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David Ferguson

Founder of 5000fish and Tech Smart Boss. Check out Yurbi.com and my podcast soundcloud.com/techsmartboss for more on me.

David Ferguson is a technology entrepreneur and business leader with a focus on business intelligence and leveraging technology for business growth.12 He is the founder of Tech Smart Boss, a platform that provides insights and resources for entrepreneurs and small business owners on how to effectively use technology to grow their businesses.34

Professional Background

David Ferguson is currently serving as the CEO and President of 5000fish, Inc., a company based in Washington, DC.1 He holds a BSE in Electrical Engineering and an MSE in System Engineering, which provides him with a strong technical foundation for his work in business intelligence and technology.1

Entrepreneurial Ventures

  1. 5000fish, Inc.: Ferguson is the founder of 5000fish, Inc., which is likely related to his work in business intelligence.5

  2. Tech Smart Boss: As the founder of Tech Smart Boss, Ferguson hosts a podcast where he discusses how entrepreneurs and small business owners can leverage technology to grow their businesses faster.34

Expertise and Contributions

David Ferguson is known for his expertise in:

  • Business intelligence
  • Simplifying complex technological concepts
  • Helping businesses leverage technology for growth

His podcast, The Tech Smart Boss Podcast, covers topics such as:

  • Financial tech stacks for small businesses7
  • Productivity tools for remote work7
  • What it means to be a "Tech Smart Boss"6

Ferguson emphasizes that being a "Tech Smart Boss" doesn't necessarily require being a techie, but rather understanding how to effectively use technology in business.6

Online Presence

David Ferguson maintains an active online presence:

  • LinkedIn: His username is davferg, where he shares insights on business intelligence and ROI.5
  • Podcast: Available on platforms like Apple Podcasts and Luminary.46
  • Website: He runs techsmartboss.com, which likely serves as a hub for his content and resources.3

David Ferguson is regarded as a knowledgeable and pleasant professional to work with, particularly in the field of business intelligence.2

Highlights

May 18 · linkedin

Struggling with what business metrics to monitor? 😫

Here are 4 common mistakes that I'll put forward to avoid:

❌ Mistake #1 - Focusing on lagging indicators (i.e. the past). While these can be useful for understanding past performance, they don't necessarily provide insight into future performance. Instead, let's focus on leading indicators that drive future results.

A personal example: instead of looking at the scale on Monday and tracking weight loss (a lagging indicator), I find it better to track daily exercise and eating habits. If I work out 4 times a week and eat well, I can expect to lose 2 lbs.

❌ Mistake #2 - Not setting goals. Without clear goals, it's hard to know what metrics to track or why. Set specific, measurable, and attainable goals for your business, and use metrics to track progress toward those goals.  

So in the example above, if I have a goal of 4 days a week of CrossFit and do meal planning each day, my metrics have very clear targets. If I'm not on track for the week, I know more clearly what I need to do to adjust immediately (see #4 below).

❌ Mistake #3 - Poor data quality. Garbage in, garbage out. Be sure that your data is accurate, reliable, and up-to-date.  

Keeping with the weight loss, if I focused on calories consumed, it's going to be bad data quality. While I'm pretty good at knowing calories, there's always hidden calories. Poor data, bad metrics.

❌ Mistake #4 - No actionable insights. Metrics alone won't do much good without actionable insights. Use your data to identify trends, patterns, and opportunities for improvement, and take action accordingly.

If it's Thursday and I haven't exercised all week, I need to do a lot over the weekend or just go out and binge and restart Monday (the pattern I've been in since pre-Covid, it seems).

👉🏼 Takeaway Message: By avoiding these four common mistakes, you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of your business performance and make data-driven decisions to drive growth.

✅ Call to action: Think about what drives your business, apply the model above.  Map out your metrics and experiment. Find out your leading indicators and get away from eye candy metrics.

If you like this, please comment and share on your feed (stop ghost reading 👻).

Also, if you have some really valuable leading indicator metrics you use in business (or personal), leave them in the comments.

#businessmetrics #datadriven #goals #actionableinsights #businesstips #datainsights

May 11 · linkedin

Are you ready to become a savvy cord-cutter?✂️💰💻

Once upon a time, I was a regular cable subscriber, but I eventually grew tired of the costly bills (over $240 a month 😫). Then, I discovered YouTube TV (and Roku), which only charged me $35 a month (back then).

However, over time, I found myself subscribing to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HBO Max, Discovery+, Hulu, MGM+, and YouTube TV, the monthly spending on streaming had gone through the roof! 💸

But the final nail in the coffin was last month, when YouTube TV upped their prices again—the cost became $73 a month! It was time to explore other options, not because I couldn't pay it, it just irks me they didn't grandfather my $35 rate! 😤

✅ I found that Paramount+, Peacock, and Hulu, covered most of my favorite network primetime shows.

✅ I found my local news networks were available for free, as were many others (see below).

❌ But I still had some big gaps around cable news (CNN, Fox), sports (ESPN, TNT, NBA on ABC, etc). There's no real way around those, you have to have a cable-like subscription to login. Luckily, I have a workaround, my parents satellite dish subscription. Not sure I could pull off cancelling YouTube TV without that. 😭

So I did it, I cancelled YouTube TV. But, there are some downsides to share:

--I really miss the DVR and having everything stored in one place. I have things scattered all over now in multiple apps. --I really miss the channel guide and being able to surf in one place, switching apps is slow. --I miss the YouTube TV mobile app, primarily due to the 2 reasons above when traveling.

But there are some upsides:

--I saved $73 per month! (was it worth it? not sure, but I refused to pay the 5 ala Martin Lawrence) 💰 --You have to be more intentional about what you watch (hard to channel surf) --I discovered a ton of free ad-driven services like Roku Channel, Plutio, Tubi, Plex, Sling Freestream and more that give me a ton of free stuff to watch (and satisfies my channel surfing).

To wrap up, I'm happy. My kids are happy (they never watched YouTube TV, they just stream YouTube and watch Netflix). The wife, not so happy. So I may come back and pay the $73 in the future (happy wife, happy life) but for now, I feel like a real cord-cutter as YouTube TV has just become cable 2.0.

#CordCutting #Roku #YouTubeTV #SaveMoney #FreeStreaming

Any questions about cord cutting? Let me know or if you have an experience to share, please leave a comment.

Related Questions

What inspired David Ferguson to start Tech Smart Boss?
What are some key takeaways from the Tech Smart Boss podcast?
How does David Ferguson's background in electrical and system engineering influence his approach at Tech Smart Boss?
What is the main focus of the Tech Smart Boss podcast?
How can entrepreneurs leverage technology according to David Ferguson?
David Ferguson
David Ferguson, photo 1
David Ferguson, photo 2
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Location

Washington DC-Baltimore Area