IoT isn't a buzzword anymore. It's business.

Wienke Giezeman built The Things Industries from scratch. Now he's managing 3 million connected devices globally. $4M in annual revenue. And he did it by breaking every Silicon Valley rule.

No "winner takes all" mentality. Pure collaboration.

This episode cuts through the IoT hype cycle. Wienke reveals why most IoT projects failed. How his company survived when others didn't. And why sharing your IP actually grows the market.

Real talk on scaling hardware. Building communities. Making AI work with IoT data.

From cattle tracking to vape detection in school bathrooms. From forest fire sensors to toilet paper dispensers. The use cases that actually make money.

Plus: Why the next wave of IoT growth is coming. And how startups can avoid the graveyard.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

00:13 Wienke Giezeman's Background and Company Overview

00:52 Early Days and Inspiration

01:34 Building a Global Network

02:08 Community and Collaboration

06:31 The Things Conference

09:22 Trends in IoT and AI Integration

15:12 Future Prospects and Reflections

25:10 Advice for IoT Startups

27:35 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Connect with Wienke: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wienke/

The Things Network: https://www.thethingsnetwork.org/

The Things Industries: https://www.thethingsindustries.com/

The Things Conference: https://www.thethingsconference.com/ 23-24 September 2025, Amsterdam

Jeff Apcar spent 24 years as a Distinguished Engineer at Cisco and has zero patience for tech BS.

5G? Overhyped. IoT? Mostly failing. Service providers? Becoming dinosaurs.

But quantum computing? That's where things get interesting—and terrifying.

Jeff breaks down what's actually working, what's pure marketing fluff, and why the hyperscalers are eating everyone's lunch.

Plus: why AI makes him both excited and worried about the future.

No vendor pitches. No fairy tales. Just 46 years of brutal honesty about where tech is really heading.

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🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: YouTube.com/@charlesreedanderson

00:00 Introduction and Jeff's 46-year tech journey

01:10 What being a Cisco Distinguished Engineer actually means

03:06 MPLS and how it changed enterprise networking forever

06:46 Why 5G is struggling and service providers are lost

10:52 Network APIs: The latest pipe dream?

15:07 IoT reality check: Connection vs. collection

19:55 Starlink and why LEO satellites actually work

21:59 How satellite internet created the digital nomad revolution

23:22 AI: Godsend or threat to expertise?

24:41 Why AI is getting dumber and what that means

31:09 Quantum computing: Game changer and nightmare

32:27 Why C-suite executives don't understand their tech risks

36:25 Career reflections and the proudest moment

37:58 Best case scenario: Tech saving lives

In this episode of Tech Burst Talks, Charles sits down with Rob DeMillo — ex-JPL, serial entrepreneur, SparkLabs Venture Partner, and now CEO of Sophia Space — to unpack one of the most disruptive tech ideas out there: putting compute in orbit.

Rob walks us through his wild career path from space science to cloud animation, to architecting data centers in the sky. And learn how he was about to produce 7 EXITS from 9 STARTUPS!

They dive deep into Sophia Space’s modular “tile” technology, built from first principles for space — not retrofitted earth tech — and explore the near-term use cases that matter: defence, air traffic control, disaster response, and real-time edge processing in orbit.

This isn’t a pitch about sci-fi fantasy — it’s a raw look at how real, scalable, space-based computing is already taking shape. Rob also shares what it really takes to build seven successful startups, why “dumb luck” matters, and the mindset needed to thrive on the edge of what’s possible.

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🎥 Watch the full video episode on YouTube: YouTube.com/@charlesreedanderson

Show Notes

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background

00:37 Career Journey and Achievements

01:51 Entrepreneurial Ventures and Exits

04:46 Joining Mandala Space Ventures

08:51 Sophia Space and Orbital Data Centers

09:39 Innovative Tile Technology

12:46 Market and Future Plans

16:29 Challenges and Opportunities in Space

18:08 Why Orbital Data Centers?

19:57 The Heat Problem of Data Centers

20:29 Advantages of Space-Based Data Centers

21:23 Use Cases for Space-Based Computing

22:15 Real-Time Applications and Sensor Fusion

24:23 Technological Advances Enabling Space Computing

25:27 Scaling and Deployment of Orbital Data Centers

27:58 Commercial Applications and Future Prospects

33:22 Advice for Entrepreneurs

34:41 Motivation and Future Plans

38:34 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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