1151: Douglas Ferguson, Voltage Control: Beyond The Prototype
Release Date: 03/24/2020
3555: Immersive on Why Incident Response Plans Break Down in Reality
Tech Talks Daily
What really happens inside an organization when a cyber incident hits and the neat incident response plan starts to fall apart? That question sat at the heart of my return conversation with Max Vetter, VP of Cyber at Immersive. It has been a big year for breaches, public fallout, and eye-watering financial losses, and this episode goes beyond headlines to examine what cyber crisis management actually looks like when pressure, uncertainty, and human behavior collide. Max brings a rare perspective shaped by years in law enforcement, intelligence work, and hands-on cyber defense, and he is...
info_outline
3554: The Mammoth Enterprise AI Browser and the Future of Secure Agentic Workflows
Tech Talks Daily
What happens when the web browser stops being a passive window to information and starts acting like an intelligent coworker, and why does that suddenly make security everyone’s problem? At the start of 2026, I sat down with Michael Shieh from Mammoth Cyber to unpack a shift that is quietly redefining how work gets done. AI browsers are moving fast from consumer curiosity to enterprise reality, embedding agentic AI directly into the place where most work already happens, the browser. Search, research, comparison, analysis, and decision support are no longer separate steps. They are becoming...
info_outline
3553: How Coralogix is Turning Observability Data Into Real Business Impact
Tech Talks Daily
What happens when engineering teams can finally see the business impact of every technical decision they make? In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sat down with Chris Cooney, Director of Advocacy at Coralogix, to unpack why observability is no longer just an engineering concern, but a strategic lever for the entire business. Chris joined me fresh from AWS re:Invent, where he had challenged a long-standing assumption that technical signals such as CPU usage, error rates, and logs belong only in engineering silos. Instead, he argues that these signals, when enriched and interpreted correctly,...
info_outline
3552: How CI&T Is Turning AI Ambition Into Measurable Business Results
Tech Talks Daily
What does real AI transformation look like when leaders stop chasing prototypes and start demanding outcomes they can actually measure? That question sat at the center of my conversation with Alex Cross, Chief Technology Officer for EMEA at CI&T, alongside Melissa Smith, as we unpacked why so many organizations feel stuck between AI ambition and business reality. There is no shortage of excitement around AI, but there is growing skepticism too, especially from leadership teams who have seen pilots come and go without clear return. This episode focuses on how CI&T is addressing that gap...
info_outline
3551: AI That Delivers at Scale: Inside HGS and Real Business Transformation
Tech Talks Daily
What does AI-led transformation actually look like when it moves beyond pilots, hype, and slide decks and starts changing how work gets done every day? That question framed my conversation with Venk Korla, CEO of HGS, at a time when many organizations feel both excited and exhausted by AI. Boards want results, teams are buried in proofs of concept, and leaders are under pressure to show progress without breaking trust, budgets, or operations. This episode cuts through that tension and focuses on what it takes to turn ambition into outcomes. Venk shared how HGS thinks about what he calls...
info_outline
3550: Signos and the Case for Seeing Your Metabolism in Real Time
Tech Talks Daily
What if the biggest breakthrough in weight management is not a new diet, but finally seeing how your body responds in real time? That question sat at the center of my conversation with Sharam Fouladgar-Mercer, CEO and co-founder of Signos, a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and AI-powered health platform built to help people manage weight by understanding their metabolism. January is when motivation is high and the wellness noise is loud, but it is also when a lot of people realize how hard it is to stick with generic advice that does not fit real life. This episode is about why...
info_outline
3549: Moonshot AI and the Rise of Self-Optimizing Websites
Tech Talks Daily
What if your website could spot its own problems, fix them, and quietly make more money while you focus on building your business? That question sat at the heart of my conversation with Aviv Frenkel, co-founder and CEO of Moonshot AI, and it speaks to a frustration almost every founder and digital leader recognizes. Traffic is expensive, attention is fragile, and even small issues in design or flow can quietly drain revenue for months before anyone notices. Traditional optimization often means long cycles, internal debates, and teams juggling analytics, design tools, and testing platforms...
info_outline
3548: Logility and the AI Compass for Supply Chain Leaders
Tech Talks Daily
What happens when decades of supply chain planning collide with AI, volatility, and a world that no longer moves at a predictable pace? That question sat at the heart of my conversation with Piet Buyck, a serial entrepreneur whose career spans early optimization engines, cloud-era planning systems, and now AI-driven decision environments. Speaking from Antwerp just days before the holidays, Piet brought a calm, grounded perspective shaped by years inside organizations operating under real commercial pressure. His journey includes building Garvis, an AI-native planning platform later acquired...
info_outline
3547: Telus Digital on the Human Role in the Final Mile of AI Safety and Security
Tech Talks Daily
Today's episode is a conversation with Bret Kinsella, recorded while he was in Las Vegas for CES and preparing to step onto the AI stage. Bret brings a rare combination of long-term perspective and hands-on experience. As General Manager of Fuel iX at TELUS Digital, he operates generative AI systems at a scale most enterprises never see, processing trillions of tokens and delivering measurable business outcomes for global organizations. That vantage point gives him a clear view of both the promise of generative AI and the uncomfortable truths many teams are still avoiding. Together, we...
info_outline
3546: Box and the Leadership Shifts Behind Becoming an AI First Company
Tech Talks Daily
What does it actually take to move beyond AI pilots and turn enterprise ambition into real productivity gains? That question sat at the center of my conversation with Olivia Nottebohm, Chief Operating Officer at Box, and it is one that every boardroom seems to be wrestling with right now. AI conversations have matured quickly. The early excitement has given way to harder questions about return, trust, and what changes when software stops assisting work and starts acting inside it. Olivia brings a rare vantage point to that discussion, shaped by leadership roles at Google, Dropbox, Notion, and...
info_outlineIn a time of uncertainty where we are all surrounded by hype, fear, and all things related to the Coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 alerts, I want to bring in hope, optimism, and new solutions via this daily tech podcast. Today, I wanted to learn more about Design Sprints and how they can help teams unite even when working from home.
If you have ever found yourself asking, What are Design Sprints? Why are Design Sprints so valuable? When should teams conduct Design Sprints or just want a few tips for running a successful Design Sprint and what to do with the information after the Design Sprint is over, you are in a for a treat today.
Voltage Control was founded by Douglas Ferguson, an entrepreneur and technologist with over 20 years of experience. With his unique combination of expertise in technology, product strategy, and design thinking, Voltage Control offers trusted guidance to companies who want to jumpstart their product or project with an impactful innovation workshop. Austin-based Voltage Control designs and leads custom innovation workshops and Design Sprints, as developed by Google Ventures.
In addition to workshop facilitation, Voltage Control engages with organizations for Digital Transformation, Innovation Training, Corporate Summits, and Strategic Planning. Douglas is also the author of Beyond the Prototype, a new book that offers a six-step plan for companies struggling with the shift from discovery to launch.
Prior to Voltage Control, Douglas held CTO positions at numerous Austin startups, where he led product and engineering teams using agile, lean, and human-centered design principles. While CTO at Twyla, Douglas worked directly with Google Ventures running Design Sprints and now brings this experience and process to companies everywhere.
Douglas also recently published his first book, Beyond the Prototype, which offers a six-step plan for companies struggling with the shift from discovery to launch. Douglas is active in the Austin startup community where he serves on the board of several non-profits, mentors startups, and advises early-stage ventures. He spends his free time patching up modular synthesizers, playing guitar, and taking photographs. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Join me in learning from Douglas, who outlines everything companies need to know before, during, and after conducting a Design Sprint.