In this episode of Built To Scale, Paul Koetke sits down with Kevin Fuller, Critical Environment Operations Manager at Microsoft, to unpack the hidden infrastructure powering the AI boom and why data centers are being pushed to their limits.

Kevin shares his journey from the US Navy’s nuclear submarine program to leading mission-critical operations in a modern data center. The conversation breaks down the surprising overlap between nuclear systems and data infrastructure, the challenges of maintaining uptime, and how AI is forcing the entire industry to rethink power, cooling, and scalability.

From water usage myths to real-world infrastructure constraints, this episode offers a grounded look at what it actually takes to keep the digital world running.

• AI is rapidly increasing demand for power, cooling, and compute infrastructure.
• Data centers operate with strict, mission-critical safety and uptime procedures.
• Power availability and cooling capacity are the main infrastructure bottlenecks.
• Water is used mainly for efficient cooling and modern facilities are more efficient.
• Data centers deliver high economic value relative to their energy and water use.
• Skilled people remain the most critical factor in data center operations, even with AI.

• [0:03] - Introduction to Kevin Fuller
• [3:21] - Lessons from Nuclear Submarine Operations
• [4:15] - Mission-Critical Systems
• [7:20] - Maintaining vs Building Data Center
• [10:19] - Legacy Systems vs Standardised Designs
• [12:37] - AI’s Impact on Data Centre Growth
• [14:25] - Water Usage in Data Center Explained
• [17:14] - Comparing Industrial Water Usage
• [19:36] - Economic Output of Data Center
• [21:13] - Scaling Teams and Operations
• [24:10] - Where the Industry Should Invest Next

Connect with the Host Paul Koetke:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulkoetke/

Connect with the Guest Kevin Fuller:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fullerkevinj/

More from Koetke Consulting:

• Website: https://www.koetkeconsulting.com/
• LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/koetke-consulting/

Sixty-six percent of project leaders are flying blind. In the high-stakes world of data centers, critical information is often buried in siloed systems and scattered spreadsheets. When change happens, you don't just need data—you need clarity. Welcome to Built to Scale: Data Center Industry Insights.

I’m Paul Koetke. I’ve spent my career helping Fortune 500 organizations turn chaotic capital portfolios into streamlined, real-time engines for growth. I’ve seen what happens when million-dollar decisions are made without visibility, and I’ve seen the massive ROI that comes when you finally see the full picture.

This podcast is for the leaders building the world’s digital infrastructure. We’re moving past the surface-level talk to look at the mechanical, electrical, and data-driven realities of scaling at a hyperscale level.

Each week, we sit down with the experts managing the world’s most critical environments—from nuclear propulsion veterans to senior program managers at the biggest names in tech. No handoffs. No confusion. Just actionable insights on how to build to scale.

Follow "Built to Scale" right now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your shows. Let’s turn your scattered data into clear decisions.