Rephonic
Artwork for The Difference Engine

The Difference Engine | B2B Category Design | Private Equity | Venture Capital

Categorical
Artificial Intelligence
Category Design
Venture Capital
Regulation
Nvidia
Private Equity
Cybersecurity
Defence Tech
Category Leadership
Electric Vehicles
Age Verification
Salesforce
GDPR
Ukraine
European Defence
Europe
Google
Quantum Technology
Entrepreneurship
Vibe Chasm

The Difference Engine helps founders and funders maximise business growth through category design. Hosted by two British northerners with decades of experience in launching, managing, and marketing disruptive tech companies. Paul Maher and Jonathan Simnett have been there, done it and thrown away the slogan t-shirts - now they'll help you become a category king. The Difference Engine - Disrupting ... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes84Founded3 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessNewsTech News

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for The Difference Engine

Latest Episodes

Great products don't break markets. Great Category strikes do.

In this episode, we break down the 2026 playbook for orchestrating a coordinated launch across events, paid media, earned media, analyst relations, influencers and more. We’ll teach you... more

YouTube

In the midst of record AI investment, soaring valuations, and relentless hype, a growing question is emerging: are we witnessing a technological revolution or an AI bubble? We explore the warning signs that have preceded past market fallouts, from in... more

YouTube

Meta doesn't want you to read this book. Yet despite its efforts to suppress it, Sarah Wynn-Williams' Careless People has become one of the most talked-about books in tech. Is it a landmark insider account of how Meta built one of the world's most po... more

YouTube

In this episode, we return to The Vibe Chasm, the growing gap that appears when AI-fuelled, solo-founder speed collides with the messy realities of scaling Category leading companies. The winners of the next decade will not be those who use AI the fa... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Today in Focus
Today in FocusThe Guardian
The Daily
The DailyThe New York Times

Recent Guests

Roman Stanek
CEO of GoodData; European entrepreneur who built and sold multiple companies
GoodData
Episode: 79. Roman Stanek: "Assume the worst scenario and then double it, and then double it again"
David Friend
Founder of ARP; later CEO of Wasabi and Carbonite, instrumental in data storage and software innovation
Wasabi Technologies; Carbonite; ARP Instruments
Episode: 74. David Friend: From Synth Legend to Cloud Storage King
Cristina Caffarra
Antitrust economist and founder of EuroStack
EuroStack
Episode: 69. Christina Caffarra: The biggest issue facing European tech
Colin Tenwick
Non-executive chair investor with extensive experience in tech leadership and transformation
Episode: 65. Colin Tenwick: Mastering the Art of Reinvention
Ben Richmond
Founder of Cube and a leading figure in RegTech
Cube
Episode: 62. A Founder's Journey: From Cornish Roots to Global RegTech Rockstar | Ben Richmond
Rupert Jones
Former British Army Major General, expert in Defence Tech and military leadership
Episode: 61. Rupert Jones: A Major General's guide to Defence Tech
Phil Robinson
Cofounder of Boardwave and an influential figure in the European tech scene
Boardwave
Episode: 60. Boardwave Live 2025 Review
Laura Hill
CEO of Go Henry
Go Henry
Episode: 60. Boardwave Live 2025 Review
Vivian Chan
Speaker at Boardwave Live focusing on AI and deep tech
Episode: 60. Boardwave Live 2025 Review

Hosts

Paul Maher
Host of The Difference Engine; specializes in category design, tech strategy, and market creation.
Jonathan Simnett
Co-host; focus on category design, tech strategy, and market implications in enterprise tech.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 16 ratings
  • Great!

    Brilliant and informative

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    HatCar
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • John Wilkins

    This is a great listen. Thought provoking on my commute to my job at a stressful bank.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Frankie2469
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • This is a gem

    Refreshingly British angle on all things business on both sides of the pond. Feel entertained whilst learning a lot from a couple of seemingly very credible minds!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ricky101212
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Love the newest episode - High speed fail

    Best UK tech news show I’ve heard!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    jeffyboob
    United Kingdom3 years ago
  • Love these two

    Great presenters. Great rapport. Think these guys give great advice and don’t hold back.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Sampasfor
    United Kingdom3 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thought-provoking, with practical frameworks for category leadership in B2B tech.
Engaging hosts with deep experience in tech strategy and category design.
Insightful take on how AI and policy intersect with business strategy and growth.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

69. Christina Caffarra: The biggest issue facing European tech
Q: What does EuroStack believe is the solution to bringing Europe forward in technology?
EuroStack views itself as a movement for practical action: mobilize business and tech leaders, create a European tech value chain, encourage demand-driven market development, and push for procurement and private investment strategies to build a self-sustaining European tech ecosystem.
69. Christina Caffarra: The biggest issue facing European tech
Q: Cristina, thanks for joining us. Could you give us a little background on EuroStack and yourself, please?
Cristina explains her long career in antitrust and regulation, how that shaped a critical view of European tech policy, and how EuroStack emerged as a movement of CEOs and tech leaders aiming to push for a holistic European infrastructure stack rather than relying on regulation alone.
74. David Friend: From Synth Legend to Cloud Storage King
Q: How did your early career in music technology influence your approach to building and selling software later on?
The transition taught him to think like a conductor, aligning engineering, sales, and marketing around a clear, customer-centric vision; he learned to delegate and focus on the unique value he could bring, especially in selling and storytelling to drive adoption.
56. Interview with Sean Williams: How I built a new AI category
Q: Can you talk about your strategy in expanding the business and serving companies that are outside of just the UK?
We go to things like Construction Week and are members of lobbying groups in London and Washington to talk at events and publish thought leadership.
56. Interview with Sean Williams: How I built a new AI category
Q: What are some of the most unexpected lessons you've learned since launching and scaling AutogenAI and have they been different from your previous journey of founding, scaling and exiting Corndel?
One of the big lessons at AutogenAI is just how dynamic you need to be because of how fast we're growing, but of course, because of how fast artificial intelligence is moving.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Difference Engine

What is The Difference Engine about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show targets B2B technology leaders and funders, frequently exploring how category design can unlock growth and create durable market leadership. Episodes often tackle AI deployments, governance, regulatory dynamics, European tech policy, and the evolving role of venture capital in shaping disruptive tech ecosystems. Noteworthy angles include open standards, sovereign AI initiatives, and practical go-to-market strategies for AI-native businesses, all delivered with a candid, founder-focused perspective. Listeners are likely attracted to rigorous strategic thinking, category-centric marketing, and insights from both startup and PE/VC worlds, with an emphasis on Europe's tech sovereignty and global competitive dynamics.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Difference Engine?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Difference Engine. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Difference Engine and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Difference Engine get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Difference Engine, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for The Difference Engine?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Difference Engine, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Difference Engine have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Difference Engine has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Difference Engine?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Difference Engine:

1. The News Agents
2. The Rest Is Politics: US
3. Today in Focus
4. The Daily

How many episodes of The Difference Engine are there?

The Difference Engine launched 3 years ago and published 84 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Difference Engine?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Difference Engine?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Difference Engine from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Difference Engine?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Difference Engine. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Difference Engine?

Recent guests on The Difference Engine include:

1. Roman Stanek
2. David Friend
3. Cristina Caffarra
4. Colin Tenwick
5. Ben Richmond
6. Rupert Jones
7. Phil Robinson
8. Laura Hill

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days