Seven thought leaders every tech founder should have on their radar for 2023

We all have that person who inspires us and makes us think differently about the work we do and the people we are. 

These thought leaders and their journeys act as a blueprint for how to approach all manner of challenges.

There’s no one archetype and no magic formula—thought leaders come in all shapes and sizes. For every Jobs or Thunberg, there are thousands of unique thinkers on their way up who'll challenge your worldview or help shape your approach.

We’ve rounded up a selection of figures every tech founder should have on their radar.

1 · Kara Swisher: The Challenger

If there was a Mount Rushmore for tech journalists, Kara Swisher would be one of the faces. A writer for The New York Times, Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, Swisher’s been covering Silicon Valley since the mid-90s. Kara’s had the likes of Bill Gates, Brian Chesky, and Tim Cook as guests on her podcast, and even appeared as herself in HBO’s hit series Silicon Valley. 

Why should you follow

Swisher speaks to the biggest names in tech, asks the toughest questions, and covers the biggest stories—and we follow her because not only does she provide the insight every tech founder needs to know, she’s also a thought leader at the peak of her powers. Her no-bullsh*t approach and ability to speak truth to power are inspo for anyone in tech leadership who wants to keep it real.  

2 · Scott Galloway: The Professor

Professor, public speaker, and Kaya Swisher’s Pivot Podcast co-host, Scott Galloway is a critical marketing thinker that every founder and marketer should be following. We love his weekly blog, covering subjects ranging from NFTs, and predictions on ‘The Four’ tech horsemen of the apocalypse to unpicking the entrepreneur narrative.

Why you should follow

Galloway’s delivery is like that of a hardened stand-up comedian (there’s always a punch line) but he backs it up with seasoned insight and hard-won experience. His disruptive thinking is reason enough to follow, but his bold bets on future trends - and his willingness to look back on his own predictions and hold his hands up when they don’t land - makes Galloway a must-follow thought leader.

3 · Mark Suster: The Investor

Ever wondered where to sit during an investor pitch? Or how to cold-pitch a VC? Or how what investors are looking for in the pitch deck, and in what order? Entrepreneur and venture capitalist Mark Suster’s the man on the inside who can help answer all your early-stage questions.

Why you should follow

Suster’s granular understanding of every aspect of growing a tech company and what investors look for is a goldmine for aspiring founders. What’s even better is that he masterfully communicates his knowledge, going beyond the usual VC blog post to share bite-sized nuggets across Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat—making him a shoo-in for our list. 

4 · Noel Mack: The Brand Builder 

While not strictly a technology company, Gymshark—and Chief Branding Officer Noel Mack—are worthy of a mention on our list. The gym wear company used growth hacking to build their company, and while not everything they try works—for every great stunt, Mack readily admits there are several that don’t fly—the ones that do are BIG hitters.

Why you should follow

Mack is the key figure behind the brand's disruptive viral marketing, and he rewards followers with access to his thought process and life behind the scenes at Gymshark. It's guaranteed to inspire new ways of thinking about growth marketing and harnessing the power of social and community to scale your start-up. 

5 · Rahul Vohra: The Serial Entrepreneur

Next up we have Rahul Vohra. Not content with launching and then selling the excellent email extension Rapportive to LinkedIn, Vohra went on to launch his own fund (Todd & Rahul’s Angel Fund - hey, it does what is says on the tin) and co-found Superhuman—the email client that'll make you feel like you're working with actual superpowers. Pow, take that unread emails! 

Why you should follow

Vohra's writing is always on the money—check out his step-by-step teardown on how to find product market fit which is THE most read blog on product market fit in the world. We also love his advice on how to define company culture and his musings on the various methodologies behind Superhuman’s success - all captured in the Superhuman newsletter. And if that's not enough, the Superhuman blog is packed with advice for professionals, going well beyond the usual company fare of pumping a product. Super humans indeed.

6 · Daphne Koller: The Rethinker

When you Google Daphne Koller, you can’t help but be inspired by her achievements. She graduated with a master’s degree in Computing from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem at 18 and went on to become the Professor Emeritus of Computing at Stanford. Now the Founder of Insitro, Daphne’s career can be summarised as rethinking traditional ways of doing things. Whether that’s in encouraging universities to share free online courses, or pioineering drug development using machine learning.

Why you should follow

Koller has a knack of delivering the most complex ideas in an easy to understand way. And she’s incredibly humble, so any preconceived notions you have of thought leadership requiring a massive ego can be laid to rest. To be a thought leader is to share knowledge, and there’s no-one better at this than Daphne Koller. 

7 · Theresa Sue: The New Media Maven

Theresa Sue is a thought leader who’s built her audience through the medium of TikTok. She’s the founder of The Tech Firm and Co - they’re all about providing IT products and services that enterprises need to remain competitive with their employees and customers. Pretty important stuff.

Why you should follow

If you are looking for snackable insight into how to grow and nurture your team or progress your career in tech from the ground up, get on TikTok and follow Theresa Sue. She shares her experience and advice candidly for the benefit of the whole tech community - and in a way that is quick and easy to digest.