Ctrl+Listen Podcast

What happens to the billions of dollars in perfectly good electronic components that get crushed, buried, or dumped every year? In this episode of the CTRL+Listen Podcast, host James Sweetlove sits down with Kenny McGee, CEO and founder of Component Sense, to unpack the hidden world of excess and obsolete electronics inventory — and why scrapping working parts is one of the most expensive mistakes a manufacturer can make. Fro...

In this episode of the CTRL+Listen Podcast, host James Sweetlove sits down with Erlend and Karan, co-founders of Bedrock Chain — a Norwegian startup automating procurement for electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies. They break down how AI agents, BOM automation, and streamlined RFQ workflows are transforming the way EMS companies source components, manage suppliers, and stay ahead in a volatile supply chain environ...

The hardware renaissance is real — and no one is feeling it more than the shops building the prototypes that power it. In this episode of the CTRL+Listen Podcast, host James Sweetlove sits down with Amir Roy, VP of New Business Development at Imagineering Inc. (pcbnet.com), a family-owned PCB fabrication and assembly shop founded in 1985. Amir shares what 40 years of bootstrapped manufacturing looks like from the inside &mdas...

James Sweetlove sits down with Gabriel Guglielmi, Vice President of Global Product Management at Infinite Electronics, to explore the rapidly expanding world of unmanned systems. From drone swarms on the battlefield to grocery delivery and first responder applications, Gabriel breaks down what "connectivity" really means in this space — and why it's mission-critical for every category of unmanned vehicle, from UAVs to underwa...

What happens when AI is deployed without a clear use case, a change management plan, or any respect for the humans it's meant to support? It fails, and according to Evan J Schwartz, Chief Innovation Officer at AMCS and author of *The People, Places and Things*, it fails predictably and preventably. In this episode of the CTRL+Listen Podcast, Evan shares hard-won insights from 35+ years in enterprise software, ERP implementation, an...

In this episode of the CTRL+Listen Podcast, host James Sweetlove sits down with Lennart Hinrichs, Executive Vice President and General Manager Americas at TWAICE, to explore the rapidly evolving world of battery energy storage systems (BESS). Lennart breaks down everything from the basics of lithium-ion battery types and grid-scale applications to the California duck curve, state-of-charge challenges, and how TWAICE's cloud-based a...

In this episode of the CTRL+Listen podcast, host James sits down with Justin Sears, Head of Product Marketing for SaaS at Altium, to explore how Octopart and Altium are converging into a unified, end-to-end hardware development platform. Justin breaks down how real-time parts data from Octopart is being embedded directly into Altium's design environment — helping procurement managers, PCB designers, and system engineers work ...

The electronics supply chain has never been more volatile — and the companies that ignore AI risk getting left behind entirely. In this episode of the Ctrl+Listen Podcast, host James sits down with Matthew Haber (CEO) and Phillip Gulley (CSO), co-founders of Cofactr, for a wide-ranging conversation on how AI is fundamentally reshaping hardware procurement, component sourcing, and supply chain management. From their unexpected...

Discover how Partsimony is transforming the manufacturing landscape by bridging the critical gap between engineering and supply chain management. In this compelling conversation, CEO Rich Mokuolu shares how their AI-powered software optimizes supply chain structures directly from design files, enabling companies to scale production more effectively in an era of tariffs, regional conflicts, and reshoring initiatives. Rich discusses ...

Firmware and embedded engineers face a unique challenge: bridging the gap between hardware design and software implementation while working under tight constraints and mission-critical requirements. In this episode of the Ctrl+Listen Podcast, Ryan Eppley (CEO) and Samarpita Chowdhury (CTO) of Root Access explain how their AI-native platform Hideout is transforming the embedded systems workflow. From generating accurate drivers dire...

Explore India's hardware community with Srinivasan M, founder of PCB Cupid. Explore the vibrant yet fragmented hardware community in India, the challenges of electronics product development, and the mission to create open-source hardware solutions that accelerate innovation.In this exclusive Control Listen podcast interview, Srinivasan shares insights into:

- The origins of PCB Cupid and its educational mission- Challenges in India'...

Dive into the world of B2B technology marketing with Mike Maynard, Chairman of Napier Partnership Limited. In this fascinating CTRL+Listen podcast episode, Mike shares his remarkable journey from electronics engineering to leading a successful marketing agency, offering unique insights into tech marketing strategies.Explore the critical differences in selling to engineers versus consumers, the evolving landscape of generative AI, a...

Dive deep into the world of cutting-edge antenna technology with Bülent Solan, co-founder of Quarterwave. Discover how innovative engineering is transforming antenna design from bulky components to intelligent, compact solutions that connect our modern world.

In this fascinating CTRL+LISTEN episode, explore the evolution of antennas, breakthrough design techniques, and the future of connectivity. Learn how Quarterwave is pushing th...

Join us as Sasan Hashemi, Co-Founder and CEO of Tset, reveals how manufacturers are revolutionizing product cost management through AI-driven carbon reduction strategies. Discover how companies across aerospace, automotive, and manufacturing sectors are achieving 17% cost savings while simultaneously reducing their carbon footprint through advanced data modeling and automation.Learn about the evolution from Excel-based cost trackin...

Join host James Sweetlove as he sits down with Loreta Tarozaite, Founder & CEO of Loreta Today and Head of Global Corporate Communications and Marketing at Phison Electronics. In this powerful episode, Loreta shares her extraordinary journey through the tech industry, revealing the strategies, challenges, and insights that have shaped her remarkable career.Discover the unique perspective of a global marketing leader who has suc...

Discover how AI-powered smart glasses are impacting accessibility and independence for people with visual impairments, the elderly, and those with cognitive disabilities. In this episode, Karthik Kannan, Founder and CTO of Envision, returns to the show to share the incredible journey of developing Ally—an AI assistant that works hands-free through affordable smart glasses at just $399. Learn about the evolution of wearable te...

Discover why most AI implementations fail from a user experience perspective in this revealing conversation with UX design expert Makoto Kern, founder of IIIMPACT. Learn how companies are repeating the same mistakes from the dot-com era by prioritizing flashy AI features over actual user needs, and why user-centered design remains your competitive moat in an AI-driven world.Makoto shares insider stories from major enterprise client...

Discover how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing supply chain management in electronics manufacturing. Everett Frank, CEO of DigiSource, shares practical strategies for implementing AI tools like ChatGPT and custom GPTs to automate critical processes from BOM scrubs to real-time lead time monitoring. Learn how to integrate Octopart APIs, create intelligent AI actions, and stay ahead in an industry where AI adoption separates...

Discover how modern hardware teams are abandoning Excel spreadsheets for cloud-native PLM solutions that streamline product development from design to manufacturing. Michael Corr, Founder and CEO of Duro Labs, shares insights from his 20-year engineering career and explains how AI-powered product lifecycle management is transforming the hardware industry.Learn why traditional PLM systems have been considered a "four-letter word" am...