Heavy Strategy
Packet Pushers
From technology to workplace culture, from geopolitical trends to economics, Heavy Strategy debates pivotal questions in enterprise IT. Hosts Johna Till Johnson & John Burke bring their technical expertise, analytical acumen, and contrasting viewpoints to discuss complex topics of interest to IT leaders. Frequently irreverent and always thought-provoking, these are the conversations you wish you could have at the leadership table. Tune in and join the think tank, where unanswered questions are better than unquestioned answers.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 21, 2026 • 38min
HS130: Wait, AI Doesn’t Secure Itself? Developing an AI Security Strategy
Your enterprise better have a cybersecurity strategy for AI. But where to start? Everywhere! Securing AI means securing all the AI layers and throughout the lifecycle: data, model, and applications, in training and in inference. Johna and John discuss what your strategy must address and how to get support for it because, of course, it’s... Read more »
Apr 10, 2026 • 34min
HS128: Planning for an AI Bubble Burst
How should you shape your IT strategy around the possibility–or is it probability–that the AI economy is a true bubble and will burst soon? John Burke and Johna Johnson revisit the signs indicating that an AI bubble is in full swing and pointing to the potential for collapse in the near term. Doomsaying having been... Read more »
Apr 7, 2026 • 40min
HS129: Achieving Operational Excellence
The best strategy in the world won’t succeed if a team falters operationally. But what is operational excellence, and what does it take to acquire it? Cal Poly faculty member (and former Intel strategist) John Miranda shares his thinking with our Heavy Strategy listeners. He discusses concepts like the theory of constraints, root-cause analysis, and... Read more »
Mar 17, 2026 • 38min
HS127: You’re Not Thinking About Your Network the Way You Should (Sponsored)
Mav Turner, Chief Product Officer at Kentik, joins John Burke and Drew Conry-Murray for an in-depth conversation on the importance of deep visibility into enterprise networks. As networks grow more complex and stretch from on-prem and WAN to multi-cloud and edge locations, this sponsored discussion explores how good visibility supports everything from daily operations to... Read more »
9 snips
Mar 10, 2026 • 40min
HS126: AI Everything, AI Everywhere, AI All At Once
A wide-ranging take on chip vendors pitching AI across cloud, desktop, factories and enterprise software. Debate over whether everything should be rewritten as AI and the heavy compute and energy costs that implies. Concerns about agentic UIs, security and hallucinations in physical systems. Discussion of simulation as a new infrastructure pillar, digital twins for industry, and when IT should partner with chip makers.
11 snips
Feb 24, 2026 • 33min
HS125: How to Choose an IT Hiring Service
They discuss updating IT background checks for the AI and remote era. They cover ways to verify a candidate is actually human and validate background vendors. They highlight credential fraud, proctored in-person skills testing, and confirming employment history. They explore workspace verification for remote staff, legal limits of household questions, and balancing single-vendor versus specialist checks.
9 snips
Feb 10, 2026 • 44min
HS124: Administration DDoS on AI Regulation
They break down the administration’s executive order aimed at blocking state AI laws and the legal limits of using an executive order against states. Conversation covers DOJ strategies to challenge state rules and how agencies or funding could be leveraged. They explore liability and product-like obligations for AI, plus practical compliance choices enterprises face amid legal uncertainty.
7 snips
Jan 27, 2026 • 31min
HS123: What Can You Stop Worrying About in 2026?
They debate an AI-generated list claiming some IT and security priorities can be dropped by 2026. They question whether automation truly removes the need for monitoring and lifecycle oversight. Centralized asset management and backup/restore testing stay critical. They argue AI helps documentation but cannot replace institutional knowledge or the complexity of system integration.
Jan 13, 2026 • 34min
HS122: Insider Threats in the Age of AI
Leaders may shy away from thinking about insider threats because it means assuming the worst about colleagues and friends. But technology executives do need to confront this problem because insider attacks are prevalent—a recent study claims that in 2024, 83% of organizations experienced at least one—and on the rise. Moreover, AI and deepfakes vastly enhance... Read more »
Dec 16, 2025 • 33min
HS121: Digital Security Teammates: From Fantasy to Operational Reality (Sponsored)
Your next security teammate might not be a traditional hire — it could be a Digital Security Teammate (DST),” says Secure.com CEO Uzair Gadit. In this sponsored episode, Uzair explains the concept of a DST and how it differs from an AI SOC. He highlights the operational and business benefits of deploying DST, including improved... Read more »
