In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, speaks with Antonios Meimaris, Founder and CEO/CTO of PaperLab. Antonios shares how his company is redefining AI in research by giving scientists and professionals tools to speed up innovation. PaperLab automates the labour-intensive process of literature review, analysing millions of academic papers to extract insights that traditional databases often miss. This breakthrough allows researchers to focus less on manual research tasks and more on experimentation and discovery. Antonios explains how PaperLab dramatically improves the efficiency of research and peer review by using advanced AI to analyse academic papers and complex data sources. Researchers can now process thousands of references in minutes, significantly reducing project timelines and improving the quality of their work. Beyond academia, PaperLab’s intelligent automation has broad applications in fields like consulting and law, where professionals must analyse extensive documentation. Unlike general-purpose AI tools such as ChatGPT or Gemini, PaperLab’s technology can accurately interpret formulas, tables, and technical structures, ensuring reliable and contextually accurate outputs that professionals can trust. At the core of PaperLab lies a custom-built AI system designed to process research documents securely and accurately. Rather than relying on off-the-shelf tools, PaperLab converts PDFs into markdown format, maintaining equations, special characters, and tables for precise understanding. Antonios explains that the platform integrates diffusion models and large language models (LLMs) to ensure both accuracy and depth of insight. Diffusion models refine data iteratively, mimicking how humans think and write by forming an idea and improving it over multiple passes. This enables faster, more accurate text and data processing while maintaining security, as all files are stored privately on PaperLab’s servers, critical for unpublished or sensitive research. Antonios’ passion for diffusion models began during his undergraduate studies in Greece in 2013, long before the explosion of AI tools like ChatGPT. His academic research focused on creating faster and more efficient algorithms without the need for extensive computing resources. He recalls how the release of Google’s 2017 “Attention Is All You Need” paper introduced transformer architecture, which revolutionised modern AI. However, Antonios believes the industry is reaching a scaling plateau, adding more data and compute power is producing diminishing returns. The next leap forward, he says, will come from smarter, more efficient AI frameworks that prioritise algorithmic innovation over brute force scaling. As AI adoption surges globally, Antonios urges business leaders to take a more strategic approach. He points out that most organisations should first establish strong automation processes before integrating complex AI systems. Both Antonios and Anthony highlight the risks of premature AI implementation, including higher costs, inefficiencies, and potential data security issues. They emphasise that not every problem requires an AI solution—sometimes, simple automation achieves better outcomes. As Anthony notes, using AI for basic processes is like “hiring Picasso to paint your walls”, technically possible, but an inefficient use of resources. Antonios closes by sharing his vision for PaperLab as a catalyst for global scientific progress. He hopes the platform will empower researchers to accelerate discoveries in fields such as healthcare, environmental science, and technology. By dramatically reducing the time spent on literature reviews and data processing, PaperLab enables scientists to focus on innovation and experimentation. Antonios envisions a future where AI not only enhances efficiency but also fuels groundbreaking advancements that change lives. As Anthony summari

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo speaks with Matt Allen, Head of Capital & New Markets at Tractor Ventures, about building sustainable startups, navigating investment options and leveraging non-dilutive funding to scale responsibly. Matt shares his evolution from software engineer to angel investor and venture leader, exploring how modern AI-driven tools have reshaped his technical and financial perspective. He reveals how Tractor Ventures is helping founders grow without losing equity or control, redefining how startups fund long-term success. Matt began his career as a self-taught software developer in Sydney, running startups and a hosting company before moving into tech recruitment and later joining Amazon Web Services (AWS). At AWS, he supported founders through the startup and venture capital ecosystem, helping them scale with cloud infrastructure and early-stage resources. His entrepreneurial mindset, however, led him away from corporate life and towards creating something new, a journey that would ultimately lead to Tractor Ventures. Matt shares how his first successful investment in Xero gave him the foundation to become an angel investor, backing startups that built tools for developers. By connecting with startup communities and Blackbird Ventures, he learned that angel investing is about conviction, people and execution, not just technology or spreadsheets. He also realised that sustainable growth comes from founders who understand their customers deeply and can sell beyond their network, not from chasing “unicorn” valuations. Inspired by his time at AWS, Matt saw a gap for tech founders running profitable businesses that weren’t eligible for venture capital or bank loans. Tractor Ventures was built to bridge that funding gap, providing revenue-based, non-dilutive financing to founders with recurring income and high gross margins. Matt explains how Tractor’s credit engine analyses real business data to lend responsibly, helping founders scale without sacrificing ownership or personal assets. This model creates a new category of funding that sits between equity and traditional debt. Matt and Andrew discuss when startups should consider debt financing versus equity investment. Debt suits businesses with proven, predictable revenue streams, while equity is better for companies seeking rapid expansion in large markets. Matt advises founders to view customer revenue as the best source of capital, followed by grants and borrowing, since selling equity often dilutes ownership and slows growth. The key, he says, is building a profitable, sustainable business before chasing external capital. Modern founders, Matt explains, can blend debt and equity to fuel growth without over-reliance on either. Raising equity can take months and distract teams from building products or generating revenue, whereas private credit or revenue-based finance offers faster, flexible solutions. Matt urges founders to calculate the true cost of capital, considering how each choice affects control, growth speed and long-term outcomes. In closing, Matt highlights how interest rates directly influence startup funding cycles. When rates are low, investors chase higher returns through startups; when rates rise, safer investments like term deposits become more appealing, drying up venture capital. This affects both investor sentiment and founder confidence, reducing risk appetite across the ecosystem. Matt’s insights reveal how macroeconomic factors shape access to capital and underline the importance of resilient, adaptable business models. #DevReadyPodcast #MattAllen #TractorVentures #StartupFunding #SustainableGrowth #AI #SaaS #Founders #Entrepreneurship #AerionTechnologies

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host  Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, speaks with Leah Houston, Founder of evercred, about her remarkable journey from emergency medicine to healthtech entrepreneurship. Leah reveals how a case of identity theft and Medicare fraud exposed deep flaws in the medical credentialing system, sparking her mission to build a secure, AI-powered platform that eliminates friction and protects professional identities. Her decade-long medical experience gave her unique insight into the inefficiencies and risks of the existing 4–6-month verification process, inspiring her to leverage technology to transform how doctors manage credentials and compliance. After discovering that many other doctors faced similar issues, Leah harnessed her Silicon Valley network to design and build evercred, a platform that simplifies credential management and safeguards data integrity. Through an SEC-approved crowdfunding campaign, she raised capital from 600 physician investors, creating a community-driven approach to innovation in healthcare technology. Despite launching during the COVID-19 pandemic, Leah successfully led a distributed team, building evercred from concept to functional product while learning the fundamentals of software development and startup leadership along the way. Leah opens up about the hard lessons of her early startup journey, from hiring the wrong technical co-founder to rebuilding an entire product that was poorly architected. Comparing software development to “building a house without blueprints,” she and Anthony discuss the importance of planning, technical accountability, and recognising the difference between genuine full-stack expertise and overconfidence. Today, Leah’s team leverages modern tools like DevSwarm and PostHog, using AI-driven parallel development and analytics to accelerate delivery, ensure scalability, and gain real-time visibility into user experience. She also shares her first-hand experience learning to code through platforms like Cursor and Vercel, deepening her understanding of workflows, prototyping, and product communication.   As evercred grows, Leah remains focused on aligning technical innovation with business goals. She explains how the platform manages both medical and personal identification data under HIPAA-level compliance, with new features like advanced OCR for credential detection, expiry notifications, and upcoming AI-powered agent automation. Through practical analogies, such as Heinz’s multi-million-dollar investment in designing its iconic ketchup cap, Leah underscores the importance of knowing when to prioritise design, usability, and iteration. The conversation highlights how startups must balance ambition, design precision, and resource constraints while maintaining long-term strategic vision. Leah also reveals the broader mission behind evercred—to build a decentralised network of physicians that empowers doctors to collaborate, coordinate care, and receive fair compensation through direct payment engines and AI-enabled autonomy. Her long-term vision is to tackle the inefficiency of healthcare systems where up to 70% of funding is lost to waste and administration. By combining decentralisation, automation, and collective intelligence, Leah aims to redefine how healthcare operates, creating a transparent, efficient, and equitable future where physicians regain control of their data and their profession. #DevReadyPodcast #LeahHouston #evercred #AIinHealthcare #MedicalCredentialing #HealthTech #Automation #DecentralisedHealthcare #AerionTechnologies

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzisspeaks with Nikos Patsis, CEO of DisruptIQ, about his journey from engineering to AI entrepreneurship and building global technology ventures. Nikos shares insights from his studies at Harvard and his experience in financial innovation before founding VoiceWeb, one of the early pioneers in conversational AI. He discusses how he scaled his companies across 30+ countries, navigated investor challenges, and built adaptable teams. This conversation explores real-world lessons in AI innovation, startup funding, leadership, and sustainable business growth. Nikos began his career studying engineering at the National Technical University of Athens and later specialised in financial engineering at Harvard University. His research on exotic options pricing led to a role at a private equity fund in New York, where he applied his models to real-world investments. After gaining international experience in Bermuda’s financial sector, he returned to Greece to launch his ventures, including a successful mobile value-added services company across Central America. Eventually, his passion for technology and innovation led him to found VoiceWeb, a company that would reshape the future of customer service through AI. Founded in the early 2000s, VoiceWeb was one of the first companies to automate customer care using voice and chatbot technologies. The company worked with major banks and telecoms, transforming call centres through voice recognition long before AI became mainstream. Nikos reflects on the challenges of educating a sceptical market and how perceptions of automation have evolved. He also emphasises the need for governments and businesses to prepare for AI’s societal impact as the technology continues to accelerate globally. VoiceWeb’s commitment to local market understanding helped it expand into over 30 countries across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, partnering with industry giants like Vodafone, Raiffeisen Bank, and MTN. Nikos explains how cultural sensitivity and adaptability allowed them to outperform larger competitors like Google and IBM. He also shares lessons from securing Series A funding, warning founders about the “time tax” that comes with institutional investors and the need to choose backers who offer strategic support rather than just capital. Nikos distinguishes between passive investors and operational VCs: those who bring value through experience, networks, and practical guidance. He stresses that scaling from 0–1 is very different from scaling from 1–3, and operational expertise can make or break a company’s growth. As an investor himself, Nikos looks for teams who build businesses, not just products. He believes that successful startups combine strong distribution, cultural intelligence, and the ability to adapt quickly to changing markets. To close, Nikos offers actionable advice for founders navigating today’s competitive talent market. He advocates hiring based on results rather than résumés, setting clear performance milestones, and making fast decisions when hires do not work out. Loyalty, he warns, cannot replace competence. Poor hiring decisions can weaken culture, reduce morale, and hinder scalability. For Nikos, the foundations of long-term success are decisive leadership, outcome-driven teams, and a clear focus on business results. #DevReadyPodcast #AIInnovation #StartupGrowth #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #DisruptIQ #VoiceWeb #AerionTechnologies #AI #Founders #TechLeadership

In this AI Roundup episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders , is joined by Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity, collaboration and productivity. Together they discuss OpenAI’s Sora app, the future of AI filmmaking, the evolution of AI assistants like ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini, and how teams can integrate AI more effectively. This episode offers actionable insights for creators, developers and business leaders looking to embrace the power of AI tools in smarter, more intentional ways. Anthony and Gareth begin by examining the cultural impact of OpenAI’s Sora app, which has sparked a flood of low-quality, AI-generated videos across social media. Gareth calls this “AI slop”, highlighting the danger of creativity being replaced by noise and spectacle. Anthony likens it to “TikTok at its worst”, questioning whether such platforms can sustain meaningful content or ethical monetisation. Both agree that while AI tools can unlock creativity, their true potential lies in empowering skilled creators and storytellers rather than fuelling superficial trends. The discussion turns to how AI could make filmmaking more accessible to creators with big ideas but limited resources. Gareth believes AI will open the door for new creative voices, while Anthony notes that truly exceptional work will still stand out. They reference OpenAI’s $10 million investment in an AI-made film, debating whether it will be seen as “an AI-made film” or simply “a great film that happens to use AI.” Both agree the future of AI in creative industries depends on how well these tools integrate into authentic storytelling and artistic expression. Gareth and Anthony explore the evolution of AI assistants across major tech platforms. Gareth discusses Apple’s upcoming Apple Intelligence update that connects Siri to ChatGPT, while Anthony notes Microsoft’s integration of Claude into Copilot, showing a clear trend toward flexibility and model diversity. They also unpack the latest ChatGPT Teams features, praising its project-sharing improvements but highlighting the ongoing lack of true team collaboration. For AI to thrive in enterprise environments, they argue, it must evolve from personal tools to shared digital teammates that enhance productivity and transparency. Anthony and Gareth dive into OpenAI’s Agent Builder, assessing its impact on existing automation platforms like n8n, Zapier and Make. Gareth stresses that learning how to design and optimise workflows is more valuable than jumping from one platform to another. They discuss combining AI agents with simpler automations to improve reliability and debugging. The pair also touch on voice-driven workflows using tools like WhisperFlow, praising its creative potential but acknowledging privacy considerations. Their advice is clear: the future belongs to those who understand processes, not just prompts. Gareth shares his daily “AI stand-up” ritual, where he briefs tools like Claude, Gemini and Activity to plan his day before team meetings. This structured approach helps him maintain focus and efficiency. Anthony compares it with his own spontaneous use of AI and introduces ChatGPT Pulse, a new feature that proactively updates users on ongoing tasks. They explore how AI is moving from reactive to proactive assistance, signalling a shift toward intelligent automation that anticipates user needs. In the final segment, Gareth explains how prompting styles should adapt to different contexts. When using AI within apps like Google Sheets or Docs, he recommends being more precise and task-specific, treating AI as a contextual assistant rather than a general chatbot. Anthony shares his “keyword-first” prompting strategy, shaped by years of expert Googling, and praises its clarity and speed. Together, they discuss how voice feedback tools

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Joe Woodham, CEO and Founder of Torii Consulting. Joe shares his entrepreneurial journey from door-to-door sales and recruitment to building one of Australia’s leading UX and service design consultancies. He reflects on the lessons learned from failed ventures, like importing kitchen sinks from China, and how he leveraged those experiences to successfully pivot into recruitment and later into human-centred design. Today, Torii Consulting partners with some of the biggest enterprise brands in Australia, including Australia Post, NAB, Telstra and Coles, helping them improve digital experiences, streamline customer journeys, and maximise ROI through thoughtful design. Joe explains how his recruitment business evolved into a consultancy by spotting gaps in the market and staying ahead of industry trends. Unlike large consultancies that dominated the development space, he recognised that design remained relatively under-served and offered opportunities to deliver more tailored value. By building strong connections and maintaining a people-first approach, he positioned Torii as a specialist in UX and service design. He emphasises that design is not just about aesthetics but about improving usability, reducing friction, and creating digital products that deliver measurable business outcomes. A key theme in this conversation is how poor design drives dependency on customer support and chatbots, while great design eliminates these problems entirely by enabling users to self-serve. Joe illustrates this with examples such as Amazon’s one-click purchase, which removes friction in the buying journey and boosts conversions at scale. He contrasts the rapid but often short-sighted approach of startups, which rush products to market without sufficient design research, with enterprises that eventually circle back to fix these gaps. Both he and Anthony agree that designing upfront is far more cost-effective than retrofitting fixes later in the process, which is also the foundation of the DevReady methodology. The discussion also explores the role of AI in design and product development. Joe highlights how many enterprises treat AI as a tick-box exercise, adding tools like chatbots without a real strategy or measurable value. To address this, Torii Consulting has partnered with Gen AI Labs to provide AI-led training for design teams, giving them the knowledge and confidence to integrate AI effectively into workflows. He argues that without training and proper adoption, businesses risk falling behind, as employees cannot deliver meaningful results with AI. This focus on education, accessibility, and adoption reflects Torii’s commitment to preparing both enterprises and smaller businesses for an AI-first future. Finally, Joe shares how he personally keeps up with the pace of AI innovation by actively learning, experimenting, and cascading insights to his team. He acknowledges that resistance to change is common but stresses the importance of fostering a culture of continuous upskilling. Anthony reinforces this point by describing his own approach to consuming hours of AI content each week and using automation to share key takeaways with his team. Together, they underline the urgency for businesses to adopt AI thoughtfully and train their teams effectively. Torii Consulting’s strategy of evolving with SMEs and scale-ups ensures they stay ahead of enterprise adoption cycles, positioning themselves as trusted partners when larger organisations inevitably accelerate their AI adoption. #DevReadyPodcast #UXDesign #AI #HumanCentredDesign #Entrepreneurship

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis welcomes Emma Lo Russo, CEO of Digivizer and Founder of goto.game, for a candid conversation about AI marketing, the creator economy and sustainable growth. Emma shares how Digivizer helps brands measure and improve performance across social, search, web, organic and paid channels for clients including Lenovo, Barilla, and major banks. She also explains how goto.game helps endemic and non-endemic brands build authentic engagement in gaming and esports communities. Emma traces her journey from senior corporate marketing roles to building data-driven businesses. She highlights Twitch as a rare live medium where creator-led, long-form streams cultivate loyal audiences, noting that genuine influence cannot be scripted or bought. The lesson for marketers is clear. Work with creators as partners, respect their voice and lean into improvisation and roleplay that audiences return to week after week. Emma then unpacks the leap from corporate to founder. As social, mobile and cloud converged, she saw a gap for real-time digital insight, completed an MBA to rebuild her Australian network and applied every subject directly to the venture. Early traction followed. A $1.5 million Sensis contract, focus on Digivizer and a $2.1 million raise off her MBA strategy paper helped the company serve B2C and B2B brands at global scale. Emma and Anthony compare founder realities with salaried certainty. Launched in 2010 among 87 local social analytics startups, Digivizer is one of two that remain from that cohort, with Local Measure acquired by Zendesk and Digivizer continuing as the independent survivor. Culture, hiring and the ability to sell into enterprise became foundations for growth, while Emma echoes Mike Cannon-Brookes’ advice that financial pressure never stops, it simply scales. On funding, Emma prioritised control and customer value over reporting theatre. She raised selectively, provided investors read-only access to Xero for transparency and kept conversations focused on advice that moved the business forward. That discipline underpinned profitability and self-funded growth through changing market cycles, from growth at all costs to today’s profit first reality. Looking ahead, Digivizer is growing at around 30% year on year and expanding a hybrid model of SaaS reach plus agency expertise, supported by top-tier partnerships such as LinkedIn Marketing Partner in Australia and premier badges across Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft. Emma sees AI opening new possibilities but says winners will combine AI with human storytelling that is authentic, contextual and useful. Measure everything, learn what resonates and double down on content, formats and timing that create real value. #AIMarketing #DigitalMarketing #Leadership #SaaS #CreatorEconomy #EsportsMarketing #DataDriven #ScaleUp

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Joni Pirovich, Founder of Crystal Agentic Operating System and Australia’s specialist crypto law firm B’DASL (Blockchain & Digital Assets: Services + Law), to unpack how blockchain is moving from speculation to real utility. Joni explains where stablecoins, DeFi and tokenisation fit, why regulation and licences matter, and how Crystal reduces the compliance burden so individuals and enterprises can safely participate. In this episode, expect clear examples from Australia and abroad, plus practical insight into self-custody, institutional adoption and the road to mainstream. Joni outlines why stablecoins matter for faster, lower cost payments and why self-custody appeals to users who want control, while acknowledging that responsibility and security still sit with the individual. She contrasts slow, fee-heavy banking rails with near-instant settlement on chain, and counters the “speculation only” narrative with real use cases such as automating governance, security reviews and company procedures across open protocols that already process significant transaction volume. Regulatory uncertainty has slowed this progress, but US-led clarity is emerging and other jurisdictions are following with clearer rules of the road. In Australia, first-wave crypto ETFs have opened exposure for brokers, super funds and everyday investors, while DeFi lets users connect a wallet to aggregation and investment protocols to automate asset management and routing. Locally, corporates are beginning to add Bitcoin to treasuries, and standout projects include Immutable in gaming and Synthetix in DeFi. At the same time, stricter licensing has pushed some builders offshore to crypto-friendly regimes, a pragmatic move until domestic frameworks catch up. Tokenisation is gathering pace, from fractional property exposure to real-world assets more broadly. Joni explains why Dubai is further along, whereas Australia still contends with stamp duty, land tax, CGT and state-based land titles. For teams seeking to launch at speed, she points to Cayman Islands, BVI, Panama, Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Malta, while EU pathways allow firms to obtain a crypto-asset licence and passport across Italy, France, Germany and Portugal. Switzerland remains a long-standing, crypto-friendly hub, albeit with higher costs. Looking ahead, Joni’s vision is simple. Crystal Agentic OS becomes a daily companion that surfaces your crypto activity, highlights value-aligned communities and recommends compliant actions that could improve outcomes. Her thesis is that every business will become a crypto business and most online actions will create tokenised value, which brings tax and reporting obligations that Crystal abstracts away. Built first for her own workflow after a decade advising in crypto, Crystal is now being shared so users can enjoy innovation without the compliance headache. The mainstream moment is still ahead, and better UX, clearer regulation and trusted automation are what will unlock it.   #DevReadyPodcast #AerionTech #JoniPirovich #CrystalAgenticOS #BDASL #Web3 #CryptoCompliance #Stablecoins #DeFi #Tokenisation #RWA #SelfCustody

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis interviews Bill Lennan, Founder of 40 Percent Better, on how communication, coaching and business first engineering drive real outcomes, including 40 percent team turnarounds. Bill unpacks practical tactics to prioritise the right problems, align stakeholders and win executive buy in, from tiny habits that help engineers speak up to tailored pitches that secure budget for tools and training. He explains why cross functional discovery with sales and support beats the telephone game, how side projects accelerate learning and how giving teams ownership improves delivery and morale. Listeners will take away a clear, teachable framework for happier, higher performing engineering teams that build the right product faster. Bill charts a 30-year journey in Silicon Valley, moving from cold-call sales into engineering at 32 and shipping code within six months. His guiding principle is simple and powerful: prioritise the business problem over the tech stack. Drawing on a coaching culture from fine-dining, he shows how peer coaching across the team lifts happiness and output and why hiring for problem-solving and design thinking outperforms chasing specific frameworks. Anthony and Bill explore how passion and side projects compound learning, with insights from documentaries and other fields often sparking better solutions. Bill openly shares how he overcame severe social anxiety using tiny, incremental habits, then taught the same method to hundreds. The message is clear: communication is a core engineering skill. Silent brilliance stalls careers; great products emerge when engineers collaborate, verbalise ideas and contribute beyond code. To build better products, Bill advocates back-channel conversations across the organisation, from sales to support, to collect unfiltered signals that rarely travel cleanly through layers of management. By socialising ideas early, incorporating feedback and building allies, he secures executive buy-in and genuine team ownership. Even inside large silos, deliberate outreach across regions surfaces the right inputs faster than waiting for the chain of command, while Agile administration remains light enough to leave time for this essential discovery work. Anthony outlines the DevReady philosophy: understand the business, solve root causes rather than symptoms and agree value before touching code. Bill agrees that upfront homework matters, yet he also shares a green-field story where scrappy prototyping proved value quickly, from an early “snow cam” on dial-up to real-world social proof at ski resorts. His turnaround playbook combines upgraded mental models, emotional resilience to take high-leverage actions and tailored communication that speaks to each audience’s success metrics. The result is teams that win budget, choose impactful projects, systematise habits and sustain performance improvements, including a 40% lift in throughput in just six months. #EngineeringLeadership #DevReadyPodcast #SoftwareEngineering #TeamPerformance #Communication #CoachingCulture #ProductStrategy #Startups #TechLeadership #AerionTech

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Maarij Qureshi, Founder of Simplify Sales and host of Simplify Success, to unpack a practical, trust-led approach to B2B lead generation on LinkedIn. Maarij’s agency helps service businesses land £24k–£80k+ retainers and book 5–10 meetings a week, often within days, using his simple “3-DM” framework. From face-to-face sales and building a 40-person team to a rapid online pivot after COVID, Maarij blends proven sales systems with personalised outreach that actually gets replies. Anthony shares Aerion Technologies’ journey from a university start-up to a team of six in Australia and 40+ in Nepal, highlighting how the business relied on referrals for 17 years before switching on paid ads and seeing steady inbound enquiries. He outlines today’s client acquisition reality: anchor long-form content (like this podcast) repurposed into short-form clips for LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube now outperforms text-and-image posts. The aim is to stay top of mind with helpful, consistent content while widening reach beyond the immediate network. Trust sits at the heart of effective outreach. Consultants are inundated with sales DMs each week, so formats that build trust quickly (podcasts, white papers and useful posts) cut through the noise. DevReady itself is a networking engine and content flywheel: clear guest prep, automated follow-ups and streamlined show-note collection make the process repeatable and respectful of everyone’s time. The result is meaningful connections, direct client wins even from a modest audience, and compounding learning across 250+ episodes. Maarij breaks down the 3-DMs framework: start with a short, profile-specific “this or that” question; follow with a message that acknowledges, relates and asks a quick follow-up; then make a value-first ask such as sharing a relevant win, inviting someone to a white paper interview, or offering a podcast spot. This human sequence lowers defences and delivers about 4% conversion from connections sent (around 8–10 meetings per 200 requests, roughly 40 a day in two hours). Anthony contrasts this with DevReady’s direct podcast invitations on LinkedIn, which convert at roughly 10% because there is no sales pitch, just a genuine invitation to talk. Looking ahead, Maarij talks about how Simplify Sales is evolving into a fractional CRO partner for companies at £3m+ revenue, adding cold email, content creation and editing, and full-funnel systems, sequenced as outreach for speed, then content and SEO plus brand, and finally paid ads once positioning is dialled in. Clients have grown 3–4× in a year, thanks to rigorous SOPs and a focus on ideal-fit prospects over spray and pray tactics. In parallel, Aerion is developing the next version of its platform with deeper automation and AI agents to further streamline delivery. Across the discussion, one theme stands out for SEO-savvy B2B growth: personalisation beats automation, be human, be useful, and your pipeline will follow. #LinkedIn #B2B #LeadGen #Sales #DevReadyPodcast #AerionTechnologies

In this week’s DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo, CEO & Co-Founder, Aerion Technologies, sits down with David Werdiger, Executive Coach with Asian Leadership International Executive Coaching, author, entrepreneur, and adviser to SMEs on intergenerational wealth transition, governance, and strategy. David shares lessons from growing up in a family business to building scalable tech, the power of founder-led sales, and how governance turns ventures into valuable, transferable assets. Themes include moving from “owning a job” to owning a business, advisory boards and CEO autonomy, values-driven decision-making, and David’s Time Purpose Map for balancing work and life. David’s journey begins in his family’s textile business, shaped by a strong provider ethic and community leadership. Strong in maths and computing, he validated himself outside the family by becoming a quant analyst in stockbroking before pivoting into software. During mid-90s telco deregulation he built a telecommunications billing system, shifted to owning the IP, and pioneered a revenue-share leasing model, an early SaaS approach that delivered recurring revenue and better customer fit. Listening to cash-constrained start-ups informed flexible pricing and roadmap decisions, and a later partnership path led to a telco that reverse listed on the ASX. Andrew and David explore why founder-led sales often outperform hiring a BDM, particularly for complex products. Acting as owner-seller let David make real-time decisions, architect solutions on the spot, and avoid script-driven mis-selling, while acknowledging the productive tension between sales and dev. Influenced by Rich Dad, Poor Dad and Gerber’s E-Myth, he reframed success around systems and clarity of purpose, anchored by the pivotal question, “What is the business for?” Without that clarity, founders risk burnout through overstretch, juggling ventures, boards, and family, rather than building a scalable enterprise. Facing growing pains, a failed partnership, and clashes with a general manager, David chose to step back properly by establishing an advisory board, elevating the GM to CEO, and setting clear delegations and boundaries. “Don’t buy a dog and bark yourself” became the operating principle. Monthly board rhythms matured the firm into a “grown-up” business that now consumes roughly 10% of his time, enabling space for health, study, and a Masters of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (Swinburne). From this phase emerged the Time Purpose Map (a 2×2 of active/passive and for-profit/non-profit) and a commitment to contribute time, talent, and treasure, not just capital. Today, David coaches multigenerational families on values, mission, purpose, governance, and building a rigorous family charter. As an external facilitator he helps shift conversations from the “kitchen table” to a disciplined, respectful forum with a clear code of conduct so every voice is heard and conflict is handled constructively. He notes repeating patterns, including money as a proxy for power, the primacy of relationships and time as true wealth, and the importance of setting values-based red lines by asking, “What would we not do?” The episode closes with a practical takeaway for founders and leaders alike, namely to align personal and business goals, because if you do not know where you want to go, any road will do. #DevReadyPodcast #Leadership #RecurringRevenue #FounderLedSales #Governance #FamilyBusiness #ProductStrategy #SaaS #ScaleUp #AustraliaTech

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis speaks with Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai, about why most organisations should stop building AI agents and start briefing them properly for safer, more reliable results. They cover human in the loop controls, secure login checkpoints, prompt injection risks, how to monitor agent behaviour, when simple workflow automation beats a free roaming agent, and practical tool choices across Claude, Copilot, Gemini and ChatGPT. The discussion begins with the rapid rise of pre-built agents in tools like ChatGPT and the parallel increase in risks. Rather than handing over passwords and hoping for the best, Gareth recommends explicit checkpoints, for example pausing at log-ins so a human enters credentials, and monitoring early runs to see which sites an agent visits and why. Anthony adds a security lens, noting spoofed pages, homograph domains, and other phishing traps that emerge when browser agents roam the web. Both advocate a human-in-the-loop approach that balances capability with oversight, especially for sensitive tasks. They then explore when not to use agents. For repeatable processes such as content pipelines, a simple workflow often beats a free-roaming agent on cost, speed, and reliability. Anthony cites scraping projects where agent costs ballooned, while Gareth shares a LinkedIn workflow that runs on lightweight steps in a shared sheet, with research, condensing, tone-of-voice prompts, and human review. This approach is easier to debug, avoids the variability of large models, and delivers predictable ROI for marketing and operations teams. On talent and skills, Gareth acknowledges that roles will change and some jobs will go, yet the best response is to upskill and let AI amplify existing strengths. Drawing on examples from law and creative work, they note that experts using AI are busier than ever because they combine judgement with acceleration. Anthony cautions that DIY builds can hide structural issues such as empty databases or non-functional features, which is why domain knowledge and clear instructions still matter. The takeaway is simple: AI raises the floor and the ceiling; invest in skills, keep humans in the loop, and choose pragmatic workflows over hype. Finally, they assess today’s tool choices. The uplift from recent model shifts feels modest compared with the collaboration gap, where shareable projects and team workflows remain the blocker. Gareth sees strong enterprise adoption of Claude and advises buyers not to default to Microsoft Copilot or ChatGPT by habit. Instead, run a one-week bake-off with Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini, compare security posture, collaboration features, and day-to-day usability, then standardise on the platform that fits your organisation. The goal is faster, safer collaboration rather than chasing headlines. #DevReadyPodcast #AIAgents #HumanInTheLoop #AISecurity #PromptInjection #WorkflowAutomation #EnterpriseAI #ClaudeAI #ChatGPT

Luke Chaffey, Managing Director of AIWise, joins host Anthony Sapountzis (CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and Co-Founder of DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders ) in this episode of the DevReady Podcast to unpack how small and medium-sized enterprises can turn AI from hype into business value. From early chatbot and augmented reality experiments to production-ready automation, Luke shares practical lessons on strategy, tooling and evaluation frameworks that keep outputs accurate, consistent and on brand. Expect real examples: cutting document creation time, prioritising high-value leads, and natural-language product search, plus a simple roadmap to get started with AI today. Luke charts his journey from web development to co-founding Capillary Digital with David Koch, then into startups building AR, AI and chatbots for international clients before launching AIWise. Early prototypes paired AR “place-in-room” visualisation with AI trained on product data to answer questions and support sales, an approach that saw stronger uptake in the U.S. than Australia. Alongside hands-on tech, Luke built authority with 400+ articles and frequent media appearances, emphasising how writing and communication skills accelerate technical leadership and client education. Inside AIWise, the playbook starts with clarifying strategy and a roadmap, then moves to implementation (or hand-off to internal dev teams) and leadership training. For automation, Luke mixes code and no-code: Python for control, reliability and richer state handling; Make (and, for developers, n8n) for fast proofs-of-concept that clients can self-manage. The north star is embedding AI directly inside core systems and workflows, shipping quick wins via no-code where sensible, then migrating in-house for scale, orchestration (containers, agents) and long-term maintainability. On common missteps, Luke sees SMEs either assuming AI is “only for big companies” or dabbling without context. The remedy is to start hands-on with models like ChatGPT or Gemini, provide rich business context, and then rigorously validate outputs. He warns about hallucinations and “sycophantic” responses; best practice includes cross-model checks, human fact-checking in unfamiliar domains, and a robust evaluation framework that bulk-tests answers for factuality, tone and correct source use—crucial for customer-facing chatbots. Results follow when AI targets repeatable work: prioritising referral conversations so teams focus on high-value customers; turning bullet points into polished job descriptions in seconds; and compressing a tax report workflow from eight hours to two by auto-drafting the repeatable 80%. For newcomers, Luke suggests a simple path: start with ChatGPT for everyday tasks (emails, briefings, document drafts), then add no-code automation with Make to streamline processes; explore off-the-shelf tools (e.g., voice with ElevenLabs) before going bespoke. When needs grow, engage experts to productionise and integrate so AI delivers reliable, measurable outcomes rather than one-off experiments. #AI #Automation #SMEs #SmallBusiness #ChatGPT #Gemini #Makecom #n8n #Python #Ecommerce #AugmentedReality #DevReadyPodcast #AerionTechnologies #LukeChaffey #AIWise

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies, speaks with Ryan Zahrai, Founder of Zed Law, a cutting-edge legal and advisory firm built for fast-growing startups and ambitious scale-ups. Over the past 18 months, Zed Law has achieved 10x growth by bridging a key gap in the market by delivering agile legal services and strategic corporate advisory to clients who have outgrown the startup hustle but find traditional mid-tier law firms too slow and bloated. Beyond legal work, Zed Law supports clients with venture capital fundraising, debt financing, and market entry strategies, even investing directly in early-stage companies. With a founder-first, synergy-driven approach, Ryan and his team have cultivated a thriving network of bootstrapped and mission-led entrepreneurs who value speed, collaboration, and results. Ryan’s unconventional legal career journey began in top-tier Australian law firms, took him to Israel for a global in-house legal role, and later into the private equity-backed healthcare sector. Working closely with CTOs, startup founders, and business leaders shifted his perspective on intelligence, challenging the legal profession’s over-reliance on academic credentials. He discovered that innovation in law often comes from those who think differently and operate outside rigid structures. This led Ryan to abandon the billable hour model, which he views as inherently limiting, in favour of tech-enabled legal solutions that deliver scale, efficiency, and greater client impact. The discussion also explores the surge in venture capital investment driven by AI FOMO (fear of missing out). Ryan compares the trend to the crypto boom, with companies repositioning themselves or launching niche AI products to attract investors; with some securing funding without even an MVP. He envisions the future law firm as a small, expert legal team supported by hundreds of AI agents, from M&A specialists to contract drafting bots, enabling unprecedented efficiency. Anthony and Ryan also discuss the AI talent war, where top engineers are being courted with bonuses and salaries comparable to elite sports transfers. AI’s transformation of the legal industry is already evident through platforms like Harvey – Professional Class AI , Crosby AI, and Veraty, Zed Law’s chosen partner for delivering AI-first legal services. Veraty’s platform resolves about 75% of legal queries via AI, with optional human lawyer verification for added accuracy. Ryan believes that AI already outperforms many mid-tier lawyers in efficiency and accuracy, much like how AI in healthcare has surpassed human performance in early-stage cancer detection. He predicts that while AI will dominate routine legal tasks, the optimal model will remain AI plus human oversight. He also outlines how AI will reduce demand for junior lawyers and paralegals, with fewer traditional entry roles but greater opportunities for those skilled in AI tool mastery and output verification. As the episode closes, Ryan emphasises the importance of business agility in the AI era. He urges small and mid-sized firms to review strategies quarterly, run market tests, and pivot quickly based on early data, warning that failure to adapt will lead to being left behind. In contrast, large, inflexible firms often struggle to change at the necessary pace. Ryan’s key takeaway is clear: whether you’re in law, technology, or any AI-impacted industry, regular strategic adaptation isn’t optional; it’s the only path to long-term success. #DevReadyPodcast #RyanZahrai #AIinLaw #LegalTech #Startups #FutureOfWork #VentureCapital

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies, welcomes Michael Meyer, Founder & CEO of M31 Consulting, for a thought-provoking conversation on digital leadership. Michael brings nearly three decades of experience across infrastructure, data, and software, with a mission to help business leaders reframe how they lead in a world increasingly defined by the virtual. As the author of Weird Is the New Normal, Michael blends imagination, strategy, and storytelling to empower leaders navigating complexity, digital disruption, and the rise of artificial intelligence. Michael reflects on his journey from help desk support in the ’90s to executive leadership and consulting, unpacking how value creation has shifted from physical assets to soft assets like intellectual property, speed, and adaptability. He challenges the outdated perception of IT as a cost centre and urges businesses to harness the full power of their tech teams. Using the example of visionaries like Steve Jobs, Michael highlights the value of conviction, curiosity, and the ability to interpret a world we can’t always see: a world that operates through screens, data, and distributed systems. Drawing rich parallels with fantasy narratives like The Lord of the Rings, Michael explains how leadership in the digital economy often mirrors an unpredictable quest. He explores how traditional organisations struggle with black-box decision-making, siloed departments, and missed opportunities, often because leaders unknowingly give away their power when delegating technology decisions. Using powerful metaphors like steamboats navigating rapids, Michael reframes digital transformation as something that must be both imagined and steered. His call for stronger digital leadership literacy is a reminder that technology alone isn’t enough and humans must lead it with clarity and intent. Michael also cautions against the dangers of hype-driven adoption, particularly with AI. He shares a sobering real-world example of a company laying off 700 employees after poorly implementing AI, only to rehire many of them after realising the damage caused by rushed, uninformed decision-making. Rather than chase trends, he urges organisations to focus on empathy, systems thinking, and long-term human value. Tools like Scrum, he argues, offer transferable frameworks for adaptability and should be applied beyond tech into broader organisational strategy. As the episode wraps, Michael offers leaders a lasting mantra for navigating this uncertain and ever-changing world: “Be curious. Be weird.” Curiosity, he says, unlocks growth and drives innovation. In an era where AI can generate code but not lead people, and where unexpected consequences are the norm, embracing our own weirdness and asking better questions is more valuable than ever. If you’re a business or tech leader grappling with the fast-moving digital world, this episode will challenge your thinking and leave you inspired to lead differently. #Leadership #AI #DevReadyPodcast #WeirdIsTheNewNormal #MichaelMeyer #TechStrategy #AerionTechnologies #DigitalLeadership

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Louise Bedford, an acclaimed financial educator, author of six bestselling books and entrepreneur, best known as the founder of  Trading Game and host of the Talking Trading podcast. With a background in corporate finance and early experience running her own business, Louise has dedicated over a decade to mentoring traders across the globe, helping them develop the discipline and systems needed to thrive in the share market. Her unique blend of self-development, structured planning and real-world trading experience has empowered thousands to approach investing with confidence and clarity. Louise’s journey into trading began at just 20 years old, sparked by a seminar that outlined three paths to wealth: property, business and shares; and led her to choose the share market for its flexibility and potential income streams. Her first three years were emotionally turbulent: repeated losses, tears and moments of self-doubt taught her that success on the market demands a calm mindset and a rigorous trading plan. Drawing on lessons from a failed early business, she learned the importance of responsibility, clear communication and a structured approach, principles that now underpin her mentoring programmes. Central to Louise’s philosophy is the construction of a bullet-proof trading plan built on three pillars: precise entry criteria, disciplined exit rules and sensible position sizing. She explains that short-term trades span hours to days, medium-term trades last weeks to a year, and long-term positions can endure for years, with automatic contingent orders and stop-losses set on the broker’s platform to free traders from constant screen monitoring. Louise also champions ETF and index strategies for instant diversification and an inherent upward bias, while advising traders to maintain a day job during their early market endeavours to preserve financial freedom and reduce emotional pressure. Louise and Anthony explore the role of AI as an augmenting partner rather than a standalone adviser. While tools like Gemini and Claude can expedite deep industry research and data analysis, they caution against relying on generic chatbots for specific financial advice, noting their tendency to hallucinate and lack real-time data. Instead, they advocate a collaborative workflow: perform initial planning manually, use AI to refine and translate complex algorithms into plain English, then meticulously review every output to preserve critical thinking and guard against over-reliance on automated responses. Finally, Louise challenges the conventional chase for dividends alone, demonstrating that capital gains from trending shares typically outpace dividend yields. She recommends enrolling in a Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRP) so that dividends automatically purchase additional shares supercharging returns through compounding. Framing investing as a strategic “game” of maximising returns with minimal effort, Louise combines DRPs with indices’ natural upward drift to achieve both strong financial outcomes and personal freedom. Her message is clear: with the right systems, mindset and disciplined use of technology, the share market can become a powerful engine for long-term wealth and fulfilment. Here's the Simulcast on Louise's Talking Trading: https://talkingtrading.com.au/ai-meets-trading/ #TradingPlan #TradingEducation #AIinTrading #FinancialFreedom #DividendReinvestment #ETFTips #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Lee-ann Dias, Director & Founder of Sasbri Consulting. With a career spanning global roles in business and technology consulting, Lee-ann has built a reputation for helping organisations go to market faster and smarter through strategic process improvement and technological enablement. Formerly with Microsoft and a trusted advisor to Microsoft Partners across ANZ, she brings unique insight into how organisations can navigate complexity, maximise the value of AI tools like Copilot, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Her work bridges technical know-how and business strategy, grounded in curiosity, analytical rigour, and an unrelenting drive to deliver value. The conversation opens with Lee-ann talking about her unconventional entry into tech consulting, transitioning from business development to workshop facilitation where she discovered her passion for problem-solving and stakeholder engagement. She now collaborates with Microsoft Partners and tech studios to ensure solutions are aligned with actual business needs, not just perceived ones. Lee-ann and Anthony delve into why so many projects fail due to poor upfront planning, unclear requirements, and the tendency to build prematurely. They stress the value of discovery workshops, foresight in system design, and embedding security at the outset, practices that save time, reduce risk, and ensure a stronger foundation for scale. The discussion then shifts to the growing number of non-technical founders entering the product space, often relying on low-code platforms and AI tools to launch MVPs. While such tools can accelerate development, Lee-ann explains that they’re no substitute for structured planning, proper architecture, and real developer oversight. Using accessible analogies like house-building, she and Anthony demystify the layers of application development and reinforce the need to educate clients on timelines, cost structures, and technical constraints. The consensus: low-code may get you started, but it takes expert guidance to build scalable, secure, and commercially viable software. AI’s role in software creation also comes under the spotlight, with both guests cautioning against over-reliance. Lee-ann emphasises that while AI can write code, it doesn’t guarantee the right code, nor does it replace the critical thinking, debugging, and reverse engineering skills of experienced professionals. Anthony adds that although AI can increase output, it rarely decreases costs, as testing and validation remain essential. Their shared view is clear: AI is a powerful enabler, but human expertise is still the cornerstone of quality software delivery. Lee-ann also offers insights into the challenges Microsoft Partners face when navigating Microsoft’s vast ecosystem. Drawing from her time on both the partner and vendor sides, she developed a Partner Maturity Assessment to help organisations better align with Microsoft’s go-to-market strategies. From guiding System Integrators and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) on cloud migration and AI readiness to assisting partners with Dynamics and Power Platform implementations, Lee-ann plays a pivotal role in helping businesses optimise their partnership with Microsoft. She also champions the creation of internal Centres of Excellence, communities of tech advocates who can champion tools like Copilot, drive adoption, and unlock the true value of time-saving innovations. #AI #MicrosoftCopilot #TechForFounders #LowCodeDevelopment #MicrosoftPartner #StartupTech #DigitalTransformation #SoftwareDevelopment #DevReadyPodcast

Justeen Kirk, Founder and CEO of ISO Matters, joins host Anthony Sapountzis on the DevReady Podcast to share her mission of making quality systems accessible, scalable, and practical for small businesses. Based in Wagga Wagga, ISO Matters helps business owners build clarity and confidence through better systems, whether they need to define a single process or pursue full ISO certification. Justeen, who has over two decades of experience across government and private sectors, is passionate about equipping businesses with fit-for-purpose solutions that align with how they already operate. With new offerings, including a hands-on 12-week systemisation program and an AI-powered tool designed to generate custom quality management systems, Justeen is on a mission to level the playing field and redefine what quality looks like for growing businesses. In a refreshingly honest and inspiring conversation, Justeen opens up about the unexpected circumstances that led to the founding of ISO Matters. After losing her job under difficult circumstances and with no immediate career prospects, she took a leap of faith, backed only by the savings from selling her house and a heartfelt LinkedIn post that secured her first client. Justeen candidly reflects on her early missteps like choosing a placeholder business name and offering services to anyone and everyone but these lessons became the foundation of her current philosophy: to help other small businesses avoid chaos and build confidence through structured, meaningful systems. Throughout the episode, Justeen and Anthony explore the challenges and burnout that come from trying to do everything as a solo founder, especially during the height of the COVID pandemic. From juggling home schooling and managing geographically dispersed teams to ultimately stepping away from leadership, Justeen shares how those struggles became a catalyst for building a business that empowers others. They also delve into the complex world of marketing what Justeen jokingly calls “voodoo” and the deep divide between process-driven thinking and creative content development. It's a relatable conversation for anyone navigating the demands of modern entrepreneurship. On the operational side, Justeen explains how businesses can simplify process mapping by focusing first on service delivery, the “bullseye” of every business and working outward. With practical tools like Loom and Scribe, she demonstrates how documenting processes doesn’t have to be time-consuming or overwhelming. More importantly, she underscores the importance of involving the entire team in building these systems to ensure engagement, clarity, and a culture of continuous improvement. The payoff? Saved time, reduced stress, and potentially tens of thousands in operational value. Rounding out the conversation, Justeen makes a compelling case for integrating ISO-based quality management systems, even without formal certification. By adopting the core principles of ISO and tailoring them to suit each unique business, owners can gain structure, visibility, and long-term scalability without bloated costs. She introduces her latest initiative, an AI-powered tool built on her consulting expertise which aims to replace generic, one-size-fits-none templates with dynamic, contextualised systems. It’s a game-changing vision for small businesses ready to scale without compromising on quality. #SmallBusinessTips #EntrepreneurJourney #BusinessSystems #ProcessImprovement #ISO9001 #FounderStories #AIForBusiness #QualityManagement

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our host Anthony Sapountzis welcomes back Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai and a seasoned expert in human-centred design and AI-led innovation. Gareth brings his strategic perspective shaped by years of experience helping businesses integrate generative AI into a fifth monthly update (and sixth podcast appearance) filled with practical insights, real-world use cases, and refreshing candour. As an advisor and speaker in the AI space, and someone deeply embedded in helping organisations rethink the way they work, Gareth offers a compelling look at how the latest tools are reshaping productivity, collaboration, and even tax season. Gareth kicks things off by spotlighting Whispr Flow, a voice-first tool that’s completely reshaped his digital workflow. With near-total abandonment of the keyboard, Gareth shares how he now navigates across platforms and communicates with AI agents using only his voice, freeing up time and dramatically streamlining tasks. Anthony explores similar shifts in his own habits, describing how he’s integrated Gemini into both his Android phone and Galaxy Watch to support hands-free interaction. Their conversation reflects a wider transformation in how professionals are leveraging multimodal AI tools in day-to-day life, especially for ideation, task management, and even parenting on the go. From there, the pair dig into the importance of clarity and intentionality when working with powerful AI agents like ChatGPT, Claude, and Lovable. Gareth emphasises that users should treat these tools less like magic buttons and more like collaborators, approaching them the same way you’d guide a junior team member. By clearly defining a desired outcome, users avoid getting lost in suggestion spirals and instead co-create solutions that are actually fit for purpose. Gareth shares a useful prompt: ask the AI to act like a product manager and help you gather requirements. This approach, they agree, aligns closely with DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders ’s mission of planning smarter, not just building faster. In an era where low-code and no-code solutions are proliferating, Gareth and Anthony reflect on the continued (and growing) demand for skilled engineers, particularly those who can bring products through to commercialisation. While founders can now prototype faster than ever, they explore the need for hybrid workflows that blend rapid iteration with robust development standards. This leads to a valuable discussion on how to manage shared codebases between technical and non-technical collaborators, maintain quality and security, and ensure products can scale effectively in production environments. The episode rounds out with a brilliant real-world use case: Gareth’s AI-powered tax return workflow, a shining example of what’s possible when tools like Claude and Gemini are used creatively. Without maintaining a spreadsheet all year, he leveraged contextual prompting to build a dynamic tracking system, recover forgotten deductions, and extract travel data from Gmail and calendar entries. The outcome? A faster, smarter, and more comprehensive tax submission. Gareth uses this case to advocate for process-first thinking in automation, reminding listeners that true productivity comes not from the tools themselves, but from how clearly we define our desired outcomes before inviting AI in. #AIProductivity #VoiceAI #AIWorkflows #NoCodeTools #AutomationTips #TechPodcast #AIInBusiness #GarethRydon

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Des Hague, a two-time best-selling author and seasoned business leader whose extraordinary career has seen him lead globally renowned companies like IHOP, Safeway, and Centerplate. Hague, who has served on 20 boards and returned billions to shareholders, is currently the CEO of Hague Enterprises, offering advisory and consultancy services, and is the founder of the Thinking Academy. Beyond his corporate achievements, he is a dedicated philanthropist, having helped raise over $100 million for nonprofits, and is a proud father and grandfather. Together, Anthony and Des unpack the principles, mindset, and strategies that have underpinned Des’s success and his mission to help others rise in their own careers. Des shares his remarkable journey from humble beginnings, marked by childhood adversity and teenage homelessness, to leading billion-dollar enterprises. His story is a testament to resilience, hard work, and an unwavering commitment to lifelong learning. Drawing inspiration from leaders like Sam Walton and Barack Obama, Des argues that grit, preparation, and consistent effort are the true foundations of lasting success, while both he and Anthony debunk the myth of overnight achievement, highlighting how genuine accomplishments stem from years of dedication. The conversation explores the irreplaceable value of developing talent and building great teams. Des outlines his proven four-part blueprint: hire the best people, deliver exceptional service, drive sales, and achieve profit; all underpinned by empowering teams with autonomy. He emphasises that real leadership is measured not by personal accolades but by the success of those you help advance. Anthony and Des share stories from their early work experiences, agreeing that even the most mundane jobs can instil resilience, discipline, and a mindset essential for long-term success. Des also highlights the dangers of today’s cancel culture and the importance of embracing diverse perspectives instead of demonising dissenting opinions. Together, he and Anthony stress the need for cognitive openness, staying curious, and continuously seeking new ideas and technologies beyond one’s echo chamber. They argue that creativity often comes from remixing existing concepts, and that leaders should create environments where innovation and adaptability thrive. Finally, Des introduces his powerful “plan on a page” framework, encouraging listeners to craft focused, actionable five-year visions for their careers. He underscores that many people spend more time planning weekends than charting their future, and explains how having clarity on objectives can give individuals the courage and purpose needed to navigate an increasingly chaotic world. Des and Anthony also discuss how tools like Google and AI should be used to accelerate thinking rather than replace it, concluding that true success lies in remaining a lifelong student, setting clear goals, and actively shaping your own path forward. #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #BusinessSuccess #CareerGrowth #LifelongLearning #DesHague #StartupMindset #InvestingInPeople #DevReadyPodcast