Vision Tech Perspectives

Hosted by Dave Swain, Vision Technology Management

BusinessInterviews guests

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Episodes

Latest episode

Nov 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

“Join Vision Technology Management founder Dave Swain and agricultural veteran Doug Johnson as they delve into the business side of agricultural technology. With nearly 80 years of combined industry experience, they provide thought-provoking insights and perspectives on different issues. Together, they explore how the industry sometimes overlooks the essential aspect of ag technology: the business behind it. Discover their perspectives on effectively navigating the business aspects of ag technology and preparing for the future of the industry.”

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 2, 2026Episode 6422 min

AI Fatigue, Part #1 (#64)

Are you tired of hearing about AI (Artificial Intelligence)? Seems like this is all we hear about. AI this! AI that! And if it's not directly about AI or if it's about the infrastructure for AI, like data centers. But what about the real world? How are we using AI? How could we use AI? How are we able to rely on the results of AI. So many questions. A lot of opinions, but what are the answers that we are able to take action on in our business? That's the conversation that Doug and Dave discuss on this episode of Vision Tech Perspective. Join us for the conversation! https://visiontechmgmt.com/resources/podcast/ #VisionTechPerspectives

October 8, 2026Episode 6329 min

The Bird Poop Test, Part #3 (#63)

We finish up our conversation on The Bird Poop Test with Part #3. In today's world, we get caught up in all of the new widgets that are supposed to help us to be better at what we do. And in the business environment, ROI (Return on Investment) is one of the biggest concerns for any operation when deciding whether or not to make a purchase or, if it is something that is already in the operation, whether or not to purge from the operation. The latest topic of discussion on Vision Tech Perspectives is concerning ROI. However, we aren't talking about a new calculator or tool or service. We're going back to the basics. Doug brings up one of the most basics of determining factors. The Bird Poop Test. Namely, if your equipment has a lot of bird poop on it, that means it's sitting too much and, maybe, some hard decisions need to be made. We also talk about Maximum Economic Yield and Law of Diminishing Returns. Tools that have been used for decades. Join us for Part #3 of The Bird Poop Test on latest conversation on Vision Tech Perspectives #VisionTechPerspectives https://visiontechmgmt.com/resources/podcast/

September 21, 2026Episode 6225 min

The Bird Poop Test, Part #2 (#62)

We continue the conversation of The Bird Poop Test in Part #2. In today's world, we get caught up in all of the new widgets that are supposed to help us to be better at what we do. And in the business environment, ROI (Return on Investment) is one of the biggest concerns for any operation when deciding whether or not to make a purchase or, if it is something that is already in the operation, whether or not to purge from the operation. The latest topic of discussion on Vision Tech Perspectives is concerning ROI. However, we aren't talking about a new calculator or tool or service. We're going back to the basics. Doug brings up one of the most basics of determining factors. The Bird Poop Test. Namely, if your equipment has a lot of bird poop on it, that means it's sitting too much and, maybe, some hard decisions need to be made. We also talk about Maximum Economic Yield and Law of Diminishing Returns. Tools that have been used for decades. Join us for Part #2 of The Bird Poop Test on latest conversation on Vision Tech Perspectives#VisionTechPerspectiveshttps://visiontechmgmt.com/resources/podcast/

August 31, 2026Episode 6126 min

The Bird Poop Test, Part #1 Updated (#61)

My apologies for the audio issues on the previous post of episode #61. This is a corrected version. Thank you for your patience and understanding. In today's world, we get caught up in all of the new widgets that are supposed to help us to be better at what we do. And in the business environment, ROI (Return on Investment) is one of the biggest concerns for any operation when deciding whether or not to make a purchase or, if it is something that is already in the operation, whether or not to purge from the operation. The latest topic of discussion on Vision Tech Perspectives is concerning ROI. However, we aren't talking about a new calculator or tool or service. We're going back to the basics. Doug brings up one of the most basics of determining factors. The Bird Poop Test. Namely, if your equipment has a lot of bird poop on it, that means it's sitting too much and, maybe, some hard decisions need to be made. We also talk about Maximum Economic Yield and Law of Diminishing Returns. Tools that have been used for decades. Join us for the latest conversation on Vision Tech Perspectives #VisionTechPerspectives https://visiontechmgmt.com/resources/podcast/

August 17, 2026Episode 6126 min

The Bird Poop Test, Part #1 (#61)

In today's world, we get caught up in all of the new widgets that are supposed to help us to be better at what we do. And in the business environment, ROI (Return on Investment) is one of the biggest concerns for any operation when deciding whether or not to make a purchase or, if it is something that is already in the operation, whether or not to purge from the operation. The latest topic of discussion on Vision Tech Perspectives is concerning ROI. However, we aren't talking about a new calculator or tool or service. We're going back to the basics. Doug brings up one of the most basics of determining factors. The Bird Poop Test. Namely, if your equipment has a lot of bird poop on it, that means it's sitting too much and, maybe, some hard decisions need to be made. We also talk about Maximum Economic Yield and Law of Diminishing Returns. Tools that have been used for decades. Join us for the latest conversation on Vision Tech Perspectives #VisionTechPerspectives https://visiontechmgmt.com/resources/podcast/

July 28, 2026Episode 6034 min

Interview with Ted McKinney – Today’s Ag Industry and Trade, Part #4 (#60)

We wrap up our conversation with Ted McKinney, CEO of NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture) and former Under Secretary of Agriculture. We continue discussing the ag industry, the news and trade. As I had mentioned in the Part#1 description, if you’re like me, you read and watch the news and wonder what is going on. And there are times you’d just like to get the chance to sit down and have a conversation with someone who has been or is currently involved at a higher level to have a conversation. In this series of Vision Tech Perspectives, we have the privilege of doing just that. Join us for Part #4 of our conversation with Ted #VisionTechPerspectives http://www.VisionTechMgmt.com

July 9, 2026Episode 5920 min

Interview with Ted McKinney - Today's Ag Industry and Trade, Part #3 (#59)

We continue our conversation with Ted McKinney, CEO of NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture) and former Under Secretary of Agriculture. We continue discussing the ag industry, the news and trade. As I had mentioned in the Part#1 description, if you're likeme, you read and watch the news and wonder what is going on. And there aretimes you'd just like to get the chance to sit down and have a conversationwith someone who has been or is currently involved at a higher level to have aconversation. In this series of Vision Tech Perspectives, we have theprivilege of doing just that. Join us for Part #3 of our conversation with Ted #VisionTechPerspectives www.VisionTechMgmt.com

June 22, 2026Episode 5831 min

Interview with Ted McKinney - Today's Ag Industry and Trade, Part #2 (#58)

We continue our conversation with Ted McKinney, CEO of NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture) and former Under Secretary of Agriculture. We continue discussing the ag industry, the news and trade. As I had mentioned in the Part#1 description, if you're like me, you read and watch the news and wonder what is going on. And there are times you'd just like to get the chance to sit down and have a conversation with someone who has been or is currently involved at a higher level to have a conversation. In this series of Vision Tech Perspectives, we have the privilege of doing just that. Join us for Part #2 of our conversation with Ted #VisionTechPerspectives www.VisionTechMgmt.com

June 8, 2026Episode 5723 min

Interview with Ted McKinney - Today's Ag Industry and Trade, Part #1 (57)

If you're like me, you read and watch the news and wonder what is going on. And there are times you'd just like to get the chance to sit down and have a conversation with someone who has been or is currently involved at a higher level to have a conversation. In this series of Vision Tech Perspectives, we have the privilege of doing just that. We have the opportunity to talk with current CEO of NASDA (National Association of State Departments of Agriculture) and former Under Secretary of Agriculture, Ted McKinney. Join us for Part #1 of our conversation with Ted #VisionTechPerspectives www.VisionTechMgmt.com

May 18, 2026Episode 5626 min

Non-Ag Thoughts on Ag and Food, Part #4 (#56)

As we finish up our conversation with Brad Pitcher, PhD, Industrial Organizational Psychologist, we continue to him ask questions about agriculture and food that he is interested. Agriculture does a great job of producing safe, affordable food. But with the vast majority of the consumers being so far removed from food production, how does the consumer know the quality and safety of their food? And, with the "distance" between the producer and the consumer, how does the producer know what the consumer expects? Join us for Part #4 of this very enlightening conversation. #VisionTechPerspectives https://visiontechmgmt.com/resources/podcast/