Not on stages. Not in public Facebook groups. But inside private discussions where doctors could speak openly with each other about what was really happening inside the profession.

That eventually became ODwire.

In this episode of Power Hour, Eugene sits down with Dr. Adam Farkas, Founder and Chief Technologist of ODwire and CEwire, to unpack the story behind one of the most influential private communities in optometry.

What makes this conversation fascinating is its vantage point. For more than two decades, Adam has had a front-row seat to the real conversations happening inside optometry, the ones doctors have with each other when nobody else is in the room.

And over time, those conversations have quietly become a reflection of how the profession itself has evolved.

How ODwire Started with Cassette Tapes

ODwire grew out of a simple need: optometrists wanted a private way to exchange ideas, ask questions, and learn from one another.

Before online forums existed, Adam’s father, Dr. Paul Farkas, was already doing that through a small peer network of optometrists who shared clinical and practice management insights by mailing recorded cassette tapes across the country.

That same idea eventually became ODwire, originally intended to be a private online community built around peer-to-peer discussion, professional trust, and real conversations between doctors.

Instead, it exploded.

Within a few years, the platform had grown to thousands of doctors, eventually evolving into one of the largest private optometric communities online with over 30,000 OD members and roughly 1.5 million monthly page views.

Despite all the growth, one thing never changed:

The emphasis on privacy, trust, and honest conversation within the industry.

Why Doctors Still Want Private Communities

One of the most interesting themes throughout the episode is why ODwire still matters in a world filled with social media.

According to Adam, most public platforms have one major problem:

They’re no longer truly private.The industry, patients and staff members are all observing. That changes how people communicate.

ODwire intentionally took the opposite approach. Every member is manually verified, discussions are tightly moderated, and the platform was designed specifically to create a space where doctors could speak openly with peers.

That openness leads to conversations most people never see publicly:

• Private equity offers
• Audits and billing concerns
• Associate compensation
• AI skepticism
• The future direction of optometry itself

In many ways, the platform functions like a live pulse check on the profession.

AI, Skepticism & The Future of Online Information

One of the strongest parts of the conversation is Adam’s perspective on AI.

While he sees real value in machine learning tools and clinical technology, he’s also deeply skeptical of the hype surrounding large language models and generalized AI claims.

As Adam explains, AI systems can generate convincing information that is completely inaccurate, including fabricated citations, invented quotes, and inconsistent answers to the same question.

That creates a major challenge in healthcare and education where reliability matters, also reinforcing something else:

Why private human communities may become even more important in the future.

As more of the public internet becomes filled with AI-generated noise, manipulated content, and automated engagement, platforms built around verified professionals and trusted peer conversations become increasingly valuable.

And in many ways, that’s exactly what ODwire has quietly been building for the last 20 years.

From ODwire to CEwire

The conversation also explores the evolution into CEwire, Adam’s online continuing education platform that now delivers more than 75 hours of COPE-approved education annually.

What makes CEwire unique is that it was intentionally designed to be clinician-driven rather than sponsor-driven.

The curriculum is largely shaped by what doctors themselves want to learn about:

• AI
• Dry eye
• Medical optometry
• Myopia management
• Lasers and procedures
• Emerging clinical technologies

And over time, the educational trends inside CEwire have mirrored the broader evolution happening throughout the profession itself.

This episode is ultimately about something bigger than technology.

It’s about trust.

Trust in the conversations happening behind the scenes that often shape the future of the profession long before the rest of the industry notices. For more than two decades, ODwire has quietly become one of those places.

A private corner of optometry where doctors can debate, challenge ideas, ask difficult questions, and figure things out together.

In an internet increasingly filled with noise, that may matter now more than ever.

REGISTER NOW:

ODwire.org is a private community exclusively for eye care professionals and students in training. Apply now to join an active community of over 30,000 members – completely FREE: https://www.odwire.org/community/register/ 

Eyecare BOSS Live Summit

If you’ve been to conferences before, you’ve probably left with many great ideas and intentions, and then when you get back to your practice, nothing actually changes.

Eyecare BOSS Live is designed specifically with that in mind so you can not only know what to do to reach your goals, but also have the tools, strategies, and plans to implement lasting changes once you’re back. to change that.

This is a 2 and a half-day, invitation-only event (September 16–18 in Cleveland) designed specifically for practice owners who want execution, not just inspiration.

Inside the room:

• 200 growth-focused operators
• Peer-level masterminds
• Real conversations around revenue, staffing, leadership, AI, and specialty growth

And everything is built around one outcome:

You leave with a 90-day plan you can actually implement.

If you want to be considered, click the link below:

• ODwire Started Before Social Media | Learn how a cassette tape discussion group eventually evolved into one of the largest private optometric communities online.
• Private Communities Create More Honest Conversations | Discover why verified, OD-only spaces allow doctors to discuss sensitive topics more openly than public social platforms.
• The Profession’s Biggest Concerns Have Changed | See how conversations shifted from practice management and board certification to private equity, recruiting, AI, and medical optometry.
• AI Still Has a Reliability Problem | Understand why Adam remains skeptical of generalized AI claims and what concerns exist around accuracy, hallucinations, and trust.
• Human Communities May Become More Valuable | As AI-generated content floods the internet, trusted peer-to-peer communities may become even more important moving forward.

Connect with Dr. Adam Farkas

Dr. Adam Farkas is the Founder and Chief Technologist of ODwire and CEwire, two of the most influential online platforms in optometry. With a background in medicine, business, and technology, he has spent more than two decades building private professional communities and educational platforms designed specifically for optometrists. Through ODwire’s large-scale peer discussions and CEwire’s clinician-driven education model, Adam has developed a unique perspective on how the profession, technology, and clinical priorities have evolved over time.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-farkas-615b507/ 
• Website: https://www.odwire.org/community/

Connect with Eugene Shatsman

Eugene Shatsman is Host of Power Hour, Managing Partner of National Strategic Group, Co-Creator of The Eyecare BOSS, and a TEDx Speaker. A growth strategist and consultant to hundreds of optometric practices nationwide, Eugene specializes in scaling independent eye care businesses through structured strategy, marketing science, and operational clarity.

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugeneshatsman/ 
• Website: https://eyecareboss.com/