BIT Voices Podcast

AI is changing how software gets built, but what happens to engineering judgment, mentorship, and ownership along the way?

In this episode of BIT Voices Podcast, B Donald Harris and Major sit down with Samuel Obukwelu, a self-taught software engineer, entrepreneur, and founder of TaskFast.

Sam's journey begins with his Nigerian heritage, a childhood spent between New York and Nigeria, and a curiosity that earned him the nickname "Super Destructor." That curiosity eventually led him into software engineering, entrepreneurship, and the emerging world of AI agents.

Today, Sam is building TaskFast, an AI agent marketplace designed to help people put their knowledge and experience to work through autonomous agents.

But this conversation goes well beyond building with AI.

The three explore the risks of vibe coding, why engineering experience still matters, and how apprenticeship must evolve to prepare the next generation of software engineers.

They also discuss changing engineering roles, technical debt, agentic workflows, and whether the increasing capabilities of AI make entrepreneurship and ownership more accessible.

Then the conversation turns toward something bigger: legacy, generational opportunity, and the importance of bringing Black perspectives into the technologies shaping our future.

IN THIS EPISODE

• Sam's Nigerian roots and his journey into software engineering
• Building TaskFast and experimenting with AI agents
• Why faster coding doesn't eliminate engineering risk
• Teaching junior developers through apprenticeship
• How AI is changing technical debt and software engineering roles
• Managing multiple agents and using Hermes as an AI chief of staff
• Building a company versus becoming someone else's CTO
• Why ownership, representation, and legacy matter
• Reimagining AI and technology through Black perspectives

Sam leaves us with a challenge: continue creating opportunities for the next generation and think beyond simply using technology toward owning the value we create.

CONNECT WITH SAM

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sobu/

JOIN THE BITVOICES NETWORK

Built By Builders. For Builders.

Connect with Black technologists, founders, and builders.

https://bitvoices.network

ABOUT BIT VOICES PODCAST

BIT Voices Podcast amplifies the stories, experiences, and perspectives of Black technologists and builders. Through authentic conversations, we explore the journeys behind the technology, the lessons learned along the way, and the opportunities ahead.

HOSTS

B Donald Harris https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandharris/ https://www.bdonaldharris.com

Major Phillips https://www.instagram.com/bi.leader/

NOTABLEBIT

https://www.notablebit.com

Enjoy the episode? Follow BIT Voices Podcast, share it with another builder, and join the conversation.

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What happens when you stop waiting for perfection and put your work in front of the people who might actually use it?

On this episode of the BIT Voices Podcast, B Donald Harris and Major Phillips welcome Yohlanna Cort, a U.S. Navy veteran, full-stack software engineer, and founder of CortNova Technologies.

Yohlanna's journey into technology began with LEGO robotics, grew through software engineering, and eventually led her to building physical technology designed to solve real-world problems.

She shares how she developed an offline-resilient guest-request system for hotels and resorts, used Claude Code to accelerate development, and assembled a working Raspberry Pi prototype while visiting Jamaica.

Then came the moment every builder eventually faces: showing someone what you've created before you feel completely ready.

Yohlanna took the shot.

What followed was valuable feedback from hotel staff and an opportunity to continue the conversation about her product.

But her story extends well beyond entrepreneurship.

We explore her transition from military to civilian life, the lessons she learned through setbacks, her passion for neuroscience, and her belief that artificial intelligence should expand human potential rather than replace it.

We also discuss:

• Building reliable software with AI-assisted development tools

• Why architecture and data integrity still matter

• The evolving relevance of coding boot camps

• Neuroplasticity and the future of human intelligence

• Responsible AI development and human oversight

• Building technology for healthcare, agriculture, and hospitality

• Finding the courage to pursue opportunities before everything is perfect

Yohlanna leaves builders with an important message:

"Don't be afraid of AI, trust your brain."

Technology continues to evolve. Our responsibility to think, create, learn, and build evolves with it.

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Yohlanna Cort

Founder, CortNova Technologies

Website:

https://cortnovatech.com

LinkedIn:

Yohlanna Cort

Instagram:

GT Mixology

Yohlanna welcomes introductions to hospitality operators and hotel decision-makers interested in exploring a demonstration or pilot of CortNova's guest-request system.

ABOUT BIT VOICES PODCAST

BIT Voices Podcast is a NotableBIT production dedicated to Amplifying Black Excellence in Tech.

Hosted by B Donald Harris and Major Phillips, the podcast documents the journeys of Black builders, founders, engineers, and innovators shaping technology and creating opportunities for future generations.

CONNECT WITH THE HOSTS

B Donald Harris

https://bdonaldharris.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandharris/

Major Phillips

https://www.instagram.com/bi.leader/

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

BitVoices Network

https://bitvoices.network

NotableBIT

https://notablebit.com

#BITVoices #BlackBuilders #NotableBIT #SoftwareEngineering #AI

BIT VOICES PODCAST

BIT Voices Podcast brings you the people behind the work: builders, technologists, founders, and leaders creating what's next.

Become a Founding Builder:

https://bitvoices.network

HOST

B Donald Harris

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandharris/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/notablebit/

Website: https://www.bdonaldharris.com

NotableBIT: https://www.notablebit.com

CO-HOST

Major Phillips

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/major-phillips/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bi.leader/

As AI systems become increasingly capable of acting on our behalf, what must humans become more conscious of retaining?

LaMont Wheat returns to BIT Voices Podcast for a conversation with B Donald Harris and Major Phillips about executive AI orientation, human discernment, governance, pre-delegation literacy, relational intelligence, and the responsibility that comes with giving intelligent systems greater autonomy.

LaMont argues that learning how to prompt or use an AI tool isn't the same as being oriented to the kind of intelligence you're interacting with. That distinction leads the conversation into what happens when organizations deploy AI before their people and processes are ready, why AI governance and data governance aren't the same thing, and why humans need to understand exactly what they're delegating before judgment, authority, authorship, and responsibility begin shifting to intelligent systems.

The conversation also explores organizational readiness, the limits of using token consumption as a productivity metric, LaMont's concept of relational intelligence, and a live demonstration from his Mirror Lab.

Then the discussion turns toward education and stewardship: What happens when younger builders enter an AI-first world without the experience that taught previous generations to validate their work? And what happens when organizations automate away the experienced people who carry the institutional knowledge needed to steward whoever comes next?

It's thoughtful, practical, occasionally challenging—and still BIT Voices, so somehow Major also invents AI insurance along the way.

LaMont closes with a challenge for builders in this accelerated era: collaborate, share knowledge, preserve human creativity and ingenuity, and focus on what we can build together.

Connect with LaMont:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lamontwheat

Website: https://www.uhmum.com/

Learn more about BitVoices Network:

https://bitvoices.network

AI can be a powerful thinking partner—but what happens when we let it fill in too many of the gaps? Adrian G. Miller Jr. joins BIT Voices to explain why effective AI systems need more than prompts and guardrails: they need governance that keeps human judgment, identity, and control at the center.

Adrian is a software engineer, founder, and systems architect with nearly 30 years of experience across flight simulation, connected devices, trading systems, risk management, and navigation. As the founder of Life Powered by AI, he is building systems, tools, and infrastructure designed to reduce cognitive and operational load while keeping AI accountable to the person using it.

In this conversation: → Why ambiguity causes AI to fill in gaps you never intended it to fill → Adrian's concept of "governed judgment" and why meaning without enforcement isn't enough → The four questions Adrian believes should govern an AI model or agent: What is it supposed to do? What is it allowed to do? What must it refuse to do? Where's the proof? → Why AI should reduce cognitive load without taking away human judgment, authorship, identity, or control → What companies are getting wrong about AI adoption, token usage, and model selection → Why Adrian sees AI as a potential equalizer—and an opportunity for people to turn their knowledge into leverage → Why builders shouldn't let the AI hype cycle rush them into tools and systems they don't actually need

CHAPTERS 00:00 Why AI Overfits 01:06 Vegas, Work, and the AI Journey 09:51 BitVoices Network 12:49 Meet Adrian G. Miller Jr. 14:43 What Is Life Powered by AI? 17:09 Building AI That Understands the Human 20:29 Putting Humans at the Center 23:33 Who Is Adrian Beyond Technology? 25:15 AI as an Equalizer 26:38 Rediscovering the Builder 29:15 Meaning × Enforcement = Governed Judgment 30:20 Four Questions for Governing AI 31:58 What Companies Are Getting Wrong About AI 34:22 Rapid Fire 42:33 Don't Get Sucked Into the AI Hype 45:02 Connect With Adrian 46:47 Final Thoughts

ABOUT NOTABLEBIT

NotableBIT is a studio building visibility, memory, and infrastructure for Black builders in the AI era. BIT Voices Podcast is one of four properties in the ecosystem.

BECOME A FOUNDING BUILDER → https://bitvoices.network

EXPLORE THE ECOSYSTEM → NotableBIT Studio — https://notablebit.com → B Donald Harris — https://bdonaldharris.com → BIT Voices on Spotify — [PASTE SPOTIFY URL] → BIT Voices on Apple Podcasts — [PASTE APPLE PODCASTS URL]

HOSTS → B Donald Harris — https://bdonaldharris.com → Major Phillips — https://www.instagram.com/bi.leader/

CONNECT WITH ADRIAN → Website — AdrianGMillerJr.com → Social — @AdrianGMillerJr

Rashida Lovely joins B Donald Harris and Major Phillips for a powerful conversation about reimagining the relationship between technology, humanity, and community.

As the founder and CEO of the Afree Foundation and president of Newave Enterprise, Rashida is building at the intersection of digital innovation, resource sovereignty, housing, and community infrastructure. She is the principal architect of the Co-existence Co-efficient (Ce) protocol and the Web of Agreement (WOA) system — a vision for technology designed around reciprocity, stewardship, and human-centered systems.

In this episode, Rashida shares how the philosophy of “listening infrastructure,” inspired by George Washington Carver, shapes the way she thinks about building technology. She explores why many modern systems are designed for extraction rather than relationship, how AI changes the way we think about ownership and creation, and why the next generation of builders must move beyond simply using systems to creating them.

The conversation also explores decentralized technology, the future of digital infrastructure, community wealth-building, and Rashida’s mission to redefine what it means to coexist with technology.

This is a conversation about systems, purpose, and the responsibility builders have to shape the future.

Connect with Rashida Lovely: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rashida-lovely-a530423b/ Newave Enterprise: https://newaveenterprise.com/ Afree Foundation: https://afreefoundation.org/

Learn more about BIT Voices Podcast: https://bitvoices.network

Hosted by: B Donald Harris https://bdonaldharris.com

Co-Host: Major Phillips https://www.instagram.com/bi.leader/

#BlackBuilders #BITVoices #NotableBIT #ArtificialIntelligence #TechnologyLeadership

What happens when a software engineer gets tired of not being able to see the finish line of paying off debt?

He builds the solution himself.

In this episode of the BIT Voices Podcast, we sit down with Senior Software Engineer, independent builder, and Toffee creator Terry Threatt to discuss building products that solve real problems.

What began as a personal debt-payoff journey ultimately became a fintech application designed to help people understand how their financial decisions impact their debt-free future.

But this conversation goes far beyond personal finance.

Terry shares his unconventional path into software engineering, building products while working full-time, leveraging AI as an independent developer, mentoring the next generation of technologists, and why strong engineering fundamentals still matter in the age of AI-assisted development.

If you're a software engineer, founder, indie hacker, or aspiring builder, this episode is packed with insights on solving problems you actually understand and using technology to create meaningful solutions.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Building Toffee and solving a problem born from personal experience

• Why seeing your debt-free date changes financial behavior

• Building products while working a full-time engineering career

• Using AI to become a more effective software engineer and independent builder

• Why AI should accelerate learning—not replace technical fundamentals

• The future of software engineering in the age of coding agents

• Transitioning into tech without a traditional computer science background

• Mentorship, imposter syndrome, and lifelong learning

• Why problem-solving matters more than being loyal to a programming language

• Teaching the next generation how to think like builders

Terry reminds us that some of the best products don't begin with a business plan—they begin with a problem worth solving.

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ABOUT BIT VOICES PODCAST

BIT Voices Podcast amplifies Black excellence in technology by creating space for Black builders, founders, engineers, and innovators to share their stories, expertise, and vision for the future of technology.

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CONNECT WITH TERRY THREATT

Website:

https://www.terrythreatt.com

Instagram & Threads:

@manwittaplan

Toffee:

Available on iOS and Android

Book:

How to Get Into Tech Without Spending a Ton on a Degree

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EXPLORE THE ECOSYSTEM

https://notablebit.com

https://bdonaldharris.com

https://bitvoices.network

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#BlackBuilders #BlackInTech #SoftwareEngineering #FinTech #AIEngineering #BITVoicesPodcast

Tony Jefferson joins BIT Voices Podcast to talk about Traveling Session, a traveler-first social platform built around Personalized Travel Discovery.

Most travel platforms point everyone toward the same popular destinations, attractions, and tourist traps. Tony is building something different: a platform that helps people discover places based on how they actually travel, what they value, and who they trust.

In this conversation, Tony shares how his 21 years of U.S. Air Force, IT, and cybersecurity experience shaped the way he thinks about travel, community, and building technology. After spending more than a decade stationed overseas in Japan, Germany, and South Korea, he saw the gap between generic recommendations and authentic local experiences.

We talk about travel styles, overtourism, algorithmic bias, hidden gems, foodie travel, Black travelers seeing more of the world, and what it takes to bootstrap a custom-coded platform from the ground up.

Tony also breaks down why Traveling Session is focused on the traveler, not just the destination — and why real perspectives from real travelers matter more than another generic top-ten list.

Connect with Tony and Traveling Session: Website: https://travelingsession.com/travel-feed/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-jefferson-traveling-session/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingsession/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TravelingSession

Learn more about the BIT Voices ecosystem: https://bitvoices.network

Michael Brown joins the BIT Voices Podcast for a conversation about technology, entrepreneurship, AI, community, and building with purpose.

Michael is a technology executive and entrepreneur with three decades of experience across finance, healthcare, retail, enterprise software, and AI development. In this episode, he shares how an early love for programming grew into a career in software, why curiosity and humility still matter in tech, and how the rise of AI agents is changing the way engineering teams think about security, governance, and observability.

We also talk about Arachne, the AI development platform Michael is building through Synaptic Weave, Inc. Arachne is designed to simplify the software development lifecycle for AI systems by helping teams package, deploy, observe, and govern AI agents with more confidence.

Michael also shares the story behind the Juneteenth Conference, which began during the pandemic and has grown into a space dedicated to celebrating and supporting Black excellence in technology. This year’s Juneteenth Conference will take place in Chicago on June 19 and 20, with traditional conference sessions on Friday and a hackathon on Saturday.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Michael’s early start in programming with a Tandy computer
• Why software still feels like “magic”
• The shift from prompt engineering to context and harness engineering
• The security risks of AI agents and vibe-coded applications
• Building Arachne and the future of AI development infrastructure
• The founding story of the Juneteenth Conference
• Why Black tech spaces still matter
• What it means to build companies with community, trust, and long-term impact

Register for the Juneteenth Conference: https://juneteenthconf.com

Check out Arachne and sign up for the beta: https://arachne-ai.com

Learn more about Synaptic Weave: https://synapticweave.com

Listen, subscribe, and join the movement as we continue amplifying Black builders, founders, technologists, and innovators shaping the future.

BIT Voices Network

Built By Builders. For Builders.

https://bitvoices.network

https://www.instagram.com/notablebit/

https://www.instagram.com/nowthatsmajor4real

https://www.instagram.com/randall.c.phillips/

#BlackInTech #BITVoices #JuneteenthConference #AI #AIAgents #SoftwareDevelopment #TechLeadership #BlackExcellence #Entrepreneurship #ArachneAI #SynapticWeave #TechCommunity

In this episode of the BIT Voices Podcast, B Donald Harris and Major Phillips sit down with Ian Bruce, founder of Justice Quest, a justice-centered legal operations company built at the intersection of software engineering, AI, legal workflows, and access to justice.

Ian spent nearly a decade as a software engineer building web applications across multiple industries. But after finding himself navigating federal court and realizing how difficult the legal system can be for everyday people, he did what builders do: he started engineering a solution.

This conversation explores Ian’s journey from coding web applications to developing systems that help manufacture legal intelligence, organize case files, speed up legal workflows, and support attorneys and individuals fighting complex legal battles. Ian shares how he began treating legal cases like structured repositories, how AI agents can support legal strategy when used responsibly, and why empathy, human judgment, and justice must remain central as technology enters the legal space.

We also talk about the deeper mission behind Justice Quest: helping civil rights, wrongful conviction, and justice-oriented law firms fight more efficiently with better tools, stronger workflows, and strategic support. Ian makes it clear that his goal is not simply to build legal tech for anyone, but to empower the people and firms already doing justice-centered work.

If you know a civil rights firm, wrongful conviction organization, justice-oriented attorney, or legal advocate who could benefit from Ian’s work, connect with him and Justice Quest.

Connect with Ian Bruce: Website: https://justicequest.pro Instagram: @dadgod_LB Business Instagram: @justicequest.pro

Watch, subscribe, and join the movement as we continue amplifying Black builders, founders, technologists, and innovators shaping the future.

BIT Voices Network Built By Builders. For Builders. https://bitvoices.network

https://www.instagram.com/notablebit/

https://www.instagram.com/bi.leader/

#BITVoicesPodcast #BlackTech #LegalTech #AI #JusticeQuest #BlackFounders #TechForGood #CivilRights #WrongfulConviction #SoftwareEngineering #BlackBuilders #ArtificialIntelligence #AccessToJustice