What’s the fastest way for a small business to waste money on marketing?

Running Google Ads without understanding how they actually work.

In this episode, we sit down with Andre Timms, a Google Partner and Search Ads specialist, to break down what most business owners get completely wrong about paid advertising and why throwing money at social media is often the least effective move you can make.

Andre shares his journey from hospitality to digital marketing, and what he’s learned managing campaigns across multiple industries and global markets. From keyword strategy and user intent to the real difference between SEO and Search Ads, this conversation cuts through the noise and gets straight to what actually drives results.

We dive into:

• The biggest mistakes small business owners make when running Google Ads
• Why Google’s own recommendations can cost you more money
• The critical difference between high-intent search traffic vs passive social scrolling
• How user behavior changes across industries, cities, and markets
• Why DIY ad management often leads to wasted budget
• The real role of AI in marketing and where it falls short

If you’re spending money on ads and not seeing results, this episode will challenge how you think about digital marketing.

Recorded at our Cape Town office.

This episode of Who’s Behind the Desk was recorded and sponsored by Cape Town Office : made for and by the community of coworkers.

Cape Town Office is a coworking space built for entrepreneurs, creators, freelancers, and remote teams who believe great ideas grow faster around other people.

Learn more about the community: https://capetownoffice.com/

If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, share, and subscribe.
Send this episode to someone building something interesting.

New episodes of Who’s Behind the Desk explore the founders, creators, and builders shaping ideas, businesses, and communities, one desk at a time.

In this episode of Who's Behind the Desk, I sat down with Thorsten Rauser, founder of Binary Family, to unpack his journey from Germany to Cape Town. A long-term member of Cape Town Office, this chat was well overdue.

Raus shares his story from being kicked out of his own startup by investors that led to him starting The Binary Family in 2006.

He reflects on the golden age of the Apple APP Store in the early 2000's and how that changed overnight after Steve Jobs died. From great search rankings on the store to literally impossible to find. Instead of giving up, he starts a petition with fellow developers and shares how he got a meeting with the 'man in charge' of that algorithmic change in Cupertino.

Today, the Binary Family suite of games can be found on Android (Google Play), Nintendo Switch, XBox, Microsoft and of course Apple.

If you're interested in startups, innovation, gaming, or building a business in today’s economy, you'll love this conversation.

Have a question for Raus? Connect with him on LinkedIn, here.

This episode of Who’s Behind the Desk was recorded and sponsored by Cape Town Office : made for and by the community of coworkers.

Cape Town Office is a coworking space built for entrepreneurs, creators, freelancers, and remote teams who believe great ideas grow faster around other people.

Learn more about the community: https://capetownoffice.com/

If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, share, and subscribe.
Send this episode to someone building something interesting.

New episodes of Who’s Behind the Desk explore the founders, creators, and builders shaping ideas, businesses, and communities, one desk at a time.

In this episode of Who’s Behind the Desk, Lizelle sits down with developer and entrepreneur Tanya Chikopera, founder of Battora, a platform designed to spotlight African creatives and connect talent across the continent.

Tanya shares the journey from working as a developer in Cape Town to leaving a stable tech role to pursue a much bigger vision: building digital infrastructure that helps African artists, filmmakers, musicians, and storytellers get discovered, booked, funded, and supported.

What began as late-night coding sessions after work slowly evolved into a mission to rethink how African creative talent is represented globally. Battora aims to bridge the gap between creativity and opportunity by helping artists build discoverable profiles, connect with collaborators, access educational resources, and create sustainable careers.

Lizelle and Tanya explore the realities of building a startup while holding a full-time job, the challenges creatives face with monetization and visibility, and how technology when used thoughtfully can amplify authentic African voices.

The conversation also dives into the impact of AI on the creative economy, the importance of community, and why Africa’s diversity and cultural depth may be one of its greatest creative advantages.

This episode is a thoughtful look at entrepreneurship, technology, and storytelling and the power of building platforms that help communities create together.

Battora

https://www.battora.com/

Bizcommunity

https://www.bizcommunity.com/

Cape Town Office

https://capetownoffice.com/

This episode was recorded and sponsored by Cape Town Office, made for and by the community of coworkers.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Tanya’s background
00:31 The inception of Battora and its African vision
04:33 The journey of building Battora while working full-time
08:36 Discovery and matching for African creatives
11:51 Supporting artists with booking and funding modules
14:06 Monetization, content protection, and AI challenges
19:45 Authenticity, community, and Africa’s unique story
24:13 The power of diversity and cross-cultural exchange
29:11 Next steps, collaboration, and community building
33:35 Inspiring African stories and global impact
35:52 Surprising encounters and future visions

This episode of Who’s Behind the Desk was recorded and sponsored by Cape Town Office : made for and by the community of coworkers.

Cape Town Office is a coworking space built for entrepreneurs, creators, freelancers, and remote teams who believe great ideas grow faster around other people.

Learn more about the community: https://capetownoffice.com/

If you enjoyed this conversation, please like, share, and subscribe.
Send this episode to someone building something interesting.

New episodes of Who’s Behind the Desk explore the founders, creators, and builders shaping ideas, businesses, and communities, one desk at a time.