Tim Fisher

Every company says they’re “doing AI” right now, but too many are just adding a chatbot onto outdated customer journeys and calling it a CX strategy. I’ve spent the last two years building AI functions from scratch instead of decorating around the edges, and 25 years before that in IT figuring out which tech actually earns its keep.

As VP of AI at Black & White Zebra, I help editorial, marketing, and product teams tell the difference between AI that solves real problems and AI that just adds noise. My job is turning “what’s technically possible” into decisions that non-specialists can actually make, with guardrails that protect accuracy and reader trust.

Before this role, I built the AI Operations function at People Inc. from scratch, taking scattered experiments and turning them into a real business unit across the company’s brands. I also spent nearly a decade running Lifewire, which I launched from existing About Tech content in 2016 and grew into a Top 10 tech site, generating millions in revenue. I also managed nine other brands, including Treehugger, ThoughtCo, and even had a stint as the leader of Travel + Leisure. Before all of that, I built an IT ticketing and knowledge base system at Target that supported over 10,000 users and was later adopted company-wide.

I studied Computer and Information Sciences at Emporia State University. My technology writing has been cited by The New York Times, Forbes, and Scientific American, as well as in corporate documents from Intel, Adobe, and Mozilla. It is also referenced across more than 100 Wikipedia articles and by the US Library of Congress.

My Areas of Expertise:

• Customer engagement & retention
• Customer service & communications
• Customer insights & performance
• CX leadership & operations
• CX technology & innovation

What’s In My Tech Stack:

AI & Automation:

• Claude & ChatGPT: Used for research, writing, brainstorming, and problem-solving. I keep both Claude and ChatGPT in rotation because they each excel at different tasks, and I prefer using the strengths of multiple models rather than relying on a single vendor.
• Claude Code: My preferred AI coding assistant for building small and large products alike. I use it to accelerate development while still keeping a hands-on approach to engineering.
• Codex: Another agentic coding tool I use for software development and automation work. It complements Claude Code by providing a different set of strengths for coding and experimentation.
• n8n: My primary workflow automation platform. I use it to connect systems and automate processes without writing large amounts of custom code, which aligns closely with the process improvement work I’ve focused on throughout my career.

Home Lab & Self-Hosted Infrastructure:

• Linux: My preferred operating system for development, experimentation, and self-hosted infrastructure. It’s the foundation of my home lab, where I enjoy building and testing new ideas.
• Home Assistant: The platform that powers my smart home and IoT automation. Beyond managing my home, it’s also a practical environment for experimenting with system orchestration concepts before applying similar thinking to business processes.
• OpenClaw: Used alongside Home Assistant for home and IoT automation projects. It gives me another platform for exploring automation, integrations, and system orchestration in a self-hosted environment.

Project & Knowledge Management:

• Asana: My primary project management platform for organizing work, tracking progress, and keeping projects visible across teams.
• Airtable: My go-to solution when spreadsheets become too limiting but a full database is unnecessary. I use it to build flexible workflows, manage structured data, and create lightweight operational systems.
• Slite: The shared documentation platform I use for capturing team knowledge, documenting processes, and keeping information accessible across the organization.
• Capacities: My personal knowledge management system and “second brain.” I use it to organize ideas, notes, research, and long-term thinking so information is easy to revisit and connect over time.