Inside Tech Comm with Zohra Mutabanna

Zohra Mutabanna

Inside Tech Comm is a show for anyone interested in learning more about technical communication. It will also be of interest to those who are new to the field or career-switchers exploring creative ways to expand their horizon. You can write to me at insidetechcomm@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

  1. 5d ago

    S8E2 Content Is The Strategy

    We talk with Lindsey Rix about moving beyond AI anxiety and experimenting with what AI can actually make possible for technical writers. Drawing from her presentation, Content Is the Strategy, Lindsey shares how she moved from experimenting with custom agents and AI skills to working with developer-adjacent tools, source code, and MCP connections. She explains why she starts with the problem rather than the tool, how AI is helping her gather and interpret information more efficiently, and why technical writers’ language, research, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills may become even more valuable. Some highlights from our conversation: Reframing AI from threat to tool through hands-on experimentationUsing content standards, patterns, and style guidance to improve AI resultsRecognizing how technical writing skills translate to prompt engineering and AI workflowsLearning new tools by building personal projects outside workCreating repeatable AI “skills” from real pain points and busyworkDrafting from pull requests and source code using connectors and MCPAsking for read-only access and demonstrating value through small experimentsBuilding resiliency by troubleshooting, iterating, and continuing to learnUse discount code ITC26 to save $200 on registration for this year's conference.

    S8E2 Content Is The Strategy

  2. Aug 7

    S8E1 What Do We Lose When We Forget Our Work History

    We talk with Sharon Burton, editor of Women in Technical Communication, about how women’s stories reveal the real history of technical communication and why our work is bigger than “typing words.” We connect documentation to revenue, customer stickiness, and institutional knowledge while facing the disruption and cost realities of AI.  Episode highlights: Sharon’s path into TechCom and how the book comes together How the field flips from mostly men to mostly women over 50 years Why AI changes workflows but does not replace task analysis and judgment Tying documentation and user assistance to retention, adoption, and revenue Why being left off the “team” slide hurts and how writers validate each other Using conferences to learn the current language for proving value Shared patterns for women in tech across cultures and generations Documenting careers and decisions before retirements erase context The pay gap still showing up in today’s data Use discount code ITC26 to save $200 on registration for this year's LavaCon.

    S8E1 What Do We Lose When We Forget Our Work History

  3. Feb 25

    S7E4 Claiming Space In Systems Not Built For You with Kae Kronthaler-Williams

    We explore how to navigate bias, claim space, and thrive in systems not built for women and minorities. Kae Williams shares practical ways to build influence, handle microaggressions, and reach senior leaders with competence and calm. We touch upon these topics: mapping systemic patterns that reward proximity over performancetying work to business goals to earn visibilityone‑on‑one networking and cross‑team collaborationscripts to approach CFOs and VPs for inputworking with ego‑first leaders and assessing fitidentifying microaggressors and setting boundariesdocumenting severe incidents and staying professionalbuilding external support networks and mentorshipcreating psychological safety and inclusive teamsspeaking up with data, questions, and clarityFind Kae’s book Not Made For You on her website with links to Amazon and more. Follow Kae on LinkedIn, Substack, and Instagram. Guest Bio Kae Kronthaler-Williams is a marketing leader who knows how to turn big ideas into real growth. She’s led teams as CMO at companies like Ocelot and Adroit North America, working at the intersection of AI, supply chain, manufacturing, and data-driven strategy.  Kae is also a coach and speaker who cares deeply about people, purpose, and performance. She helps leaders build better cultures, strengthen their influence, and lead with confidence and clarity. She’s passionate about equity, growth — both professional and personal — and what it really takes to show up as your best self in work and life.  Show Credits Intro and outro music - AzAudio engineer - RJ Basilio

    S7E4 Claiming Space In Systems Not Built For You with Kae Kronthaler-Williams

  4. Feb 10

    S7E3 Who Owns Ideas When Machines Learn From Us with Julie Trelstad

    We ask Julie Trostad how authors can protect their work in an AI-first world and where ethics, law, and new licensing models meet. From content fingerprinting to smarter metadata, we map practical steps, real risks, and hopeful paths for fair compensation. We start with the foundation: what intellectual property actually protects, how work-for-hire changes ownership, and why attribution still matters. From US lawsuits that punish pirated training data versus Europe’s stricter model for text and data mining rights, Julie explains how content fingerprinting and registries like ISCC plus AMLET give AI systems a machine-readable “do and don’t” list—ranging from research-only to fully licensed generative use—so rights can be recognized and respected across platforms. Guest Bio Julie Trelstad is a publishing strategist with 30+ years of experience helping authors and publishers navigate industry change. She currently leads U.S. Publishing at Amlet.ai, where she focuses on how creators can protect and license their work in the age of AI. Julie’s background spans traditional, digital, and rights-driven roles across major publishing segments, and she’s a voice on ethical AI use, content discovery, and digital rights for creative work.  Show Credits Intro and outro music - AzAudio engineer - RJ Basilio

    S7E3 Who Owns Ideas When Machines Learn From Us with Julie Trelstad

  5. Jan 23

    S7E2 People Squared: Reinventing Work With AI with Monica Marquez

    The AI tools arrived, the dashboards lit up, and the ROI… didn’t. Monica Marquez of Flipwork unpacks what actually drives meaningful adoption—and what kills it. The short answer: people and process, not just platforms. The longer answer: psychological safety, shared playbooks, and a clear path from micro efficiencies to measurable impact. Monica walks us through the mindset shift from fearing replacement to becoming “people squared,” where AI handles the drudge work, and humans double down on judgment, taste, and lived expertise. From thawing the “frozen middle” of management to building agentic AI that connects steps across a workflow, we map a practical route to real ROI. Monica shares Flipwork’s 90‑day sprint, the Flip Factor readiness assessment, and “Flippy,” a non-judgmental change agent that helps individuals identify their "zone of genius" and teams redesign processes. Along the way, we spotlight case studies like IKEA’s upskilling strategy, and we explore how micro wins—clarifying requirements, synthesizing research, in-context coaching—compound into major gains. Let's move past the hype and make AI a partner that elevates your craft.  This conversation outlines the practices, mindsets, and tools required to achieve this goal. Guest Bio Monica Marquez is a workplace AI strategist, leadership, learning, and inclusion expert, and serial entrepreneur. She is the founder of FlipWork, Inc., the only enterprise-wide AI workforce transformation system that ensures Fortune 500 companies adapt quickly to disruptive change. FlipWork helps employees at every level adopt AI successfully by transforming how people see, think, and work so they can keep pace with rapid workplace change. She also publishes ¡Ay Ay Ay, AI!, a weekly newsletter that gives leaders five minutes of clear, actionable guidance on thriving in the age of AI. Monica brings more than 20 years of executive experience spanning talent, learning, and inclusion at Google, EY, Bank of America, and Goldman Sachs. At Goldman Sachs, she pioneered the Returnship and New Directions programs, setting the industry benchmark for helping experienced professionals reenter the workforce. At Google, she co-founded the Product Inclusion Council to shape more inclusive product design. She is also the co-founder of Beyond Barriers and has hosted more than 300 podcast episodes spotlighting transformative leadership journeys. Recognized among Entrepreneur Magazine’s 100 Women of Influence and ALPFA’s Most Powerful Latinas in 2024, Monica continues to champion equity, innovation, and leadership in every arena. Show Credits Intro and outro music - AzAudio engineer - RJ Basilio

    S7E2 People Squared: Reinventing Work With AI with Monica Marquez

  6. Jan 16

    S7E1 When Your Bot Writes Poetry For Execs with Chuck Nealis

    We kick off the new season by breaking down the “contractor mindset” for writing prompts — the key to getting AI to deliver to spec, not with unnecessary “flair.” Chuck Nealis joins us to explore how to write high-impact prompts through the lens of storytelling. We dig into the simple but powerful guardrails that help navigate AI’s context window. Because as conversations grow, crucial constraints tend to fade — and that’s when prompt drift begins. So what do you do when the whiteboard starts getting messy? In this episode, we unpack: Explicit prompts with clear purpose, audience, and formatContractor mindset over poetic creativityContext window limits and the 80% summary handoffLabeling drafts and starting fresh threadsTriangulated reviews across multiple AIsVerifying sources and rejecting fabricated citationsBuilding repeatable, reliable prompt blueprintsWhy consistency leads to accuracyTreat AI’s memory like a whiteboard, not a library — and start designing prompts that stick. Guest Bio Chuck Nealis is a seasoned instructional designer, Organizational Change Management lead, and AI prompt expert with over 20 years of experience helping organizations deploy practical AI‑powered learning solutions and training programs.  Chuck is also an author and thought leader on effective AI usage, focusing on precision‑engineered prompting and learning design.  Show Credits Intro and outro music - AzAudio engineer - RJ Basilio

    S7E1 When Your Bot Writes Poetry For Execs with Chuck Nealis

  7. 10/08/2025

    S6E5 Smart Metatagging Tips for a Path to AI-ready Content with Regina and Max

    We unpack how structured content and metadata make AI useful, reliable, and traceable across complex organizations. Regina and Max join us to connect strategy and tech, from RAG fundamentals to governance that bridges silos and boosts trust. Some highlights: How to define AI readinessMaking metadata part of authoring, not an afterthoughtWhy component content + semantic markup matterData fabrics, ontologies, and harmonized vocabularies What are the barriers to tagging, and how to overcome themRAG for traceable answers and risk controlA cancer information case study for empathy and speedFinding the sweet spot in tag granularityAudits, lifecycle, and content as a business assetTools landscape: authoring, optimization, taxonomy, localizationGuest Bios Regina Lynn Preciado is a Sr. Director of Content Strategy at Content Rules, with decades of experience in structured content, metadata, and content automation. She works with clients across life sciences, tech, manufacturing, and finance to make content findable, usable, and scalable. A skilled communicator and facilitator, she co-authored The Personalization Paradox, helping organizations succeed with personalized experiences at scale. Max Swisher is Director of Technology at Content Rules, where he helps clients implement structured authoring and data solutions. With a background as a technical writer and system administrator, he bridges technical insight with practical execution. Max supports companies across diverse industries in transforming their content to be AI-ready and metadata-rich.  Show Credits Intro and outro music - AzAudio engineer - RJ Basilio

    S6E5 Smart Metatagging Tips for a Path to AI-ready Content with Regina and Max

  8. 10/01/2025

    S6E4 Audio Synthesis in AI: Breaking Down Barriers with Manny Silva

    Manny graces our show once more to share insights on audio synthesis, a technology that has evolved far beyond robotic voices into sophisticated AI systems. It has made documentation more accessible and enhanced technical communication workflows. Manny and I discuss practical applications, implementation strategies, and ethical considerations for incorporating audio synthesis into documentation. Key takeaways: What is audio synthesis?How the "curb cut effect" of audio options benefits everyone, not just those with disabilitiesHow can you implement audio synthesis through CI/CD pipelines for docs-as-code or integrated into CMS publication workflows?How should you prepare content with alternative descriptions for visual elements like code blocks and diagrams for audio synthesis?Considerations for voice cloning and careful ethical consideration to avoid misuse.What are some proprietary and open-source options that provide audio libraries?Guest Bio A tech writer by day and engineer by night, Manny Silva is Head of Docs at Skyflow, codifier of Docs as Tests, and the creator of Doc Detective. He’s passionate about intuitive and scalable developer experiences and likes diving into the deep end as the 0th developer. Show Credits Intro and outro music - AzAudio engineer - RJ Basilio

    S6E4 Audio Synthesis in AI: Breaking Down Barriers with Manny Silva
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

Inside Tech Comm is a show for anyone interested in learning more about technical communication. It will also be of interest to those who are new to the field or career-switchers exploring creative ways to expand their horizon. You can write to me at insidetechcomm@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

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