  • The Tech Translator
    
  
  
  
• Instagram: @the_tech_translator
  

Connect with Tiana:

• 
  
• Website: https://tianafech.com
  
• LinkedIn: Tiana Fech
  
• Instagram: @tianafech 
  
• Facebook: @tianafech 
  
• Book: Online Course Creation 101: A step-by-step guide to creating your first online course 
  

Paisley’s journey into the tech world began with a love for business that took root during her university years. She joined social entrepreneurship clubs and quickly became fascinated by how businesses work, from understanding markets to crafting the right product. This early passion eventually led her to work with a variety of tech companies, helping them bring strategy and product development together. She also played a key role in Calgary’s economic development, helping to position the city as a tech hub. While Paisley didn’t initially see herself as a “tech” person, she recognized that a strong business foundation rather than technical expertise alone was key to succeeding in the digital age. Her career evolved from startups to consulting, where she now helps entrepreneurs and companies build and refine their products. For Paisley, the key to thriving in tech lies in combining business savvy with an understanding of how technology can transform ideas into reality.

Paisley noticed a significant gap in the resources available to non-technical founders navigating the software development process. Having worked in custom software and with startups, she heard countless stories of entrepreneurs losing money or facing delays due to poor communication or misunderstanding of the software development process. Despite the wealth of business resources teaching how to start a company or market a product, there seemed to be little support for the crucial middle step: bringing a tech product to life. This realization sparked Paisley to create learning experiences that empower non-technical founders with the knowledge they need to manage their software development projects effectively without getting overwhelmed by coding or falling for misleading shortcuts. Her goal is to equip founders with practical, realistic tools to build their products, without falling into the trap of “get rich quick” promises. For non-technical founders, understanding the product development process is key – not to build code, but to manage and guide the creation of their tech products successfully.

Paisley highlights a common mistake among non-technical founders: they often place too much trust in their development teams, assuming that tech is beyond their understanding. While developers are experts in coding, they aren’t experts in how the business needs to function. This misalignment can lead to costly issues, such as budget overruns and miscommunication. Founders sometimes skip the crucial step of understanding the basics of software development, leaving them vulnerable to scope creep and unexpected costs. One key thing Paisley wishes all non-technical founders knew is the importance of understanding how data flows between platforms. This knowledge helps them make informed decisions about what changes are feasible and how to communicate their needs clearly to their development team. For non-technical founders, having a basic understanding of how software works and how data is exchanged can make a world of difference in managing projects successfully and avoiding costly mistakes.

Paisley’s passion for teaching shines through as she reflects on how her own journey has shaped the way she helps others understand the complexities of software development. She aims to demystify technical concepts by breaking them down into real-world, relatable examples, from Facebook to home-building metaphors, making these ideas accessible for non-technical learners. Her course doesn’t just focus on definitions; it’s about showing how foundational knowledge, like the difference between front end and back end, impacts decision-making and saves money in the long run. Through a hands-on approach, learners apply these concepts to their own projects, creating an engaging, practical experience. By walking through the entire process and emphasizing reflection and real-world application, Paisley ensures that students don’t just learn theory, they understand how to use it in their own work. The best way to learn is by doing. Applying what you learn to real-life situations not only solidifies your understanding, but also helps you see the value of complex concepts in action.

Paisley emphasizes the importance of understanding the foundational concepts of software development, such as front end, back end, server, and  hosting. These may seem basic, but they serve as the building blocks that will shape how your product functions in the future. She also highlights a crucial point: software development is far more complex than it appears. While apps seem seamless on the surface, there’s a lot of behind-the-scenes work by skilled professionals, which is often why software quotes can feel high. Paisley’s course helps founders recognize this complexity and build empathy for the development process. By focusing on both technical knowledge and the human side of development, founders gain a deeper understanding of why things are harder than they seem and why it’s important to account for these challenges when making decisions. Building software is harder than it looks, and understanding its complexities can help founders make more informed decisions and develop empathy for the people making it happen.

When it comes to app development, the question of cost can be tricky. Paisley compares it to building a house. There are so many factors at play. To develop something of quality, expect to invest at least $100,000, and for something more complex, it could go up to $500,000. While you can build cheaper apps using templates, true innovation and integration come with a higher price tag. Beyond development costs, there are ongoing expenses for maintenance and necessary updates, which could easily add up to 20% of your initial budget every year. And don’t forget that bugs are inevitable. Software will break, and you’ll need to pay for fixes, even if they weren’t part of the original plan. Being aware of these realities upfront can help prevent sticker shock and set more realistic expectations for what’s involved in bringing your app idea to life. Be prepared for ongoing costs and maintenance when developing an app. It’s more than just building it; it’s about long-term care and realistic expectations.

Feeling overwhelmed with your app idea? The first step to moving forward is to get super clear on every detail – how each feature will work, what flows are necessary, how the reporting system should look, and even the kind of notifications and integrations you’ll need. Paisley emphasizes the importance of sketching it all out and then revisiting the plan after a couple of weeks, talking to customers, and refining it. The key is to thoroughly understand your app’s needs before even talking to a developer. By doing this work upfront, you’ll avoid surprise costs later and ensure that your vision is clear before you get quotes. This foundational work, as taught in Paisley’s course, isn’t about learning a checklist. It’s about learning the framework and mindset that will help you make informed decisions, set realistic expectations, and avoid those nasty budget-busting change orders. The more detailed your planning is before you even approach developers, the more likely you are to avoid surprises and save money later on.

In the tech world, there’s a common misconception that you need to be highly technical or have a big tech team to bring your app idea to life. But Paisley emphasizes that the real magic happens in the product side: understanding your client’s needs, mapping out the user journey, and articulating your vision clearly. The tech team is there to execute your ideas, not necessarily to shape them. Her course empowers entrepreneurs to tackle these softer, strategic aspects themselves, helping them approach developers with confidence. Sometimes, though, the best lesson is realizing that you don’t need to build everything yourself. Many SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions can provide exactly what you need, saving time, money, and headaches. You don’t always need to build from scratch. Understanding your vision and knowing when to leverage existing solutions can save you a lot of effort and cost.

Paisley’s most impactful teacher isn’t someone from her business world, but her jiu-jitsu coach, Diana. Three years ago, Paisley joined a women-only jiu-jitsu class, despite having no athletic background. What drew her in was Diana’s ability to create a welcoming and empowering community for women of all skill levels. Diana’s teaching style is highly strategic and personalized, meeting each person where they are, while maintaining a steady pace of learning that’s easy to absorb. For Paisley, this experience is a reminder that learning isn’t just about mastering technical skills, it’s also about creating an environment where people feel supported and motivated to grow. Whether in business or jiu-jitsu, creating a community-focused, supportive learning environment can make all the difference in someone’s growth and confidence.

“What sets someone apart from somebody who’s doing amazing things and somebody who’s not, is the fact that the person that’s doing the great things didn’t quit.”

When Paisley looks back on her journey, what she’s most proud of is simply not giving up. While there have been many challenges along the way, the key to her success has been persistence. She’s learned that the difference between those who achieve their goals and those who don’t often comes down to the ability to keep going, no matter how tough things get. Whether launching her course, working on her startup, or navigating the world of custom software, the obstacles haven’t stopped her. They’ve built the foundation for everything she knows now. For Paisley, it’s not about one big victory but about the cumulative power of perseverance through hard times. Success is built on resilience. Keep going, even when it feels hard, and all the lessons along the way will come together to shape your bigger picture.

What is something that you would love to learn about or something that you would love to learn how to do?

• 
  
• How to paint on a canvas
  

What is a book, podcast, movie, or TV show that you’ve enjoyed recently and learned something from?

• 
  
• Movie: Wicked
  
• Book: How to ADHD – An Insiders Guide to Working with Your Brain – Not Against It by Jessica McCabe
  

If you could sit down and have a conversation with someone that you would love to learn from, who would it be?

• 
  
• Taylor Swift
  

Paisley shares a piece of wisdom that anyone on a learning journey can benefit from: don’t let the big picture overwhelm you. Whether you’re diving into tech, business, or any other field, take it one bite at a time. Small, consistent learning moments like reading short articles, following experts, or Googling something that sparks your interest, can add up to huge progress. These micro-learning moments make it easier to tackle bigger tasks like reading a book or taking a course. The key is to start, keep going, and let each small step build on the last. Break down big goals into smaller steps, and embrace the process of gradual learning. Over time, those small actions will lead to meaningful progress.

——————————-

Today’s episode is produced by VOLT Productions, a full-service podcast production agency helping creators and entrepreneurs launch, grow and monetize their shows. You can learn more about the agency’s founder Simona, their work and their team by going to www.voltproductions.co.