Ctrl+Listen Podcast

India's electronics supply chain is at an inflection point — and in this episode of the CTRL+Listen Podcast, host James Sweetlove sits down with Vishwanath MS, co-founder and director of Source Buddy, to unpack what that shift really means. From a heavy reliance on imported components to the rapid rise of domestic design and manufacturing, Vishwanath explains how small and medium enterprises (...

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...

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...

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 loo...

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 categor...

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 ente...

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 challen...

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 desi...

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 mana...

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 res...

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. Fr...

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...

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 ev...

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....

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 evo...

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...

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...

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...

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 i...

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 bee...

Join us for an in-depth conversation with Keith Hartley, CEO and Board Member of LevaData, as he reveals how AI is revolutionizing direct material sourcing and supply chain management. Discover how LevaData's innovative platform helps companies break free from the "decision abyss" - the gap between fragmented data systems and smart procurement decisions. Keith shares fascinating insi...

Join us for an insightful conversation with Jon Barrett, Managing Editor at Electronic Sourcing, as he shares his 40 years of experience in the electronics industry. Discover how artificial intelligence, robotics, and Industry 4.0 are revolutionizing manufacturing and supply chain management in ways we never imagined possible. In this episode of the CTRL+,Listen Podcast Jon reveals fascinating tre...

Discover how artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the electronics supply chain in this in-depth interview with Sebastian Schaal, founder and managing director of Luminovo. From his journey at Stanford to building a comprehensive supply chain platform, Sebastian shares insights on automation, tariff impacts, and the future of electronics manufacturing. Learn how Luminovo is helping OEMs and E...

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Andrew Ashur, CEO and founder of Lucid Bots, as he shares his remarkable journey from economics student to robotics innovator. After witnessing window washers in a life-threatening situation, Andrew dedicated his career to building robots that tackle dangerous and demanding jobs, starting with exterior cleaning drones. Discover how Lucid Bots is revolutio...

In this eye-opening episode of the CTRL+Listen podcast, discover why most AI projects fail before they even begin. John Hetherington, CEO of We Deliver Your Vision, reveals his controversial "Process First" philosophy that challenges the traditional "People, Process, Technology" approach that's leading businesses astray. Through compelling real-world examples—including a co...