When you're creating an entirely new category, you can't just sell—you have to educate. Kate Abrahams, founder of TrafficAI (a platform that predicts reputational risk events using workforce behavioral data), sits down with Naomi Simson to discuss the exhausting gap between building groundbreaking technology and getting customers to understand why they need it.

Drawing on her experience launching RedBalloon when "experience gifting" wasn't a thing, Naomi shares battle-tested strategies for market development: how to look bigger than you are, turn customers into your sales force through case studies, and build authority when nobody knows your category exists. Kate and Naomi explore keeping tech teams energized during years of customer education, what investors actually need to hear about new categories, and how to cut through the AI hype to demonstrate real value.

If you're building something genuinely new and struggling to reach customers who don't yet know they need you, this conversation offers practical frameworks for building customer reach and turning an interesting idea into a must-have solution.

Thank you to Deel.com for supporting Australian business owners through it's sponsorship of Handpicked Season 6 for more information about Anytime Pay click here

When you're creating an entirely new category, you can't just sell&mdash;you have to educate. Kate Abrahams, founder of TrafficAI (a platform that predicts reputational risk events using workforce behavioral data), sits down with Naomi Simson to discuss the exhausting gap between building groundbreaking technology and getting customers to understand why they need it.
Drawing on her experience launching RedBalloon when "experience gifting" wasn't a thing, Naomi shares battle-tested strategies for market development: how to look bigger than you are, turn customers into your sales force through case studies, and build authority when nobody knows your category exists. Kate and Naomi explore keeping tech teams energized during years of customer education, what investors actually need to hear about new categories, and how to cut through the AI hype to demonstrate real value.
If you're building something genuinely new and struggling to reach customers who don't yet know they need you, this conversation offers practical frameworks for building customer reach and turning an interesting idea into a must-have solution.
Thank you to&nbsp;<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.deel.com_blog_deel-2Dredefines-2Dglobal-2Dpayday-2Dwith-2Danytime-2Dpay_-3Futm-5Fsource-3DNaomiSimsonSocials-26utm-5Fmedium-3DOranicPosts-26utm-5Fcampaign-3DDeel-2BHandpicked-2BS6-26utm-5Fid-3DHandpickedS6-26utm-5Fterm-3D6-2Bmonths&amp;d=DwMGaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=Nki3aE5yDhIS3-0gK4PiTaUqx1wMnxRwcF2tFXezqgU&amp;m=vsfjcNfcDbat3ef6eFbMRUTIAWr2sy9RfbBwPC9oAI_olf4hiCmLiBfy5ymBAHcY&amp;s=sSoTm4Z0U4GMmL6qP2OWwu-z7nbnhwG7J6Xni2O3uSY&amp;e=" data-outlook-id="b8ce7650-def5-4457-827d-dc646a8452cd">Deel.com</a>&nbsp;for supporting Australian business owners through it's sponsorship of Handpicked Season 6 for more information about Anytime Pay <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__bit.ly_4qnEjcs&amp;d=DwMGaQ&amp;c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&amp;r=Nki3aE5yDhIS3-0gK4PiTaUqx1wMnxRwcF2tFXezqgU&amp;m=vsfjcNfcDbat3ef6eFbMRUTIAWr2sy9RfbBwPC9oAI_olf4hiCmLiBfy5ymBAHcY&amp;s=G3YHwZ5ysnIRybXf9GeAv8Va2wjsD65HXUCS8Aco12M&amp;e=" data-outlook-id="76de825c-8e1e-45fd-b0ca-e1a892a36803">click here</a>

Handpicked with Naomi Simson is a short podcast delivered each Monday which is just like having a mentoring session with one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs.

In this podcast Naomi takes questions from business owners that might need help growing starting or saving their business.

Each guest is handpicked by Naomi as she shares stories, ideas and advice that might help them and anyone that has ever wanted to start a business.

Naomi Simson is an entrepreneur who founded RedBalloon in 2001. She has been blogging for a decade at NaomiSimson.com, is a professional speaker, author of Live What You Love & Ready To Soar, and a “Shark” on business reality show Shark Tank Australia.

Handpicked with Naomi Simson is a short podcast delivered each Monday which is just like having a mentoring session with one of Australia's most successful entrepreneurs.

Handpicked with Naomi Simson

Building Customer Reach

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/2fb3740d-3436-44af-8cc0-a91900716aa5/clips/23b6371e-e641-47d9-8198-b3ef000b59b7/transcript