Explaining Tech to My Mom (and My CEO)

Introduction

On our RegEx Podcast, Noah and I often talk about making the complex simple. Whether it is AI, cloud platforms, or new product architectures, the biggest breakthroughs do not come from clever code. They come from shared understanding. If your CEO or your mom cannot understand what you are doing, you probably do not understand it well enough either.

1. Two Very Different Audiences, One Core Skill

Early in my career I thought technical brilliance was enough. It is not. I have had to explain the same platform to my mother, a smart woman but not in tech, and my CEO, who has different priorities but the same need for clarity.

My mom cares about "what is this and why does it matter to real people?"
My CEO cares about "how does this make money, reduce risk, or improve efficiency?"

Once you see that both want clarity, just from different angles, your approach shifts from dumping details to drawing connections.

2. Anchor on Familiar Concepts

When I explained "the cloud" to my mom, I used a public library analogy: "You do not own the books, but you can borrow any book at any time from anywhere." For my CEO, I framed it as "we are moving from owning servers to renting them at scale like we already do with office space."

The trick is to start with what your audience already knows. Analogies bridge the gap faster than diagrams or bullet points.

3. Lead With "Why," Then Layer "How"

For non-technical people, start with why the technology exists and what outcome it drives. Once the why is clear, add just enough "how" to show credibility.

• Mom version: "This app protects your credit card from fraud by checking patterns of spending."
• CEO version: "This platform cuts fraud losses by 12 percent by automating anomaly detection."

Same concept, different framing.

4. Show, Do Not Tell

Demonstrations beat slides. When I have shown my mom how an AI chatbot answers her questions, she instantly gets it. When I have shown a CEO a 90 second prototype, they are far more likely to invest. If you can make your audience feel the impact, you win.

5. Cut Jargon, Not Insight

The temptation is to oversimplify to the point of losing substance. Do not. Replace jargon with plain English, but keep the important ideas. Say "real-time data" instead of "event-driven microservice architecture," but do not say "it is just magic" because then you lose credibility.

6. Practice the "Dinner Table" Test

If you can explain your project over dinner without your audience's eyes glazing over, you are probably ready for a boardroom. This is something Noah and I test on the podcast. If we cannot make an idea work in conversation, we do not record until we can.

7. Why This Matters for Leaders

People follow what they understand. Whether you are pitching a product, selling a project, or leading a transformation, your ability to explain it simply creates buy-in, reduces resistance, and accelerates decisions. It is not a soft skill. It is a force multiplier.

Action Steps for Your Next Big Pitch

• Start with a story or analogy your audience already understands.
• Frame outcomes first, details second.
• Use visuals or demos whenever possible.
• Rehearse your explanation with someone outside your field.
• Ask "what questions do you still have?" and then adjust.

Bottom Line

If you can explain it to your mom, you can explain it to your CEO. If you can do that, you are far more likely to get your idea funded, your project approved, or your product adopted.

Originally published on Substack. Want to discuss this topic further? Connect with us on LinkedIn or reach out directly.