In this episode of the Iowa Tech Podcast, host Kaylee Williams interviews Erin Rollenhagen, founder of People Friendly Tech and author of Love at First Launch, a custom software consulting company that specializes in high-stakes projects requiring both security and exceptional design. With nearly 20 years in business, Erin shares her journey from developing corrections software to working with funded startups and established enterprises on innovative tech products.
Iowa stories for your inbox
Justin, David, & Kaylee cover Iowa news, agriculture, business and tech. No clickbait. No rage. No agenda. Support our vision and subscribe!
Erin credits much of her success to starting her company in 2007, just before the Great Recession. The economic downturn forced her to master founder-led sales quickly, and she reveals a critical insight: turning around proposals the same day as client demos doubles your close rate compared to waiting a week. This lesson remains relevant across industries today.
The conversation explores how AI is transforming software development. Erin explains that while AI-generated code has improved dramatically, she recommends experienced developers use it to accelerate work rather than relying on it as a crutch. Most of her clients welcome AI because it reduces development costs – the industry’s biggest complaint for the past decade. Larger enterprises, however, are more cautious and often require vendors to fill out AI questionnaires to manage risk.
Looking toward the future, Erin emphasizes that AI enables more natural human communication with technology by eliminating the need to “fit ourselves into boxes” that traditional programming requires. Instead of choosing from preset options like old IVR phone systems, people can express needs naturally and have AI understand context.
Reflecting on building a 20-person company, Erin stresses the importance of understanding your business finances early and setting specific revenue targets. She also discusses her company’s rebrand from “Entrepreneurial Technologies” to “People-Friendly Tech,” explaining that the new name better communicates what the company does while being easier to spell and remember. Finally, she credits her creative pursuits (painting and writing) with teaching her how to approach problems differently and bringing valuable diverse perspectives to her team.