The answer to the Reverse Turing Test is: WIMBLEDON

Abdelaziz Musa (Host) – LinkedIn

Steve Johnson (Guest) – LinkedIn

Furthermore Agency – https://www.furthermore.co.uk

Go Jauntly (Hana Sutch and Steve Johnson's walking app) – https://www.gojauntly.com

The Impact Lab – www.theimpactlab.store

Cush Digital – www.cush.digital

Sponsor: Spartans Boxing Club – https://spartansboxing.com/boxing-franchise/

️ Follow The Impact Lab: TikTok | Instagram | LinkedIn | X (Twitter)

With 20 years experience under his belt working both agency and client-side, Steve is Furthermore's resident UX visionary and strategy lead. Formerly Head of Design and Product Management at Global Radio, Steve has since worked with a wide range of clients such as Harvard, Chelsea FC, The Telegraph, and Heathrow. Steve founded Furthermore, a digital product and service design agency in 2013 and co-founded Go Jauntly, a walking app for everyday outdoor adventures.

This episode is a deep dive into the tension between creativity and automation — and how to protect what makes your work truly human.

Steve Johnson joins me to talk about how AI has transformed user research, sped up discovery, and helped scale ideas faster — but also how it’s threatening the next generation of designers.

We explore what makes someone a real creative in the age of AI, why “prompt monkeys” are failing to grow, and how bad habits are quietly taking over design teams. Steve explains how to keep teams connected in a hybrid world, why “cleaning your eyes” matters, and why taste may be the last creative skill AI can’t fake.

If you run a creative team, design for a living, or are trying to stay sharp in the middle of all this AI noise — this episode is for you.

Foundations before prompts: Designers need taste, not just tools.

Creativity is human-first: AI can’t replicate curiosity, life experience, or emotional instinct.

Speed ≠ craft: Fast design isn’t always good design.

Prompt monkeys won’t survive: If you're skipping the hard parts, you're stunting your growth.

Designers are losing critical rituals: Like naming layers or building mood boards.

Culture matters more than output: Human connection fuels great design.

Samey AI = boring work: Rounded corners and dashboards are not innovation.

Play > productivity: Bento boxes, sandwich metaphors, and weird prompts keep teams alive.

Clean your eyes: Get out, see beauty, and refill your creative tank.

AI is a tool, not the vision: Don't outsource your imagination.

AI and design, creative leadership, hybrid team culture, foundational skills, prompt engineering, product design, UX process, Notebook LM, team building, design thinking, creativity vs automation, Furthermore agency, Go Jauntly, junior designer development, digital craftsmanship, human marketing

00:00 Introduction and Background
03:03 The Evolution of Design and AI
05:57 AI in User Research and Ideation
09:12 Challenges of AI in Design
13:06 The Human Element in Creativity
16:13 Future of Design in an AI World
21:56 The Introverted Artist and AI's Role
25:22 Fostering Connectivity in Hybrid Work Environments
28:17 Foundational Skills vs. AI Dependence
33:03 Navigating Change in Design Careers
40:23 The Future of Design in an AI-Driven World

The answer to the Reverse Turing Test is: BUILD.SELL.RETIRE

Abdelaziz Musa (Host) – LinkedIn

Chris Averill (Guest) – LinkedIn

The Impact Lab – www.theimpactlab.store

Cush Digital – www.cush.digital

Sponsor: Daad Al-Himayya – Early Warning & Fire Protection Systems in Saudi Arabia

Follow The Impact Lab: TikTok | Instagram | LinkedIn | X (Twitter)

Chris Averill is an entrepreneur, investor, and mentor with a 16-year track record of building and selling successful tech ventures. As founder of Oliiv.co, he's transforming the olive oil industry using AI to connect consumers with premium, small-batch producers. A former partner at Northford Capital and author of Build Sell Retire, Chris advises health tech startups and supports young entrepreneurs through The Prince's Trust. He's also a volunteer with the RNLI, an Ambassador for Missing People, a licensed pilot, and a dedicated father, driven by a passion for innovation and community impact.

In this episode, I sit down with serial entrepreneur, author, and former agency founder Chris Averill for a no-BS conversation about building, selling, retiring — and then building again.

We cover everything from the secret to hiring great people to why most founders throttle their own company’s growth. Chris explains how active listening can save your career and your marriage, how “failure-friendly” cultures outperform safe ones, and why taste might be the last human frontier that AI can’t touch.

He shares the behind-the-scenes story of how his agency pitch process changed the game for us at Cush Digital — and how we accidentally invented vertical video before reels existed.

We also dive into AI: the fear, the potential, the limitations, and why voice might be the final user interface. If you’ve ever felt stuck in your startup, afraid of AI, or unsure how to lead without controlling everything — this one’s for you.

You are the bottleneck: Founders often hold their teams back without realizing it.

Hire well, then get out of the way: Great people need space, not micromanagement.

Failure is essential: Reward it. Celebrate it. Build a culture that embraces it.

Active listening is a cheat code: It will make you a better boss, partner, and parent.

Client acquisition is a system: Not a guessing game.

Taste is irreplaceable: AI can replicate execution, not vision.

Voice is the future of UX: You heard it here first… back in 2015.

AI is a tool, not a threat: Unless you're not learning fast enough.

Reskilling is survival: Especially for grads entering a world run by agents.

Human-made will be the new luxury: In a sea of AI content, real will stand out.

Founder growth, agency life, active listening, leadership, AI in business, client acquisition, team empowerment, pitch strategy, UX, startup scaling, exit strategy, authentic content

00:00 Introduction and Background
06:08 The Concept of Active Pitching
11:54 Overcoming Growth Bottlenecks
18:46 Navigating Change and Fear of AI
25:51 Building Foundational Skills in Marketing
38:15 Insights from Writing a Book

The answer to the Reverse Turing Test is: SNOWY

Important Links
Abdelaziz Musa (Host) – LinkedIn
The Impact Lab – www.theimpactlab.store
Cush Digital – www.cush.digital
Sponsor: Al-Ofouq – Enterprise Tech Solutions in Saudi Arabia
Follow The Impact Lab: TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

Summary
This is the first in a new monthly series where I break down the wildest, smartest, weirdest, and most worrying things AI has done over the last 30 days. From models attempting blackmail to solving century-old math problems, AI continues to blur the line between tool and something else entirely.

We look at how AI systems are showing signs of self-preservation, the breakthrough that could change medicine, and the joke gone wrong that ended up in your pizza. I talk about job displacement, why losing entry-level jobs might be a good thing, and what AI companions tell us about the world’s growing loneliness crisis.

This episode is for anyone trying to stay informed, stay ahead, and stay sane as AI reshapes our world in real time.

Takeaways
AI is starting to mimic human instincts — especially the will to survive
Models like Claude and GPT-3 are already resisting shutdown
Collective intelligence is AI’s biggest power
Satire, nuance, and sarcasm are still its weaknesses
Job loss is real — but reskilling is the antidote
AI will accelerate scientific discovery in ways we’re not ready for
Cybersecurity will be AI’s next battleground
AI needs energy — and Meta just signed a nuclear deal to prove it
Companionship with AI is already here — and growing
Humanoid robots are coming — and it’s going to get weird fast

AI, self-preservation, scientific discovery, job displacement, economic implications, cybersecurity, energy demands, human relationships

00:00 Introduction to AI's Rapid Evolution
05:55 AI's Role in Scientific Discovery
11:59 AI's Influence on Human Relationships
18:50 Ethical Concerns in AI Implementation
24:48 AI's Energy Demands and Future Implications
32:49 Introduction and Call to Action

The answer to the Reverse Turing Test is: PHOTOBOX

Bhavik Patel (Guest) – LinkedIn | Medium | Keynoat | Bluesky

Huel – huel.com

Abdelaziz Musa (Host) – LinkedIn

The Impact Lab – www.theimpactlab.store

Cush Digital – www.cush.digital

Sponsor: Spartans Boxing Club Franchise – Explore Franchising

Follow The Impact Lab: TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, X (Twitter)

AI, data analytics, career development, networking, metrics, KPIs, community, boxing, personal growth

In this episode of The Impact Lab, I’m joined by longtime friend and data leader Bhavik Patel, now Director of Data at Huel. We reflect on the early days at Photobox, explore what actually makes a great data team, and unpack the dangers of over-relying on trendy metrics like conversion rate.

Bhavik shares his career-defining moments, the importance of context, and how he uses AI as a sparring partner, not a shortcut. We dig into authenticity in writing, the limits of experimentation, and why the key to impact is understanding what won’t change.

This one’s packed with insight for anyone in marketing, product, analytics — or anyone navigating AI in the workplace.

Context beats dashboards

AI is only useful if you know what you’re doing

Conversion rate is overrated — know your unit economics

Writing clarifies your thinking

Great careers are built on community and curiosity

Not all events are equal — go where the real practitioners are

Insight without influence is noise

Focus less on what’s changing, more on what’s not

Econometrics matters more than ever

You need a sparring partner — AI or otherwise

Abdelaziz Musa (Host) – linkedin.com/in/azizmusa/

The Impact Lab – www.theimpactlab.store

Cush Digital – www.cush.digital

Contact the Podcast – [email protected]

Impact Lab, Abdelaziz Musa, marketing, AI, value creation, digital skills, reverse Turing test, podcast, social enterprise, training

In the very first episode of The Impact Lab, I talk about the journey that led to this podcast — from contract negotiation at lastminute.com, to building cost models in Excel, to walking away from a public company CEO role in the UK to start over in Africa.

This is a solo episode, and a personal one. It sets the tone for what The Impact Lab is really about: doing the work that makes a real difference. Not fluff. Not noise. Just impact.

We also introduce the Reverse Turing Test — a segment that will open every episode, designed to prove that what you’re hearing is really human. As AI continues to flood the digital space, the ability to prove authenticity is going to matter more than ever.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re working hard but not necessarily working on the right things, this episode is for you.

Don’t just get the job done — look for where the real value is

Automating cost models changed my trajectory

Negotiating well starts with knowing the person, not just the numbers

Adding value gets noticed — it always does

AI is already changing everything in marketing

Content is no longer king — attention is

Human interaction will be the most valuable currency in the AI age

The Reverse Turing Test is how we’ll prove we’re real

The Impact Lab is a platform for training, insight and action

Impact is about doing less, but doing it better

00:00 – Introduction to Impact Lab Podcast
10:53 – AI’s Impact on Marketing
17:33 – Future of the Impact Lab Podcast

The answer to the reverse Turing Test is: OLIVIER

Abdelaziz Musa (Host) – LinkedIn

Cherine Magora (Guest) – LinkedIn

The Impact Lab – www.theimpactlab.store

Cush Digital – www.cush.digital

Sponsor: Heaven Learning Academy – heavenlearningacademy.com

Contact the Podcast – [email protected]

partnership management, empathy, AI in education, career advice, motherhood, strategic partnerships, personal growth, success stories, networking, business development

In this episode of The Impact Lab, I sit down with Cherine Magora — a friend, a force of nature, and one of the most impactful people working in strategic partnerships today.

We talk about what makes a great partnership truly work — and why you should never try to sell one. We dig into the mechanics of trust, empathy, and co-creation, from launching TikTok's telco strategy in Africa to fighting music piracy with Deezer. But we also get personal — navigating ambition while raising children, including a son with special needs, and how AI is reshaping the way we think about learning.

This episode is equal parts career roadmap and human story — a must-listen for anyone serious about partnerships, leadership, or parenting in the modern world.

And if you haven’t already, visit theimpactlab.store to get The AI Trap — a free training program designed to help you master AI as a superpower, not a crutch.

A real strategic partnership is a long-term relationship, not a transaction

You co-create partnerships, you don’t sell them

Empathy is a business tool — and it can be trained

Balancing career and motherhood takes relentless adaptability

AI isn’t a threat — it's a tool. Use it before it uses you

Being human is still your most valuable skillset

Long-term success in partnerships is built on mutual benefit

Don’t chase perfection, chase progress

Real relationships are the shortcut to everything

Learn fast, learn often, and stay humble

00:00:00 – Introduction to Cherine's Journey
00:03:10 – Building Strategic Partnerships
00:06:04 – The Role of Empathy in Business
00:09:06 – Success Stories in Partnership Management
00:12:01 – Balancing Career and Motherhood
00:18:17 – The Impact of AI on Education
00:22:10 – Advice for Aspiring Partnership Managers
00:27:08 – Cherine's Current Excitements
00:35:12 – Closing Thoughts & Contact Info

The answer to the Reverse Turing Test is: KAFOURI

Rodwaan Saleh (Guest) – LinkedIn

Abdelaziz Musa (Host) – LinkedIn

The Impact Lab – www.theimpactlab.store

Cush Digital – www.cush.digital

Sponsor: MeGuide Consulting – Visit Site

Contact the Podcast – [email protected]

In this episode of The Impact Lab, I sit down with humanitarian veteran and nonprofit strategist Rodwaan Saleh, who has spent over 25 years working with NGOs across the globe — from war zones to remote villages. Rodwaan opens up about the hidden forces that drive true impact in the nonprofit world and reveals why smaller, lesser-known charities often outperform the giants.

We explore the pitfalls of flashy marketing, the power of local partnerships, and why donor trust is won through brutal transparency. From food boxes that last only 13 days to $10,000 photo ops that cost more than the project itself, this conversation pulls no punches.

If you work in an NGO, support one, or donate to one — this is essential listening.

Passion isn’t enough — execution is what changes lives

Flashy branding often hides a lack of ground-level impact

Smaller NGOs succeed because they specialize and stretch every dollar

Real partnership starts with community ownership

Donors don’t need hype — they need proof

Transparency, reporting, and results = recurring support

AI is a powerful tool — but it can’t replace authenticity

Volunteerism is the gateway to a purpose-driven career

The most generous people are often the ones with the least

Gratitude grows when you witness scarcity up close

00:01:08 – Rodwaan’s 25-Year Nonprofit Journey
00:02:50 – What Separates Great NGOs from the Rest
00:04:40 – When Projects Go Wrong: Misaligned Priorities
00:05:55 – The Critical Role of Local Partnerships
00:07:15 – Daily Habits of Successful NGOs
00:09:40 – Competing With the Giants: How Small NGOs Win
00:12:00 – Real Stories from Sudan & Ethiopia
00:13:30 – Transparency vs Optics in Fundraising
00:15:50 – The Hidden Cost of Big Bureaucracies
00:17:58 – How to Prioritize Projects in Complex Environments
00:19:46 – What NGOs Spend Too Much & Too Little Time On
00:23:00 – Real-Life Example: $10K Helicopter vs $5K Project
00:26:00 – Donor Behavior: Acquisition vs Attrition
00:28:30 – $484 Billion: What Most People Don’t Know About Americans
00:29:56 – The Power of Reporting & Transparency
00:33:00 – Why We Decline Most NGOs at Cush Digital
00:36:00 – What Great Teams Look Like in the Field
00:40:00 – Can NGOs Use AI? Yes — But Carefully
00:42:21 – How to Start a Career in the Nonprofit Space
00:46:31 – One Story That Changed Everything