260. How non-techies succeed in tech: lessons from Microsoft’s CTO

Tech for Non-Techies

What does it really take to lead in tech without a technical degree?

In this episode, Jennifer Byrne, former CTO of Microsoft US, shares how she built a top-tier tech career starting with a psychology degree — and why understanding context, not code, is your key to success.

You’ll learn:

• How Jennifer transitioned from nonprofit work to tech leadership

• The difference between digital fluency and context (and why it matters)

• What cloud computing really is — minus the jargon

• How Microsoft handled global trust issues post-Snowden

• What CTOs actually do at big companies (hint: it’s not coding)

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or business leader, this episode will help you think more strategically about tech — and your role in it.

Chapters

00:00 – Why this episode still matters

02:30 – Jennifer’s path from psychology to tech

08:55 – Cybersecurity and the WikiLeaks era

14:40 – What cloud computing really is

25:25 – Digital context vs. fluency explained

35:45 – What a CTO actually does in big tech

Growth Through Innovation

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Our workshops and innovation strategies have helped Constellation Brands, the Royal Bank of Canada and Oxford University.

For the full transcript, go to https://www.techfornontechies.co/blog/260-how-non-techies-succeed-in-tech-lessons-from-microsoft-s-cto