DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Tahreem Shah, an accomplished entrepreneur, Regional Business Advisor at Odoo, and Co-Founder of Scailr. With a career spanning architecture, tech sales, and social entrepreneurship, Tahreem brings a unique perspective on building impactful ventures across borders. From her early days working in Norway to her current base in Dubai, she has dedicated herself to empowering marginalised communities and creating technology solutions that bridge the gap between business and innovation. This candid conversation explores her inspiring journey, the realities of scaling startups in emerging markets, and her latest venture aimed at transforming how founders interact with business data. Anthony and Tahreem unpack the opportunities and barriers within Bangladesh’s startup ecosystem, where infrastructure and policy limitations often stifle promising, tech-driven ventures. Tahreem shares examples like ShopUp’s rare success story of scaling internationally through acquisition, while reflecting on her own experience learning from a seasoned ex-Google engineer. Together, they highlight the crucial need for founders to align product features with clear value propositions to succeed both locally and globally. Tahreem’s insights offer a nuanced look at the challenges of translating local innovation into broader markets and the importance of bridging technical and business perspectives. The conversation explores the complexities of building startups in hyperlocal contexts, where strategies such as agent-led onboarding and education campaigns are necessary to reach non-digitised communities. Tahreem illustrates how these efforts helped her navigate Bangladesh’s unique landscape, but also underscores how achieving product-market fit at home doesn’t guarantee success abroad. The discussion reveals how differences in infrastructure, technology adoption, and user behaviour between regions make global scalability a far more complex challenge than often assumed. Anthony and Tahreem agree that understanding these nuances is vital before attempting to expand beyond familiar markets. Tahreem recounts the deeply personal decision to pause her first startup, Bhorosha, following her co-founder’s struggles after a traumatic event, despite its recognition on global stages such as Unleashed and Dragon’s Den India. Transitioning to Antler’s Entrepreneur in Residence programme, she describes how her initial idea of leveraging Bangladesh’s garment industry evolved into Scailr. Mentor feedback pushed her and John to move beyond regional solutions and build a cutting-edge global product, highlighting the resilience, adaptability, and alignment required to pivot successfully in the face of shifting market realities. Delving into Scailr’s development, Tahreem shares how the platform aims to become a “business co-pilot”, enabling executives to converse with their data to make informed, strategic decisions. Prioritising data security and ethical standards, Scailr has partnered with academic experts to ensure responsible data handling while providing contextual, actionable insights. Tahreem explains how advances in generative AI allowed them to leverage evolving models instead of building their own, saving resources and accelerating development. The episode closes with a discussion on the importance of fostering a company culture that empowers innovation and the need for founders to focus on solving real problems rather than assuming funding alone will drive success. #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #AI #TechForGood #WomenInTech #EmergingMarkets #Bangladesh #ScalableTech

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Con Sotidis, renowned LinkedIn and AI Strategist, to explore the art of building a powerful personal brand on LinkedIn. Con, founder of Social Selling Warrior and a specialist in social selling strategies, shares actionable insights to help professionals elevate their profiles, grow their networks, and attract new opportunities. Drawing on years of experience, Con demonstrates how a well-crafted LinkedIn presence can be a game changer for professionals across industries. Anthony and Con reflect on Con’s unique career journey, from starting out as an accountant in the tax office to discovering his passion for connecting with people and shifting into business development. Con shares how growing up with cultural expectations of job security kept him in the public service for decades, despite his creative drive. Once he stepped out of the bureaucratic environment, he embraced the freedom to innovate and build his own business, finally aligning his career with his extroverted nature. Together, they discuss how family influences and personal realisations often shape the path to entrepreneurship, and how leaning into one’s strengths ultimately leads to greater satisfaction and success. Con delves into a common challenge faced by small business owners: becoming so absorbed in day-to-day operations that they overlook building and projecting their personal brand. He argues that a professional, engaging LinkedIn profile is an underutilised but powerful tool for sparking conversations and showcasing credibility in the B2B space. Con contrasts LinkedIn with platforms like Facebook, noting that while Facebook serves some industries well, LinkedIn remains unparalleled for creating professional connections in fields like finance, law, and consultancy. He highlights how investing time in a strong LinkedIn profile helps entrepreneurs stand out and attract valuable opportunities. As the conversation turns to the changing dynamics of LinkedIn, Con acknowledges that the platform’s feed increasingly resembles Facebook’s, yet insists that sharing genuine, value-driven content remains essential. He explains how LinkedIn’s algorithm rewards authentic engagement and meaningful interactions, stressing the importance of promptly responding to comments to maximise post reach. Con and Anthony explore the power of video, agreeing that short, personable clips build credibility, capture attention, and foster deeper connections more effectively than static text. They share personal experiences on overcoming discomfort with video to leverage it as a key branding tool. Rounding out their discussion, Con emphasises that a person’s name is their most valuable brand asset, and maintaining its integrity is vital in today’s professional landscape. He advocates for professionals to make themselves memorable by consistently providing value and nurturing authentic relationships on LinkedIn. Through a live profile walkthrough, Con highlights best practices, such as using a professional headshot, a keyword-rich headline, and gathering recommendations to build social proof. He also shares creative yet compliant ways to personalise profiles, reinforcing that success on LinkedIn hinges on relationships, relevance, and thoughtful branding. #LinkedInTips #PersonalBranding #SocialSelling #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #ProfessionalNetworking #DigitalMarketing

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Stefan Pagacik, Founder and CEO of Ampresta and Executive Advisor at 528Connect. A systems thinker and long-time advocate for leveraging market dynamics to accelerate decarbonisation, Stefan has dedicated his career to creating innovative tools that turn climate commitments into measurable financial outcomes. With a rich background spanning media, technology, and sustainability, including senior roles at Apple and Adobe, he has spent the past 17 years focused on helping businesses and investors move beyond traditional sustainability reporting to actionable, impact-driven strategies. Stefan’s mission is clear: to make climate resilience a core component of every business model by bridging the worlds of carbon metrics and capital markets. Stefan begins by sharing his journey from a dual career in media and entertainment to becoming a product developer and senior leader, highlighting how his self-taught technology expertise enabled him to work closely with developers and deeply engage with customers. He recounts how this balanced approach helped him identify pain points and design scalable solutions, ultimately laying the foundation for his entrepreneurial pursuits. His early experiences at large corporations inspired him to seek more meaningful, hands-on roles in smaller companies, where he felt a greater sense of connection and purpose. This drive led him to focus on sustainability technologies that align with his belief in creating a positive legacy for the planet. Reflecting on repeated frustrations expressed by CEOs over the ineffectiveness of traditional sustainability reporting, Stefan describes how these insights became the catalyst for founding Ampresta. He explains that most reports fell short, taking organisations only halfway towards tangible impact, and identified a critical need to integrate decarbonisation metrics with financial data. By bridging this gap, Stefan aims to transform sustainability from a box-ticking exercise into a core business strategy. Through conversations with asset managers struggling to build decarbonisation-focused financial products, he realised the urgency of creating tools that help companies and investors measure and monetise sustainability outcomes. As the discussion deepens, Stefan shares the challenges of building a credible financial model without a background in financial modelling, revealing how he dissected companies into functional business units to pinpoint where decarbonisation and financial data intersect. He details early setbacks with dummy data and highlights more promising results from real-world tests in Manhattan flood zones, which validated his approach. Stefan underscores the need to adapt the model for industries like insurance and banking, stressing that quantifying physical and financial risks is essential to motivate proactive investment, especially given the unpredictable nature of climate events. In the closing moments, Stefan reflects on the cultural lessons he has carried into Ampresta, from avoiding the pitfalls of careless spending to prioritising clear communication that resonates beyond technical audiences. He emphasises the importance of addressing customers’ fears, arguing that trust is built not through technology alone but by demonstrating a deep understanding of their challenges. Above all, Stefan shares that his unwavering North Star is integrity, which he believes must guide every action and decision. He candidly describes challenging his team to commit fully as they approach pivotal projects, recognising that sticking to their principles will determine whether they seize the moment or let it slip away. #ClimateTech #Sustainability #Decarbonisation #GreenFinance #StartupLeadership #CleanTech #CarbonAccounting #ImpactInvesting

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by cybersecurity veteran and founder of DarkHorse Security, Grant McCracken. With over 13 years of experience across roles at WhiteHat Security and Bugcrowd, where he led global service delivery, Grant has been at the forefront of application and information security. His deep industry knowledge spans triage engineering, customer success, solutions architecture, and penetration testing, which laid the groundwork for founding DarkHorse. The startup focuses on delivering accessible, affordable, and effective cybersecurity services for small to medium-sized businesses, offering a platform that automates complex security workflows and reduces barriers to entry. Grant shares the unexpected and organic origin of DarkHorse, which emerged after stepping away from Bugcrowd to figure out his next move. He admits there was no original blueprint, just a desire to use his skills for good. Driven by purpose more than profit, Grant discusses how DarkHorse occasionally operates on a pro-bono basis, particularly for non-profits and organisations with limited budgets. He speaks openly about maintaining sustainability by living simply, and how the ability to work on his own terms has allowed him to create something truly mission-driven. Together, he and Anthony delve into the philosophical tension between doing meaningful work and the traditional pressures of commercial success. Their conversation also explores Grant’s hacker mindset, one rooted in a relentless curiosity about how things work. He likens ethical hacking to running through a house with a sledgehammer to uncover structural weaknesses: breaking, not fixing, purely to learn. This innate curiosity has not only shaped how Grant approached application security but also how he now builds software systems himself. Through DarkHorse, he’s had the chance to switch hats from breaker to builder, crafting platforms that are both robust and intuitive. Anthony and Grant find common ground in how curiosity powers problem-solving, learning, and innovation across their technical disciplines. As the discussion turns to the influence of AI, both Grant and Anthony unpack how large language models are reshaping software development and security. Grant notes the rise of novel vulnerabilities like prompt injection, while also pointing out the increased development efficiency tools like Cursor bring. However, they also raise concerns about the diminishing presence of human knowledge-sharing platforms like Stack Overflow, replaced by interactions with AI systems. This shift, they warn, could create future knowledge gaps and dangerous feedback loops where synthetic data trains on itself—degrading the quality and trustworthiness of future models. To close, Grant outlines the core offering of DarkHorse: a platform that simplifies and standardises penetration testing for modern teams. Rather than relying on outdated and expensive consulting-heavy models, DarkHorse enables organisations to perform high-quality security assessments via a streamlined, self-serve interface. The platform recommends testing approaches based on user input and uses transparent methodologies like the OWASP Testing Guide to ensure rigour. In a landscape lacking clear definitions of what constitutes a valid pen test, Grant takes a firm stance on upholding standards ensuring that organisations aren’t just ticking boxes but actually improving their security posture. #DevReadyPodcast #Cybersecurity #AI #StartupSecurity #DarkHorseSecurity #GPTReady #AerionTechnologies

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis welcomes Tim King, Founder and Automation Strategist at Regravity, a consultancy helping mid-sized businesses scale through process automation. With a rich and diverse background that spans visual arts, digital media, corporate finance, and copywriting, Tim brings a uniquely creative and strategic lens to automation. His expertise lies in streamlining operations and removing bottlenecks using tools like PowerShell, Power Automate, Make (formerly Integromat), and n8n. Tim’s journey into automation began by solving his own workflow inefficiencies and grew into a broader mission: helping businesses operate smarter, not harder, by leveraging automation in thoughtful, human-centred ways. Tim explains that a big part of his role involves guiding companies to understand what’s actually possible with automation. Many businesses default to hiring more staff instead of exploring how automation can reduce repetitive tasks and unlock team productivity. He promotes a human-first approach, augmenting rather than replacing people, which helps alleviate common fears around job loss. By focusing on strategic automation, Tim shows how businesses can improve ROI, enhance system performance, and ultimately boost both customer and employee experience. He and Anthony also note that automation must be purposeful, not simply implemented for the sake of looking innovative. In their discussion, Tim challenges the common perception that automation is just a quick-fix plugin. He argues that off-the-shelf solutions often fail because they don't consider the unique processes of each organisation. Many mid-sized businesses still rely on manual and paper-based workflows, which creates friction when trying to digitise. He stresses the importance of transparency and trust, often advising clients to delay automation until they’re truly ready, rather than rushing into ill-fitting solutions. This mindset fosters sustainable, long-term partnerships based on real impact rather than superficial wins. Anthony and Tim also dive into the consequences of “vibe coding”, a trend where inexperienced developers build automations without understanding the underlying tech. This leads to significant risks such as open ports, unsecured bots, and no maintenance strategy. Tim has seen many “console cowboys” deliver flashy demos only to disappear, leaving unstable systems behind. These projects often require rescue and rebuilding, costing businesses both time and money. Together, they warn that automation must be secure, scalable, and properly planned; otherwise, it can leave companies more exposed than empowered. Finally, Tim reflects on current trends in automation. While platforms like Make and n8n are maturing rapidly and enabling more advanced capabilities, he predicts a renewed appreciation for simpler, functional workflows. As businesses move beyond the “rule of cool,” they’ll seek real utility, automations that genuinely make work easier and more efficient. Tim advocates for better business education around automation and encourages companies to begin with audits that reveal their true needs. With greater awareness and less fear, more organisations will be ready to harness automation and AI not as threats, but as powerful tools for growth and innovation. 💥 Special Listener Offer Get $1,000 off your first automation project with Regravity: https://l.regravity.com/devready #Automation #AI #DigitalTransformation #BusinessGrowth #Podcast #LowCode #CyberSecurity #Innovation

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Brittany Fox, Founder and CEO of Nevam, to explore her transition from corporate consultancy to tech entrepreneurship. With over a decade of experience across strategy, marketing, and digital transformation—including at firms like Deloitte, Origin, and GAP—Brittany brings deep insights into customer experience design and operational inefficiencies within enterprise environments. Her platform, Nevam, empowers businesses to visualise and optimise the customer journey in real time through what she calls "living journey maps". Drawing on both her technical fluency and strategic background, Brittany is reimagining how teams self-audit, collaborate, and drive decisions. This conversation uncovers the thinking, grit, and clarity that have propelled Nevam from idea to market validation in record time. Brittany shares how the idea for Nevam emerged from repeated frustrations she faced across large organisations, where disconnected tools and siloed teams made cohesive customer experiences difficult to achieve. Even with access to top-tier Martech stacks, the processes were rigid and inaccessible across teams, with audits often biased by individual consultants’ tooling preferences. Nevam was designed to close this gap, offering visibility, continuity, and a self-auditing layer that empowers organisations to take control of their own transformation journeys. Anthony and Brittany also dive into the importance of auditing current tools before migrating to new platforms, building a "blue sky" vision, and ensuring upgrades align with real strategic goals—not just shiny new tech. The conversation shifts to the role of Agile in startups, where both guest and host challenge common misconceptions. Brittany explains how she adopted a hybrid "managed Agile" approach, establishing a clear fixed scope for MVP builds, while remaining flexible enough to reprioritise based on real user feedback. Her roadmap process keeps her team two to three sprints ahead, with every feature grounded in user needs and client feedback. Together, Anthony and Brittany champion the concept of building “Minimum Valuable Products” rather than just the bare minimum, with an emphasis on delivering maximum value early and iterating purposefully. Brittany’s entrepreneurial journey truly gained momentum during her maternity leave in 2023, when she began validating Nevam with potential users. After being accepted into Techstars, she quickly onboarded a pilot client, one of Australia’s largest retailers, and delivered a working product within 12 weeks. Through this experience, she built a highly aligned, high-performing dev team, creating structure and clarity that enabled them to deliver at speed. One of her most surreal moments came when a Swedish agency presented Nevam as their own internal innovation to their team, speaking passionately about its value, entirely in Swedish, while Brittany sat in the room watching it unfold. Finally, Brittany opens up about the realities of being a founder and a parent. As part of a predominantly female Techstars cohort, she found solidarity and inspiration among other working parents. Rejecting the toxic "hustle culture" narrative, Brittany advocates for building sustainable, balanced businesses that serve not only users and investors, but also the personal lives of their founders. Her leadership philosophy is deeply human-centred, rooted in empathy, efficiency, and empowerment, and Nevam’s continued growth is a reflection of that same approach. With new features, client wins, and investor backing on the horizon, Nevam is on track to scale with clarity and purpose. #DevReadyPodcast #BrittanyFox #Nevam #WomenInTech #StartupJourney #AgileLeadership #CustomerExperience #SaaSInnovation

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined once again by Gavin Reddrop, Founder of Airtok AI and a seasoned entrepreneur helping businesses navigate the AI revolution. With a background spanning digital marketing, startup acceleration, and tech innovation, Gavin is now focused on demystifying AI for service-based businesses. He shares his latest ventures in AI, including a platform aimed at helping business owners understand and implement AI, and an image generator that leverages LoRA models to create high-quality, personalised visuals. The conversation touches on how businesses can avoid being swept up by the hype and instead focus on strategic, value-driven adoption of AI technologies. Gavin recounts the evolution of his image generation tool, which began as a community-driven crypto project integrated with Telegram. Originally built to offer automated, knowledge-based responses for crypto communities, the platform soon expanded into meme and image generation tailored for gaming and professional use. Despite setbacks like a liquidity hack, Gavin and his team relaunched the platform successfully, now with over 400 projects using the technology. This experience highlighted not only the resilience required to build in the volatile crypto space, but also the versatility and staying power of well-built AI infrastructure. The episode moves into a broader discussion about the realities of AI adoption in business. Gavin outlines how many business owners remain unsure of how to implement AI meaningfully, often overwhelmed by technical jargon or seduced by shiny tools that underdeliver. Together, Gavin and Anthony explore the false promises of AI agents that lack consistency, and how businesses with well-defined processes are in a much better position to leverage automation effectively. They stress the importance of using AI to enhance human connection and operational clarity, not replace it blindly. Anthony and Gavin also reflect on their experiences with “vibe coding” tools, AI-assisted code generators that, while promising in theory, often introduce subtle errors that snowball into bigger issues. They discuss the common “drift” phenomenon, where repeated AI prompts gradually stray from the original objective. Security risks, such as hardcoded API keys or exposed credentials, also highlight the dangers of relying solely on AI for production-ready apps. Both agree that while AI is incredibly useful for rapid prototyping and layout generation, critical aspects like stability, security, and final-mile polish still require human expertise. Closing the episode, they explore how frameworks like DevReady are reshaping how businesses can safely and efficiently integrate AI. Gavin praises the approach of combining AI tooling with a solid strategic foundation thus empowering founders to be part of the build process while ensuring developers can deliver production-grade results. With AI tools evolving rapidly and new products launching constantly, they argue for the need to stay adaptable without losing sight of structure. Ultimately, success in the AI age won’t come from chasing every shiny new app, but from having a clear plan, the right guidance, and a stack that evolves with your business, not against it. #DevReadyPodcast #AIforBusiness #GPTReady #AutomationStrategy #StartupTech #DigitalTransformation #BusinessGrowth #GavinReddrop

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Deborah Szabo, Digital Marketing Strategist, Video Coach, and founder of The Content Catalyst. With a background in the wine industry and a deep understanding of both strategic content and technology, Deborah now empowers service-based businesses, coaches, and digital entrepreneurs to maximise their visibility through video and AI. She shares her insights on modern content marketing, the shift away from outdated tactics, and how leveraging artificial intelligence can give business owners a powerful competitive edge without sacrificing authenticity or personal touch. Deborah introduces her signature approach to helping people show up on camera confidently, explaining that understanding one’s personality type, like the hesitant “Penelope Perfectionist” or spontaneous “Wing-it Wendy”, can transform how content is created and shared. By tailoring strategies to individual creators and redefining “content” as anything a business communicates publicly, she underscores the value of intentional messaging across platforms. As AI continues to integrate into tools like Canva and CapCut, Deborah believes the opportunity lies in combining these technologies with personalised, strategic guidance. The conversation explores how business owners can overcome common hurdles such as lack of time, camera shyness, and creative block by incorporating content creation into daily habits. Deborah champions the use of long-form video, particularly on YouTube, as a sustainable and scalable strategy for building digital presence. Anthony echoes this sentiment, pointing out that unscripted, knowledge-driven content often performs better than overly polished production. Together, they encourage a workflow where live video and AI-enabled repurposing do the heavy lifting, helping brands stay visible without burning out. Deborah also unpacks her custom-built AI blueprint system designed to align content strategy with business goals in just a few clicks. From planning monthly marketing calendars to producing blogs, video scripts, and even B-roll lists, she showcases how AI assistants can streamline operations without compromising on quality. With tools like Claude, Perplexity, and ChatGPT, she demonstrates how to personalise outputs by training models to reflect your tone and brand. Her goal is to demystify AI and empower everyday business owners to integrate it into their workflows with confidence. Rounding off the episode, Anthony and Deborah discuss the future of AI in business, agreeing that the greatest risk is standing still. Anthony shares his own method of staying ahead, from curated YouTube roundups to using bots that summarise key insights for his team. He urges businesses to focus on automating repetitive tasks and warns against misusing AI agents for jobs better suited to workflows. Deborah reinforces this by highlighting the power of equipping remote teams and VAs with tailored AI systems, ensuring they’re not just replaced by AI—but elevated by it. Together, they offer a practical roadmap for small businesses ready to embrace the future of tech-enabled marketing. #AIContentMarketing #DigitalMarketingStrategy #VideoMarketingTips #ContentCreationTools #SmallBusinessGrowth #MarketingAutomation #YouTubeForBusiness #DeborahSzabo

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Ross Chaldecott, a seasoned product leader and the Co-Founder & CEO of Kinde. With a background spanning key leadership roles at Atlassian, Shopify, and Campaign Monitor, Ross brings a wealth of insight into building impactful tech businesses. At Kinde, he’s on a mission to remove the burdens of repetitive infrastructure—like authentication and billing—so founders can focus on what truly matters: delivering value. Ross shares how his own entrepreneurial journey, combined with decades of experience in scaling global tech companies, led to the creation of Kinde: a platform designed to simplify SaaS development and empower a new wave of product creators. Ross traces the roots of Kinde back to his early days as a founder in the late 1990s, where he encountered the same problem time and again: getting bogged down in building infrastructure instead of actual products. This challenge resurfaced even at tech giants like Atlassian and Shopify, where infrastructure complexities slowed down progress. These experiences crystallised Ross’s vision to build a platform that could abstract away these headaches for SaaS businesses, much like Shopify does for e-commerce. Kinde was born to give founders a genuine head start by handling the “boilerplate” code, allowing them to focus on innovation instead of plumbing. The conversation dives deep into what sets Kinde apart in a crowded landscape of tools like Firebase, Auth0, Supabase, and Stripe. Rather than specialising in just one function, Kinde integrates authentication, billing, and entitlements into a cohesive infrastructure layer. This fusion enables SaaS teams to manage subscriptions, user permissions, and tiered access without the typical complexity of stitching together multiple services. Anthony validates this value proposition through his own development experience, and Ross reveals that anticipation around Kinde’s new billing product is immense and how developers see it as the missing link they’ve long needed. Cultural foundations are equally critical to Kinde’s success. Ross shares how the company draws from lessons learned at Atlassian and Shopify to prioritise transparency, autonomy, and values-driven leadership. From giving every employee equity to embedding values in hiring and pricing decisions, Kinde operates with intentionality. Keeping the team small and nimble has also enabled them to move with speed and precision. With guidance from industry veterans and a clear strategic vision, Ross emphasises that asking for help and surrounding yourself with people who genuinely care—can be one of a founder’s greatest strengths. The episode wraps with a look ahead at what’s next for Kinde. The team is focused on launching its billing module and expanding the platform's extensibility with webhooks, workflows, and eventually a full-fledged marketplace. Ross also discusses the company’s nuanced use of AI: while it boosts productivity and supports prototyping, it’s not yet a substitute for experienced engineers when building robust infrastructure. And finally, he shares the quirky story behind the brand’s name “Kinde” with an “e”, explaining that the ambiguity is intentional and reflects the team’s ethos of staying curious and playful, or as their core value puts it: “Stay Foolish.” #SaaSStartups #ProductDevelopment #FounderJourney #StartupTools #Kinde #DevReadyPodcast #TechLeadership #BuildWhatMatters

In this fifth collaborative episode of the DevReady Podcast and the very first live-streamed on LinkedIn, host Anthony Sapountzis is once again joined by Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai, to explore recent advancements and practical insights into AI tools and their implications across businesses. They delve deeply into the evolving functionalities of popular AI platforms, notably ChatGPT’s O3 Pro, highlighting its advanced autonomous capabilities for executing tasks end-to-end, such as coding and deploying applications. Gareth, speaking from a business operations perspective, praises O3 Pro for bridging technical gaps for non-developers, while Anthony underscores its superior deep research capabilities and precision in responses, along with discussing effective prompting techniques to maximise efficiency. Comparing AI platforms, Anthony and Gareth evaluate their experiences with Perplexity Labs and Claude against ChatGPT. Gareth offers balanced feedback, appreciating Perplexity Labs' decent abilities in deep research and content creation, yet finds it does not significantly surpass existing AI tools. Anthony particularly endorses Claude for coding tasks, emphasising its strengths in technical scenarios and collaborative content creation. They agree that choosing the right AI tool ultimately depends more on personal preference, practical needs, and familiarity rather than inherent technical superiority. Anthony and Gareth then discuss strategic approaches for maintaining brand consistency through ChatGPT's Projects feature, especially across diverse marketing platforms such as TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Gareth recounts successful experiences helping startups tailor content to suit different audiences efficiently, although Anthony points out the current limitation around team-based sharing and collaboration. Both remain optimistic, hoping future updates will resolve these collaboration issues, thus enhancing team productivity. Shifting focus to the broader implications and practical usage of AI, Anthony and Gareth reflect on the rapid pace of AI development. They note how organisations such as Anthropic leverage AI to continually enhance their own tools, enabling accelerated releases and increased productivity through autonomous "background agents." Gareth provides entertaining examples of educational, AI-generated content gaining popularity on platforms like YouTube, while Anthony illustrates pragmatic business applications, including animated testimonials and quickly-produced promotional videos to captivate audience attention. Finally, the conversation addresses the critical importance of developing clear objectives and structured thinking when integrating AI into workflow automation and content generation. Gareth stresses the necessity for clear articulation of problems before using AI tools, warning against common pitfalls such as incomplete tasks and "scope creep." Anthony offers practical advice, suggesting tools like Kanban boards to manage tasks effectively. The episode concludes by underscoring the need for everyone to achieve fluency in AI tools, citing predictions of substantial economic disruption and highlighting resources such as Anthropic’s AI Fluency course. Both Gareth and Anthony advocate proactive experimentation and deliberate use of AI as crucial strategies for staying relevant in an increasingly automated future. #AI #ChatGPT #Claude #AIFluency #Productivity #FutureOfWork #DevReadyPodcast #AerionTechnologies

In this DevReady Podcast episode, host Anthony Sapountzis welcomes Jonathan Sermon, a seasoned partnerships and alliances specialist with a rich background in business development, foreign exchange, and property. Currently serving as Partnerships & Alliances Manager at Your Empire Buyers Agent and Co-Founder & Director of Bio Australia, Jon brings a wealth of experience across multiple industries. With a career that began in the UK's fintech space, he has become known as a “serial connector”, having spent over 15 years building referral networks and empowering professionals through authentic, value-driven relationships. He also co-hosts the Lifestyle Pirates podcast, where he unpacks life, business, and culture through relaxed, insightful conversations. Throughout the conversation, Jon underscores the enduring power of human connection, particularly in the context of startups, solo founders, and relationship-led businesses. He reflects on how his community-building efforts began with curiosity and a desire to learn, leading to the creation of Bio, a networking group that connects people through shared passions like music, wine, and motorsport, rather than forced corporate settings. From hosting club nights in Sydney to connecting doctors with aircraft finance over dinner, Jon’s approach to relationship-building is grounded in authenticity, storytelling, and simply showing up. His perspective reaffirms that the strongest connections often stem from serendipitous conversations and shared values, not sales scripts. Jon also shares how a seemingly casual connection made at a networking event a decade ago evolved into his current leadership role at Your Empire, highlighting the long-term value of investing in people. Together, he and Anthony lament the shift towards transactional interactions in remote work environments, advocating instead for moments of spontaneity and “learning by osmosis”, like the organic chats over lunch that used to shape team culture. They explore the role of podcasts as a learning tool, especially for those who struggle with traditional reading, and stress the importance of time investment: building trust, learning from others, and keeping an open mind are what fuel personal and professional growth. As the conversation pivots towards the role of AI in business, both Jon and Anthony acknowledge the fast-changing landscape and the increasing pressure to stay ahead. Jon draws parallels between business partnerships and personal relationships, noting that trust is built over time, not through automated outreach. He warns against overreliance on impersonal, volume-driven tactics and instead champions the importance of value-aligned networks and regular feedback between partners. Jon’s approach is firmly rooted in the belief that relationships should be cultivated with care, consistency, and clarity. In their final exchange, Jon raises a pressing question about AI’s impact on skill development—what happens to junior employees if machines do all the remedial work? Anthony suggests that while tasks may change, learning still happens through supervision and interpretation. They discuss how AI has transformed creative and technical work, making some outputs more disposable, and reflect on how intuition, human insight, and strategic thinking remain irreplaceable. In a compelling analogy, Anthony compares AI to the evolution of tools in construction, from spirit levels to laser levels, not a threat to craftsmanship, but an upgrade in efficiency. The episode closes with a simple truth: be curious, show up, and treat people with respect because that's where the real value lies. #NetworkingTips #BusinessGrowth #AIandBusiness #PartnershipsThatWork #EntrepreneurMindset #AuthenticConnections #FutureOfWork #DevReadyPodcast

David Colwell, Vice President of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at Tricentis, brings a wealth of industry experience and academic curiosity to the DevReady Podcast. With a background that spans automation, quality engineering, and cutting-edge AI research, David leads the charge in making enterprise AI practical and effective. Having spent years building and training neural networks and raising five "natural networks" at home, David blends technical rigour with a wry sense of humour, offering a grounded and entertaining take on the challenges of AI adoption in business today. In this episode, David joins host Anthony Sapountzis to unpack the reality behind the AI hype and what it takes to build systems that truly deliver value. The episode opens on a light-hearted note, with David comparing the training of AI models to parenting his children, drawing a parallel between machine learning hallucinations and childhood fibs. He shares his journey from automating his own QA role to spearheading Tricentis’ Vision AI product, reflecting on the early days of experimentation with models like BERT and GPT-2. David recalls how, in the past, it was a struggle to convince stakeholders that AI had practical utility, whereas now, the challenge lies in tempering the overwhelming demand for AI solutions with thoughtful implementation. As the conversation deepens, David and Anthony discuss the growing trend of companies branding themselves as “AI startups” despite simply integrating off-the-shelf language models. David likens this to previous hype cycles around blockchain and cloud, pointing out that while we’re currently in a “quick wins” phase of AI, lasting value will come from building proprietary tools and tapping into unique data sets. He warns that early movers relying solely on public LLMs may struggle to differentiate, especially as customers become more agile in switching providers. The duo also delve into the practical limitations of today’s AI tools, especially in areas where precision, repeatability, and auditability are non-negotiable. David argues that while hallucinations can be creatively useful (such as stress-testing systems with unpredictable input), they’re unacceptable in high-stakes environments like finance. He emphasises that any AI-powered system must be designed to tolerate and recover from failure, with humans in the loop where necessary. At Tricentis, generative AI is used to accelerate creative tasks like generating test ideas, but the execution remains deterministic to ensure reliability. Closing the episode with wit and technical insight, David and Anthony critique the current obsession with AI agents. They explore how unnecessarily complex agent setups often lead to inefficiencies, especially when predictable outcomes could be achieved with simpler workflows. David amusingly describes his ongoing side project—testing how AI models choose between tools based on psychologically manipulative prompts, a concept he calls “SEO for tools.” It's a fitting end to a conversation that blends sharp analysis, ethical considerations, and a deep understanding of the balance between human and machine intelligence. #ArtificialIntelligence #MachineLearning #AIStartups #TechPodcast #Automation #AIEthics #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Natalie Tran, Founder of Transition With Purpose and a highly regarded Transition and Business Coach. Based in Melbourne, Natalie supports mid-career professionals to navigate pivotal career changes with clarity and confidence. With a background in finance and over nine years of coaching experience, she now focuses on guiding individuals from unfulfilling 9-to-5 roles into purpose-driven work, portfolio careers, or entrepreneurship. Natalie’s holistic approach combines mindset work, strategic planning, and practical financial considerations, empowering clients to redefine success and take meaningful steps forward. Natalie opens up about her personal journey from chartered accounting to coaching, a shift catalysed by the sudden collapse of an international career opportunity following the events of 9/11. Raised in a Vietnamese refugee family, Natalie originally pursued a “safe” and stable career path, working at Deloitte and later in funds management. But despite lateral moves and professional milestones, she felt unfulfilled. A series of life events, including the birth of her children and the limitations of part-time work in finance, eventually pushed her to resign without a plan B. This turning point sparked the beginning of her coaching journey and serves as a powerful example of embracing uncertainty in pursuit of purpose. Throughout the episode, Natalie identifies common themes that emerge in her work with clients, from a deep sense of misalignment to unfulfilled creativity and a longing to make meaningful impact. Many of her clients come from migrant backgrounds and wrestle with the burden of family expectations and financial responsibility. Natalie advocates for the concept of portfolio careers and flexible income streams as a way to de-risk career transitions. Drawing on her background in finance, she helps clients map out sustainable pathways, often starting with side projects and testing new ideas before making the leap into full-time entrepreneurship or consulting. Natalie also explores the mindset barriers that keep people stuck, particularly the fear of starting, the fear of failure, and the belief that it’s too late to change. She stresses the importance of cultivating daily habits that build resilience, such as exercise, structure, and staying connected to community. These small but consistent actions help restore agency during periods of uncertainty. For Natalie, personal growth often begins not with major breakthroughs, but with showing up in the face of discomfort and reframing failure as learning. Finally, Natalie shares how her first coaching clients weren’t from her previous finance network but from her time teaching yoga and working in the fitness industry. This unplanned pivot became foundational to her entrepreneurial journey. By leveraging her wellness background, she learned how to facilitate, profile clients, and run a freelance business, skills that seamlessly transferred to her coaching practice. Her story is a testament to starting where you are, using the resources you have, and being open to where the journey might take you. #CareerChange #PivotWithPurpose #LifeAfter9to5 #MidCareerCoach #EntrepreneurMindset #CareerTransition #FindYourPurpose #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Shanif Dhanani, founder of Nobi and a seasoned data scientist, software engineer, and AI strategist. Shanif shares his journey from building generalist AI tools to launching Nobi, a specialised e-commerce AI sales assistant designed to help online retailers drive conversions and enhance customer interactions. With a background spanning roles at Twitter and TapCommerce, and deep experience in both engineering and product strategy, Shanif offers rich insights into the evolution of AI tooling, startup pivots, and the realities of building meaningful, scalable tech solutions in today’s fast-paced environment. The conversation begins with Shanif recounting the strategic pivot from his earlier venture, Locusive to Nobi. Although the original product was technically robust, it lacked a clear market fit. Shanif and his team made the difficult but essential decision to shift their focus entirely, eventually landing on e-commerce, a domain he was deeply familiar with from his work in predictive analytics and ad tech. This pivot, while not triggered by direct customer demand, was informed by a sharper understanding of industry pain points and the market’s readiness for AI-driven solutions. The narrower focus led to greater traction and engagement with clients who lacked the internal technical resources to implement advanced solutions themselves. Throughout the episode, Shanif and Anthony reflect on the developer-founder journey, including the challenge of moving beyond code to embrace storytelling, marketing, and sales. They discuss the concept of "vibe coding", a tendency among non-technical founders to blindly copy and paste AI-generated code without truly understanding it. Shanif stresses that AI should be treated like a junior developer: incredibly helpful, but still in need of clear direction, review, and oversight. The duo also discuss the power and limitations of tools like GitHub Copilot, Claude, and Cursor, and how real productivity gains come only when these are paired with technical knowledge and thoughtful planning. The discussion also explores the broader impact of AI on the SaaS landscape, including pricing models, startup costs, and investor expectations. Shanif explains how Nobi is navigating the shift from subscription-based models to usage-based pricing, particularly as API and infrastructure costs rise dramatically depending on the AI models used. He also notes the growing demand for self-hosted AI solutions from enterprise clients and shares his optimism for AI's role in amplifying—not replacing—human developers. Both founders underscore that, while AI is revolutionising product development, success still depends on the fundamentals: solving real problems, achieving product-market fit, and delivering measurable value. Looking ahead, Shanif outlines Nobi’s ambitious roadmap. The team is working toward creating an integrated AI assistant capable of performing both sales and customer service functions within e-commerce platforms. As they gain traction with high-revenue clients, Shanif envisions a future where agents communicate and transact autonomously, drastically reducing human error and creating seamless shopping experiences. He also expresses excitement about emerging infrastructure like the Multi-Agent Collaboration Protocol (MCP) and hints at Nobi potentially becoming a key backend provider for agent-driven commerce. For now, Shanif is focused on scaling sustainably, bootstrapping where possible, generating revenue, and hiring strategically to meet growing demand. #AIStartups #EcommerceInnovation #ProductMarketFit #StartupJourney #TechFounders #AITools #SaaSRevolution #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis welcomes back Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai, for his fourth appearance on what’s fast becoming a regular monthly AI catch-up. Gareth, a seasoned product strategist and startup advisor with a passion for practical AI adoption, brings his signature insight and candour to a wide-ranging discussion. From hands-on use cases with Claude’s Gmail and Calendar integration to big-picture reflections on education, disruption, and the future of work, this episode offers something for tech leaders, builders, and business owners navigating the evolving AI landscape. The conversation kicks off with Gareth sharing a “discovering fire” moment using Claude’s integration with Gmail and Google Calendar. Despite its limitations, the tool’s ability to categorise emails, find calendar gaps, and prioritise tasks significantly enhanced his productivity. This led into a broader discussion on how businesses are moving away from rigid, custom-built systems in favour of exploring AI-native capabilities within existing platforms like ChatGPT. Gareth and Anthony both highlight the need for teams to simply spend time using these tools, discovering how features like web search integration or native assistant functionalities can streamline daily work. They also dive into the rising importance of making digital content discoverable by AI agents. As Gareth explains, businesses must begin optimising their web presence not just for Google SEO, but for what he calls “agent search”, ensuring tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity can extract, understand, and act on their content. Despite this being a clear gap in the digital marketing space, few agencies are actively tackling it. Anthony shares strategies around structured data and schema markup, reinforcing that the early adopters of agent optimisation will have a distinct advantage, at least before the landscape becomes monetised and competitive. The episode then shifts to Model-Connected Plugins (MCPs) and how small businesses can tap into their potential without needing to code. Using examples like Shopify or Stripe integrations, Anthony explains how AI assistants can act on behalf of business owners by interacting directly with their tools. Gareth notes that this evolution in tech is empowering everyday people to take ideas further, faster; especially when combined with user-friendly automation tools like N8N. As he puts it, the time to get fluent with prompting and working alongside your digital assistant is now, not later. In lighter but equally eye-opening moments, Gareth describes an experiment where he got different AI models: ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini—to critique each other’s writing. The resulting “prompt battle” showed just how rapidly these models are evolving and improving. From there, the conversation deepens into AI safety, with references to new guardrails in Claude, and even reports of companies preparing “AGI bunkers” to protect research teams. Both speakers agree that while we’re far from true Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the trajectory is steep and public trust will hinge on how responsibly this tech is developed. The discussion wraps with a thoughtful look at how AI is reshaping education, creativity, and economic opportunity. Referencing a post by Darren Coxon, Gareth questions the ROI of traditional degrees in an era where AI can teach and guide learners for a fraction of the cost. He and Anthony reflect on outdated university curricula, the skill of "learning to learn", and the future of work, from developers to labourers, facing increasing automation. With AI tools flooding the market and even Amazon capping eBook uploads due to AI content overload, Gareth ends with a grounded reminder: focus on what you can control today. Try one thing. Switch on an integration. Ask better questions. And above all, keep learning. #AIforBusiness #SmallBizInnovation #FutureOfWork #ChatGPT #AgentOptimisation #TechDisruption #ProductivityTools #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Sharbani Dhar, CEO of DotInfinity and a seasoned human-centred design expert with over two decades of experience. Sharbani shares her inspiring journey from a fulfilling corporate role at Australia Post to launching her own consultancy focused on strategic, design-led transformation. Motivated by a desire to truly own the problem-solving process, she stepped away from the security of a 9-to-5 role, driven by a passion for learning and a hunger for challenge. With support from her partner and mentors, she embraced the leap into entrepreneurship and has since built a business that thrives on delivering value through empathy, design thinking, and innovation. Sharbani reflects on how her career has been guided by an unwavering commitment to learning. When work stops challenging her intellectually, it signals time for a change, something she encourages others to recognise in themselves. At DotInfinity, she’s created a space where learning is continuous and problem-solving is approached holistically. Rather than focusing on surface-level fixes, she champions end-to-end collaboration across teams to design solutions that align business goals with real human needs. She unpacks the essence of human-centred design as a way to solve the right problems by understanding the entire journey of both the customer and the internal stakeholders involved. Through real-world examples, Sharbani illustrates how businesses often mistake symptoms for root causes. Drawing from her past experiences, she details how initiatives like reducing call centre volumes often miss the point by focusing on digital interfaces rather than underlying process failures and misaligned KPIs. True impact, she asserts, comes from empowering staff, aligning incentives, and redesigning systems from the ground up. Her insights reveal how thoughtful design leads to better outcomes for both employees and customers and ultimately, a healthier bottom line. The conversation then shifts to the complexities of AI adoption. Sharbani highlights how many organisations rush into AI implementation without addressing data quality, infrastructure, or internal readiness. The result? Frustrating, low-impact solutions that rarely justify the investment. To combat this, she introduces the Responsible AI Canvas, a free, three-stage framework developed by DotInfinity to help businesses plan, assess, and govern AI projects responsibly. With guidance on data, ethics, stakeholder involvement, and human oversight, the tool ensures organisations don’t just adopt AI, but do it right. Wrapping up, Sharbani outlines the foundational pillars of human-centred design: inclusion, empathy, iterative problem-solving, and the willingness to abandon ideas that no longer serve. She underscores the importance of external consultants who challenge assumptions rather than echoing them, serving as critical sounding boards rather than order-takers. By championing open collaboration and encouraging businesses to value outcomes over attachment to ideas, Sharbani leaves listeners with a powerful reminder: the best solutions are rarely the fastest, they’re the most human. #AIReadiness #DesignThinking #HumanCentredDesign #TechLeadership #DigitalTransformation #InnovationStrategy #AIUX #StartupJourney

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Miriam Wood, Men's Coach, Director at Miriam Wood Coaching, and Business Connector & Member Experience at BIO Australia. With a dynamic and eclectic career path spanning the fitness industry, events, tech, and coaching, Miriam brings a unique perspective on the intersection between technology, human connection, and personal growth. From supporting engineers during lockdown to helping midlife professionals rediscover purpose, Miriam's mission is to empower people with the tools to navigate life transitions and career change with clarity and confidence. Miriam recounts her unconventional journey from managing nightclubs and working in the fitness world to marketing pharmacy software where she first fell in love with tech and the customer experience. Her curiosity led her to sit alongside developers to understand how products were built and how they ultimately served the wider community. That same drive to understand systems and people pushed her into coaching, a field where she could apply her interest in how people think, operate, and transform. During the pandemic, she was brought into a global managed services company not for her tech expertise, but to support engineers' wellbeing and performance, proving that empathy and insight are as critical to team success as any hard skill. Transitioning into the tech space was not without its challenges. Miriam describes the difficulty of bridging communication gaps between herself and introverted, highly technical teams. However, this contrast became the catalyst for her passion: coaching men in midlife, many of whom were beginning to question what’s next after years of working in the same industry. Today, through her private coaching practice, Miriam helps clients navigate career and life changes by integrating wellbeing, mindset, and professional development. She highlights the importance of self-awareness and the role of major life events as powerful perspective shifters. The conversation delves into common struggles faced by tech professionals moving into leadership or consulting roles, particularly the discomfort with communication, self-promotion, and sales. Miriam challenges the notion that sales is inherently “sleazy”, reframing it as helping people and solving problems through genuine conversations. She introduces frameworks like DISC profiling to help clients build emotional intelligence and adaptive communication skills. This, she argues, is the key to unlocking personal growth and leadership potential in a human-first tech culture. In the final segment, Anthony and Miriam reflect on how small shifts in mindset can create profound change. Whether it's learning to speak up in meetings, overcoming imposter syndrome, or exploring a career pivot, they agree that progress starts with taking deliberate steps. Miriam encourages anyone feeling stuck to start with reflection, using AI tools, coaching, or even a trusted friend to map out values, blockers, and beliefs. From there, it’s about building a realistic, actionable plan that transforms confusion into clarity and momentum. As she puts it, no one climbs Everest in a day, but with the right plan and support, every mountain becomes scalable. #CareerChange #TechLeadership #MindsetMatters #PersonalGrowth #MidlifeTransition #CoachingForMen #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Aaron Crossin, , a seasoned Fractional General Manager with over 15 years of experience in business operations, growth strategy, and leadership across multiple industries. Aaron’s career began in hospitality, launching his first venture before finishing school. That hands-on experience, rooted in catering, kitchen management, and food service innovation—evolved into a passion for business strategy. His journey, shaped by mentorship from business coaches and scaling high-pressure hospitality operations, revealed the immense value of structured systems, cross-industry application, and people-centred leadership. Aaron reflects on how practical, real-world challenges provided a richer learning experience than any formal MBA. One pivotal example was running over 30 catering events in a single weekend, a crash course in logistics, process, and performance under pressure. Today, he brings that same rigor and adaptability to his fractional GM roles, helping founders break through growth barriers without losing control of their core passion or culture. Unlike traditional coaches, Aaron embeds himself within the business, rolling up his sleeves to execute, not just advise, while developing systems that eventually make his role redundant. He shares how his approach suits fast-paced environments and founder-led businesses looking to scale sustainably. With a strong bias towards action over red tape, Aaron focuses on building frameworks, optimising teams, and aligning strategic goals with daily operations. His engagements are highly tailored, ranging from light strategic check-ins to in-depth monthly support, depending on a business’s growth stage and operational maturity. He is highly selective in the clients he takes on, looking for those open to change, execution-focused, and committed to results. Throughout the conversation, Aaron and Anthony explore the challenges faced by entrepreneurs, especially those transitioning from specialised corporate roles. While technically skilled, many founders struggle with the multifaceted demands of business: marketing, sales, hiring, and operations. Aaron offers a clear path forward, starting with diagnosing root issues: lack of strategic direction, unclear KPIs, inefficiencies, and ineffective marketing. His ability to identify low-hanging fruit and transform those into meaningful outcomes is what sets him apart, whether that’s repositioning a brand, streamlining delivery, or improving sales conversations. Aaron also weighs in on the integration of AI into business operations. While acknowledging its potential, he warns against deploying AI without first establishing strong internal processes. AI is a tool, not a solution, and its success hinges on the foundations already in place. For Aaron, the most rewarding part of his work lies in transforming perceptions—winning over sceptical teams, empowering business owners, and ultimately freeing up time and energy so leaders can focus on what matters. Success, in Aaron’s view, isn’t just about profit, it’s about building a business that thrives holistically. #FractionalGM #StartupGrowth #BusinessStrategy #FounderLife #ScaleYourBusiness #LeadershipMatters #EntrepreneurTips #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo is joined by Philip H. Faraj, Senior VP of Business Development at Endava. Based in Sydney, Philip brings a decade of experience in digital transformation, consulting, and strategic growth across global markets. Formerly with Accenture Interactive and Fjord, he has helped organisations evolve their product and platform strategies in step with rapidly shifting technologies. In this conversation, Andrew and Philip dive deep into the practical, philosophical, and disruptive impact of AI—from transforming product development cycles to redefining how businesses engage with customers. With AI no longer just a tool but a core part of modern strategy, this episode explores how businesses can adapt, survive, and thrive in the age of acceleration. Philip shares how Endava is leveraging AI to modernise legacy systems and revolutionise software delivery. These tools can now map dependencies, extract business rules, and validate product ideas in a fraction of the time previously required, streamlining innovation while preserving strategic alignment. Both speakers reflect on how Agile has become bloated in large organisations, with AI offering a new path to efficiency. Rather than replace human input, Philip views AI as an “always-on” collaborator that augments product discovery and helps stakeholders ask better questions. The conversation then turns philosophical, likening AI’s emergence to the leap from hand tools to industrial cranes. Andrew notes how AI is empowering organisations to innovate at speed, but Philip adds a crucial twist: we still don’t fully know what we’re building. Customer experiences are no longer static; they’re omnipresent, shaped by AI-driven interfaces and agents that respond to fluid, contextual needs. Drawing inspiration from the early days of the web and the bold leaps made by pioneers like the founder of Kazaa and Skype, Philip makes the case for courage in the face of uncertainty. It’s not just a technological shift—it’s a cultural one. Philip also outlines how AI is reshaping industries like travel, turning form-based interactions into conversational, context-aware experiences. Imagine a traveller simply describing what they want: “warm weather, kid-friendly, near a beach”, and receiving intelligent itinerary suggestions. As consumer expectations evolve, businesses must rethink how they market, engage, and deliver. The same shift is occurring in product design, where scenario-based simulations powered by AI are replacing traditional 12-week discovery sprints. This democratisation of tools has lowered the barrier to innovation, though Andrew and Philip stress the continued importance of critical thinking amidst the convenience of automation. In closing, the discussion explores the rise of agentic AI, autonomous agents that can act as developers, product managers, or solution architects. Philip explains how these AI agents are being deployed to modernise old tech stacks, reimagine platform strategy, and drive scalable, modular software development. Rather than simply “lift and shift” legacy systems, the focus is on building composable architectures that evolve with user needs and market conditions. As they reflect on the existential implications of these shifts, from job transformation to the uncertain future of education, both Andrew and Philip acknowledge that we’re in uncharted territory. Yet, the takeaway is clear: those who are willing to adapt, question, and build alongside technology will shape the next wave of progress. #AIRevolution #FutureOfWork #TechInnovation #AgenticAI #DigitalTransformation #ProductStrategy #Endava #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo sits down with Liz Ross, Investor Relations at Tidal Ventures, to explore her journey from the world of financial services marketing, through her corporate tenure at Microsoft, to her hands-on experiences in startups and her current role in venture capital at Tidal Ventures. Liz shares how her exposure to structured go-to-market strategies and AI education initiatives at Microsoft informed her perspective on early-stage tech and investing. She discusses how Tidal Ventures is shifting its focus to support early-stage B2B AI companies, viewing AI as an evolutionary step in software rather than a passing trend. Liz also touches on Australia’s advantages as a hub for innovation and explains how Tidal balances its investments between Australia and the United States. Reflecting on her leap from corporate life to startups, Liz candidly shares why she left Microsoft in search of more creative and strategic ownership. At Dovetail, she found a culture that encouraged everyone from marketing to engineering to wear multiple hats, collaborate deeply, and engage directly with customers. This environment cultivated not only empathy but also rapid execution and high accountability. From running marketing strategy to fielding customer support requests, Liz embraced the startup pace, finding fulfillment in the diversity and immediacy of her work. Liz also unpacks the power of community and its integration with product-led growth at Dovetail. Through customer support rotations, Slack-based communities, and a “public by default” approach to internal and external knowledge sharing, the company built strong user relationships and scaled advocacy. By converting private customer interactions into public resources and leveraging thought leadership to foster brand authority, Dovetail created a high-trust ecosystem. Liz makes it clear that content, community, and customer service aren’t standalone efforts—they’re mutually reinforcing growth levers when done authentically. Content strategy emerges as another cornerstone of Dovetail’s success. Liz stresses the importance of consistency over perfection, noting that it often takes 24 months to see real traction. Whether starting with video, written articles, or social snippets, she champions scalable, repurposable formats that meet users where they are. Founders, she argues, must be actively involved in the content and sales process, especially in the early days, to ensure authenticity and connect directly with their audience. Guest contributors, candid video, and founder-led storytelling all play a role in creating impactful, sustainable content engines. In closing, Liz discusses how her product and customer-first mentality guided her move into venture capital. At Tidal Ventures, she was drawn to the operator-led model backed by professionals with first-hand startup experience, who bring practical support, not just funding. With a portfolio of 30+ companies, Tidal aims to act as a strategic partner across long time horizons, helping founders solve critical challenges. Liz believes Australia’s tech ecosystem, driven by capital efficiency, deep expertise, and cultural values shaped by companies like Atlassian and Canva, is uniquely positioned for global leadership in tech innovation. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupGrowth #ProductLedGrowth #VentureCapital #Founders #GoToMarket #AIStartups #AerionTechnologies #TidalVentures

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo welcomes Anita Patturajan, the dynamic Founder and CEO of Anitech, and Co-Founder of Lahebo. The conversation traces Anita’s journey from compliance engineer to tech entrepreneur, uncovering how her early love for coding and technology, especially in Java during her engineering studies, shaped her path. A pivotal moment during an audit at CSR inspired her to launch Anitech, a business built on the vision of supporting underserved small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with compliance and tech-driven solutions. Anita shares how those formative years, working hands-on with SMEs, provided insights that later fuelled her ambition to productise risk management through Lahebo. Anita delves into the shifting landscape of risk and compliance, shaped by evolving regulations and emerging technologies. Early in her career, risk management was often a manual process, limited by expensive enterprise software, but tools like Excel and VBA enabled her to deliver value. Fast forward to today, and the rise of low-code platforms and artificial intelligence has democratised access to data-driven solutions. Through Anitech, Anita now offers a comprehensive suite of services, from advisory and audits to AI consultancy, guiding businesses to navigate risk in real time. However, she notes the growing challenges SMEs face in responsibly adopting AI, particularly in areas of data security and intellectual property, reinforcing Anitech’s role in providing both technical and educational support. As the discussion shifts, Anita shares how AI requests from clients, such as building custom Salesforce agents, inspired a broader move into product development. This led to the creation of Lahebo, a risk management SaaS platform aimed at making compliance easier and more affordable for SMEs. Initially hesitant to build from scratch, Anita explored partnerships and off-the-shelf options, only to find they were financially inaccessible or lacked the customisation needed. Determined to fill the gap, her team spent over a year planning and prototyping before launching Lahebo. The result is a platform that combines real-world risk insights with scalable technology, built to support business resilience. The transition from service to SaaS, however, came with hard lessons. Anita and Andrew discuss the nuances of product–market fit versus message–market fit, as Lahebo’s initial customer base didn’t align with its strongest adopters. This sparked a strategic pivot towards highly regulated industries: finance, aviation, and consulting, where CEOs, not just compliance managers, were making purchasing decisions. Anita underscores the importance of assembling a “rockstar” team with expertise across software, finance, engagement, and marketing. These elements proved critical in positioning Lahebo not just as software, but as a smart investment for long-term operational sustainability. In the final part of the episode, Anita outlines her vision for Lahebo’s future: a real-time, data-centric platform that supports risk and compliance across borders. She hopes to integrate environmental and safety monitoring, enabling businesses to act proactively before risks escalate into costly incidents. With expansion plans beyond Australian compliance to global jurisdictions, Lahebo is set to become a trusted tool for multinational organisations. At its core, the platform reflects Anita’s enduring mission to help businesses operate with confidence, clarity, and compliance in an increasingly complex world. #AIforBusiness #StartupJourney #SaaSFounders #RiskManagement #WomenInTech #ComplianceSolutions #TechEntrepreneurship #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo welcomes Trent Scheirs, Co-Founder of Grant Help, a leading consultancy dedicated to helping Australian businesses navigate the complex world of government grants and R&D incentives. With a background in business development and strategic advisory, Trent brings deep insights into funding pathways for innovation, having worked closely with former government assessors and industry experts. Grant Help supports clients across three main pillars: the R&D Tax Incentive, the Export Market Development Grant (EMDG), and a wide range of competitive ad hoc grants. With more than 1,500 grant programmes and $60 billion in funding available across federal and state levels, Trent shares practical advice on how businesses can find and secure the right opportunities to support their growth journey. Trent delves into the distinction between entitlement-based grants, such as the R&D Tax Incentive, and competitive grants, which comprise the bulk of available funding but are harder to secure due to their selective nature. He highlights how changes in government leadership, particularly shifts between Labor and Liberal parties, can affect the availability and priorities of grant programmes. While entitlement grants tend to remain stable, competitive and ad hoc funding is often influenced by policy shifts, such as the current focus on sustainability and green innovation. As a board member of the Export Consultants Association (ACCI), Trent provides behind-the-scenes insight into how grant policy is shaped and encourages businesses to stay informed and proactive when it comes to long-term planning. One of the key themes in this episode is eligibility and compliance for the R&D Tax Incentive, especially within software development. Trent outlines the critical need for projects to be technically uncertain and built from the ground up, not simply modifications of existing platforms like WordPress or Wix. Claims must be backed by three essential elements: a technical description, associated expenses, and supporting documentation created contemporaneously. Without detailed records like timesheets, JIRA exports, and contracts that clearly link the R&D activities to the spend, claims are likely to fall short. Grant Help goes so far as to check in monthly with clients to ensure real-time tracking because, as Trent emphasises, retrospective justification won't hold up. Beyond compliance, Trent and Andrew unpack the real heart of R&D: trial, error, and discovery. Documenting technical failures is just as important as celebrating successes, as failure signals genuine exploration and validates a project's eligibility. They also stress the need to align R&D with commercial outcomes—because innovation without a market is just wasted effort. Working with experienced dev partners can reduce risk and free up founders to focus on go-to-market activities like branding and customer validation. In today’s fast-evolving tech landscape, especially in the wake of AI advancements, building something useful and desirable is more important than building something novel. To round out the episode, Trent introduces the Export Market Development Grant, which offers businesses up to $640,000 over eight years to fund global expansion efforts. From overseas travel and international marketing to hiring offshore reps and registering trademarks, the EMDG is designed to support businesses ready to scale beyond Australia. With global tariffs shifting, particularly between the US and China, Australian markets could soon be flooded with low-cost imports, making export planning a critical hedge for local businesses. Trent advises founders to solidify domestic sales first, and to begin planning early, with the next grant cycle opening in November 2025. Listeners are encouraged to reach out to Grant Help for a free discovery session and access to a competitive grants workbook packed with tips and tools. #GovernmentGrants #RDTaxIncentive #ExportGrants #StartupFunding #AussieBusiness #ScaleWithGrants #InnovationSupport #GoGlobal #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Dr Grace Ng, CEO and Chief Medical Liaison at Brain Aid Clinics and CEO of Gyrilla Investments Group. With a distinguished background in IT, corporate strategy, and medicine, Dr Grace shares her remarkable journey from tech executive to neurosurgical trainee and brain health innovator. Her work today sits at the intersection of neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and personalised care, with a focus on non-invasive neurostimulation techniques such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). Through this lens, she challenges the boundaries of conventional psychiatric diagnosis and treatment, offering a fresh, integrative approach to brain care grounded in clinical rigour and technological innovation. Dr Grace advocates for rethinking mental health not merely as psychological distress but as a manifestation of brain dysfunction—treatable through neurogenesis, cellular repair, and improved neural connectivity. Using tools like fMRI navigation and DNA-based nutritional profiling, her clinic delivers highly individualised care supported by a holistic program called “Thought, Movement & Food.” These interventions aim to cultivate a neuroplastic environment where patients can see measurable improvement in conditions such as depression, anxiety, and even early-stage Alzheimer’s. At the heart of her approach is the belief that diagnosis does not have to determine destiny—with the right conditions, the brain can heal itself. Throughout the conversation, Dr Grace draws compelling analogies—such as comparing Alzheimer’s pathology to corrupted code in an object-oriented program—to explain the need for root-cause understanding and system-level repair. The discussion takes a personal turn as both Grace and Anthony reflect on witnessing loved ones deteriorate due to dementia, strengthening their shared conviction in the power of neurostimulation and lifestyle-based therapy. She underscores that while her work may sound “crystal therapy–adjacent,” it is in fact anchored in decades of peer-reviewed science and supported by emerging global results. Her emphasis on research-driven protocols ensures that even cutting-edge approaches are backed by evidence and measurable outcomes. Dr Grace also explores the transformative potential of machine learning in healthcare, especially in tailoring treatments to the individual. Rather than generic language models, her clinic integrates diverse data—ranging from pathology reports to lifestyle inputs into predictive algorithms that guide intervention plans. She explains the challenges posed by data silos, incomplete records, and regulatory constraints, noting that true innovation often occurs in environments where conventional systems have failed. Highlighting autism as an example, she explains the need for nuanced, spectrum-based approaches over categorical thinking and stresses the importance of global research collaboration and clinical trials to validate and scale new treatments responsibly. As the episode draws to a close, the conversation turns to the ethical and legal implications of AI in medicine. While technologies like Google’s Gemini can outperform radiologists in image interpretation, the practitioner remains legally responsible for outcomes. Dr Grace likens this to shifts in software development, where orchestration replaces traditional coding, creating challenges in training and verification. She praises Australia’s TGA for upholding high regulatory standards, which enable its data to be recognised internationally. At the same time, she encourages curiosity, open dialogue, and shared learning, emphasising that breakthroughs in medicine must always be matched by trust, accountability, and patient-centred care. #BrainHealth #MentalHealthInnovation #Neurostimulation #AIinMedicine #PersonalisedHealthcare #Neuroplasticity #HealthTech #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Laia Sastre, Virtual Business Manager and Productivity Consultant at Elevate Business Management, to explore what it really takes to run a business that’s both efficient and aligned with your personal values. Originally from Spain and now based in Auckland, Laia brings a wealth of experience across journalism, communications, project management and operations. Together, they unpack the challenges of navigating growth, change, and burnout—and the power of building a business (and life) that actually works for you. Laia shares her personal journey from Mallorca to post-earthquake Christchurch, where she rebuilt her career from scratch before carving out her niche as an Online Business Manager. Drawing on her background in communications and operations, she now helps small businesses across New Zealand set up the right systems, strategies, and rhythms to thrive, whether that means scaling sustainably or optimising for lean, high-value delivery. Throughout the episode, Laia reflects on the emotional impact of cultural transitions, the struggle to fit in, and the transformation that came from starting her own business. She discusses how burnout often stems from misalignment, both in values and in the type of support businesses seek, and why it's vital to engage the right kind of help at the right time. Together, Anthony and Laia explore how technology, when implemented with clarity and communication, can support real organisational change. They discuss the risks of overwork, the societal pressure to constantly produce, and the importance of self-awareness in business leadership. Whether it's micro-moments of rest or strategic planning sessions, Laia emphasises that success isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s about building a business around who you really are. Whether you're an early-stage founder, a solo operator juggling hats, or a business owner approaching the next stage of growth, this episode offers practical wisdom and grounded insight into building a business that supports both your goals and your wellbeing. #SmallBusinessGrowth #ProductivityTips #BusinessOperations #EntrepreneurLife #BurnoutRecovery #FounderJourney #ScaleSmart #DevReadyPodcast

In his third appearance on the DevReady Podcast, Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai, joins host Anthony Sapountzis for an in-depth and fast-paced exploration of the ever-evolving AI landscape. The episode covers everything from corporate hiring strategies to automation workflows, from brand development to platform fatigue. With the hype around AI louder than ever, Gareth and Anthony offer a refreshing, pragmatic take on what’s actually useful, what’s over-engineered, and what’s likely to shape the next wave of intelligent tools for businesses. They open with a reflection on companies like Duolingo and Shopify embracing “AI-first” hiring policies. Gareth cautions against overlooking long-term impacts, pointing to his past experience with graduate freezes that disrupted organisational growth years later. The duo discuss whether companies are truly investing in upskilling and whether current AI tools are mature enough to justify such bold moves. Alongside these strategic reflections, they delve into how features like ChatGPT’s internal knowledge retrieval and Infinite Memory are reshaping how teams manage information—while also raising critical concerns about privacy, access control, and AI's sometimes-flawed understanding of context. The conversation transitions into the future of search, branding, and discoverability. Gareth introduces the concept of Agent Engine Optimisation (AEO), the successor to SEO, where websites must be structured to be machine-readable and easily referenced by AI tools. They explore Google’s NotebookLM, which Gareth calls a “tailored educational ecosystem,” and discuss its unique ability to pull relevant sources, timestamped video segments, and even generate study guides or podcasts. Meanwhile, Anthony shares how he’s using OpenAI’s Deep Research to shortcut intensive workflows like technical audits or naming strategy—pushing the idea that AI should be used to support genuine learning, not just content regurgitation. The pair also take aim at AI misuse, particularly the rise of low-quality, AI-generated comments on platforms like LinkedIn. Gareth explains how some creators are trolling bots with absurd phrases to highlight the issue, and both agree that such features undermine meaningful dialogue. They also mock the rise of “Comment X for my cheat sheet” gimmicks, calling out the lack of actual value delivered. Throughout the discussion, they return to a central theme: AI should enhance conversations, not dilute them—a principle equally applicable in branding, education, and community platforms. Wrapping up, Anthony shares his custom-built YouTube-to-summary automation workflow using n8n, highlighting the pitfalls of applying agents where they’re not needed. Gareth adds that many AI solutions are being pitched as silver bullets, overwhelming business owners rather than solving real problems. Their final advice? Start small, validate the problem first, and deliver micro-solutions that actually work. In an industry moving at breakneck speed, the ones who stay grounded and customer-focused will ultimately win. #DevReadyPodcast #AIinBusiness #FutureOfWork #TechLeadership #SmartAutomation #DigitalTransformation #GarethRydon #FriyayAI

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo sits down with Apurva Chiranewala, Co-Founder & CEO of DemTech.ai and a seasoned operator across global tech ecosystems. From helping scale India’s leading SoftBank-backed e-commerce platforms to building out logistics solutions for Catch of the Day and eBay Australia, Apurva brings a unique blend of enterprise experience and startup grit. Together, they explore what it truly takes to build sustainable ventures, why venture capital isn’t always the answer, and how resourcefulness often outperforms runway. If you’re a founder navigating the early stages or reconsidering your funding model, this conversation is packed with practical, grounded wisdom. Apurva reflects on his transition from India’s fast-paced tech boom to Australia’s more mature, measured business landscape. Having worked with high-growth ventures like Sendle and Block Earner, he shares how each chapter of his career has deepened his understanding of innovation, logistics, and financial systems. His natural curiosity led him into blockchain and crypto, not through hype, but by solving real business problems—such as paying suppliers across borders using stablecoins. He draws an insightful parallel between early misconceptions about e-commerce and today’s discourse around crypto, urging listeners to view emerging technologies not as threats, but as enablers for solving edge-case problems in underserved regions. The discussion takes a philosophical turn as Apurva unpacks his personal ethos around work, growth, and balance. Rather than drawing stark lines between corporate and startup life, he sees them as complementary forces in a "sine wave" career—one providing structure, stability, and learning, the other offering space for bold experimentation. His pursuit isn’t purely entrepreneurial; it’s about living a "full life" that embraces both the highs and the inevitable lows. Startups, for Apurva, are not just ventures—they are vehicles for transformation, creativity, and personal evolution. Challenging the glamorised VC narrative, Apurva shares how he stepped off the capital-raising treadmill after years of chasing scale at the cost of purpose. A snowed-in moment of clarity in Norway prompted him to re-centre on value creation—bootstrapping ventures with his own funds and proving worth within a year. He and Andrew liken blind VC dependence to “business obesity,” where the original problem-solving mission is lost amidst fundraising cycles. Instead, they champion building businesses that are lean, profitable, and genuinely useful—arguing that the myth of job security is fading, and self-built resilience may be the safer path. The episode wraps with an invaluable blueprint for alternative funding. Apurva outlines scrappy, strategic methods to extend startup runway—like obsessing over cost reduction, working with freelancers on equity-sharing models, and attracting early client buy-in before building anything. He also introduces the power of crowdfunding platforms like Wefunder and SeedInvest for raising sub-$100K rounds, especially now that AI has democratised storytelling and outreach. His parting message? You don’t need to chase investors to be credible—get your first customers on board, and the rest may follow. #StartupFunding #Bootstrapping #ApurvaChiranewala #TechFounders #EntrepreneurMindset #CryptoInnovation #CrowdfundingSuccess #DevReadyPodcast

In this inspiring conversation on the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Athin Cassiotis, Founder, Director & Business Growth Expert of Athin Cassiotis Group and Podcast Host for The Business Growth Show. From launching businesses and advising entrepreneurs to helping scale operations globally, Athin brings a wealth of insight into how founders can transform their businesses into scalable, investable assets. Drawing on his personal journey and the experiences of his high-performing clients, Athin shares practical strategies for business growth, leadership, and mindset development—all designed to help entrepreneurs accelerate their success. Athin opens up about his unconventional path—from dropping out of school in Adelaide to becoming a globally recognised entrepreneur and coach. He candidly discusses the early challenges he faced, including scepticism from teachers and family, and how he channelled that doubt into drive. From selling VCDs as a teenager to building a consultancy that saved Westfield millions, Athin’s story is a testament to resilience, grit, and strategic thinking. Now mentoring clients across 10 countries and hosting The Business Growth Show, he’s focused on helping others unlock business success through systems, structure, and mindset transformation. Sport has played a pivotal role in shaping Athin’s mental toughness and leadership skills. He reflects on how playing both tennis and soccer taught him discipline, self-talk, and the power of collaboration—skills that seamlessly translate into the business world. As a new father, he also shares his appreciation for martial arts and its ability to instil focus and inner strength. These personal reflections set the tone for a broader discussion on the importance of mental resilience and adaptability as an entrepreneur. Anthony and Athin go deep on the reality of building a business from the ground up, especially when you’re wearing every hat. Athin shares his own leap into entrepreneurship, quitting a secure job without a backup plan and relying on instinct and self-belief. That decision launched a journey of rapid learning, self-investment, and sales mastery—ultimately leading to his first major client, Westfield. The pair unpack the importance of momentum, consistency, and being ready to seize the right opportunity at the right time, reinforcing that success often comes down to showing up and staying in the game. From that foundation, the conversation expands into scaling businesses beyond the founder. Athin presents a blueprint for growth that includes refining the business model, clarifying brand positioning, building multi-channel lead generation systems, and measuring the right performance metrics. He shares strategies for creating businesses that are operationally independent, emphasising the need to let go, empower others, and lead from the front. The episode wraps with a powerful insight: knowledge alone isn’t power—implementation is. With coaching, the right team, and a growth-focused mindset, entrepreneurs can scale their ventures, step away strategically, or even prepare for high-value exits. #BusinessGrowth #EntrepreneurMindset #StartupSuccess #ScaleUpStrategy #AthinCassiotis #MillionDollarBusiness #FounderJourney #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, hosts Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by Marco Iannitto, Founder of TechDel Consulting, to explore his remarkable journey from engineering supercars at Ferrari to advising businesses around the world. Marco shares his experiences working on iconic vehicles like LaFerrari and the 812 Superfast, the lessons he learnt about product development, teamwork, and leadership, and how those insights now shape his approach to business consulting. From navigating the unique challenges at Ferrari and Rimac, to embracing risk management, goal-setting, and operational excellence, Marco offers a wealth of practical knowledge for anyone seeking to build resilient teams, bring innovative products to market, and scale businesses with purpose and precision. Marco begins by recounting how he unexpectedly entered the automotive world through Ferrari, working in the company's elite testing department. Initially sceptical about the industry, he quickly found himself inspired by Ferrari’s unique blend of startup agility and corporate discipline. Marco explains how low-volume, craftsmanship-driven manufacturing at Ferrari allowed for greater flexibility, innovation, and attention to detail—qualities that made the development of vehicles like LaFerrari particularly challenging yet deeply rewarding. His passion for the craft and the dynamic environment turned what started as a detour into a career-defining chapter. Reflecting on his role at Ferrari, Marco discusses the demands of full vehicle integration and testing, covering every aspect from mechanical components to advanced software systems. He draws parallels between building a supercar and founding a startup, both requiring a deep understanding of every moving part. Marco shares how success at Ferrari was never about individual heroics but about cohesive teamwork, mutual trust, and a calm, solution-focused mindset. These principles became cornerstones of his philosophy, shaping his approach to leadership and problem-solving across industries. The conversation then turns to how Marco’s experiences at Ferrari prepared him for the fast-paced world of Rimac, where he helped develop cutting-edge electric hypercars. He speaks candidly about facing imposter syndrome and how adapting to a resource-constrained, entrepreneurial environment honed his strategic thinking and resilience. Marco highlights the importance of balancing ambition with pragmatism, knowing when a product is "good enough" to launch, and gathering continuous user feedback without overengineering. These lessons have become essential in his work helping businesses achieve product-market fit and operational success. Marco shares his belief that the key to building great teams is passion, cultural alignment, and a shared sense of purpose. Whether at Ferrari, Rimac, or within startups, he stresses that communication naturally follows when teams are truly connected by a common goal. He also reflects on the evolving landscape of engineering and technology, where mindset and adaptability are increasingly as important as technical skills. Selecting the right people—those who fit the culture and embrace the mission—remains at the heart of building high-performing, innovative teams. Today, through TechDel Consulting, Marco applies the insights gained from his career to advise organisations across Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. He focuses on helping businesses accelerate product-market fit, optimise operational structures, and make proactive, informed decisions that minimise costly risks. By breaking big goals into manageable, rewarding steps and reverse-engineering strategies from the desired outcome, Marco empowers businesses to scale with clarity and resilience. His journey from the test tracks of Maranello to the boardrooms of global companies offers a powerful reminder that passion, purpose, and strategic precision are the true engines of success. #DevReadyPodcast #Ferrari #Startups #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #AerionTechnologies

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Rohan McCloskey, CEO and Founder of GoGenerosity. With a background in hospitality and a passion for community impact, Rohan shares his journey from running successful restaurants to building a purpose-driven tech startup. GoGenerosity was born out of a crisis during COVID-19, evolving from a “pay it forward” idea into a scalable e-commerce solution that enables customers to donate at checkout. Now available via a Shopify app, GoGenerosity transforms small contributions into gift cards that are distributed to charity partners—creating tangible, trackable community outcomes. Rohan delves into how GoGenerosity strikes a delicate balance between a frictionless user experience and meaningful consumer generosity. He shares how business values, rather than transaction size, often drive donation behaviour, and why simplicity in UX design is crucial to avoiding abandoned carts. The conversation also explores how the team navigates client feedback, using a structured approach to decide which feature requests are worth pursuing. By listening carefully—but not blindly—to customers, GoGenerosity has maintained its core vision while continuing to iterate in a data-driven way. The discussion then turns to the importance of product–market fit. Rohan reflects on lessons learned from his early startup days, when raising capital seemed like the ultimate success metric. He admits that securing funding too soon, without clear validation of the product and its audience, led to costly missteps and unnecessary complexity. Now, he champions a more measured approach: build lean, test often, and only raise capital when it’s truly needed to accelerate growth—not just to stay afloat. Touching on investor dynamics, Rohan offers an honest look at how the wrong timing and structure can make a business uninvestable, even if the product is strong. Fortunately, GoGenerosity attracted mission-aligned, philanthropic investors who value social impact as well as financial return. This support allowed the company to remain true to its vision, without the pressure of chasing unrealistic growth metrics. Rohan underscores the need for transparency and realistic expectations when engaging with investors, and encourages founders to avoid vanity metrics that serve ego more than strategy. Finally, Rohan speaks about the emotional toll of transitioning from a secure, profitable business to the unpredictable world of startups. He credits his own naivety for giving him the confidence to leap, but also stresses the importance of clearly identifying your customer, especially in complex marketplaces. With GoGenerosity now focused on expanding into Australia and the US—targeting over 1.2 million Shopify merchants—Rohan reflects on the power of perseverance, clarity, and customer trust. His journey is a reminder that building a meaningful business takes more than just a good idea; it demands grit, focus, and constant learning. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupWisdom #GoGenerosity #ShopifyApp #AerionTech #FounderJourney

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Ima Miri, an award-winning AI strategist, Founder & CEO of AI Point, and Tech Founder of TradeWize. With over 20 years’ experience in software engineering and AI innovation, Ima brings a wealth of practical insight into how generative AI is transforming the way modern businesses operate. She has worked with leading global organisations and governments to integrate AI into business operations and shares her expert take on how to implement AI agents effectively and sustainably. From foundational readiness to forward-looking applications in finance, this episode explores the real-world complexities of AI adoption and why the hype doesn’t always match the current state of the tech. Throughout the conversation, Ima highlights one of the most common challenges she encounters—businesses eager to adopt AI without the operational maturity to support it. Many organisations assume AI agents are plug-and-play solutions capable of automating entire processes overnight. Ima explains that a successful rollout requires realistic expectations, clean and structured data, and a scalable cloud infrastructure. Her process begins with an AI readiness and maturity assessment, followed by a clear implementation roadmap, akin to the steps taken during digital transformation or cloud migration initiatives. Anthony and Ima also discuss the limitations of low-code and no-code platforms like Zapier and Make. While these tools are effective for rapid prototyping, they often struggle with scalability, testing environments, and customisation—especially in industries with complex regulatory needs. Ima explains that AI Point offers both pre-built and fully customised agents, with the latter offering significantly more value in long-term strategic alignment. Anthony reinforces the point by noting that businesses relying solely on off-the-shelf solutions risk losing their unique edge by conforming to standardised workflows. One of the standout examples Ima shares is from her work on TradeWize.com, a startup applying generative AI to stock and crypto trading. Unlike traditional trading bots, the agents developed here are designed to support decision-making through real-time insights, rather than executing trades. It’s a fresh and empowering application of AI that respects the regulatory boundaries of the financial sector while still enhancing user strategy and confidence. Ima also touches on another high-impact use case—an agent built to generate code aligned with an organisation’s existing codebase, helping developer teams stay consistent and compliant while boosting productivity. As the episode draws to a close, Ima reflects on her goals for the year ahead: expanding the reach of AI Point, helping more businesses become AI-native, and launching TradeWize into the market. She’s passionate about building agent-based systems that integrate seamlessly into existing operations and offer tangible value from day one. Anthony wraps up by encouraging listeners to connect with Ima through the AI Point website or directly via email, especially if they’re ready to explore custom AI solutions. The episode is a compelling look at what it really takes to bring AI into production—beyond the buzzwords and into practical, transformative deployment. #DevReadyPodcast #AIforBusiness #GenerativeAI #AIAgents #DigitalTransformation #CustomSoftware #TechLeadership #AIImplementation

In this episode, Andrew Romeo speaks with Halen Youles, Founder & CEO of ScaleMate and a seasoned sales strategist helping startups from Australia, India, and Singapore break into the U.S. market. Based in Florida, Halen shares his journey from the Central Coast of NSW to leading sales teams in the U.S., and offers practical, tech-driven insights on how early-stage companies can crack global expansion. From cold calls to automation tools and founder-led sales, this episode is packed with tactical advice for anyone looking to scale their startup, optimise their outreach, or successfully enter the U.S. market. Halen kicks things off by reflecting on his path from cold calling in Sydney to landing a role with Travis Kalanick’s CloudKitchens. What started as a curiosity in the startup world turned into a full-blown career pivot, shaped by a passion for scale and sales. He shares how his early embrace of Zoom and remote selling helped him build momentum in a changing world and adapt quickly to the evolving sales environment—especially in the vast and competitive U.S. market. Throughout the conversation, Halen highlights the strategic shift from relying solely on referrals to building scalable outbound systems. His multi-touch approach—leveraging email, LinkedIn, content, and cold calls—helps warm up leads before making contact. For startups looking to break into the U.S., he advises a structured testing approach to validate messaging, backed by metrics like conversion and engagement rates. He also introduces the concept of message–market fit, the idea that your messaging needs to resonate long before product–market fit can be proven. Drawing from years of B2B SaaS experience, Halen outlines how funnel metrics like reply rates, meeting conversion, and stakeholder involvement act as key signals of traction. With LinkedIn reply rates as high as 25% and call booking rates around 70%, he demonstrates the importance of refining every stage of the outreach funnel. He also explains how founders can track and optimise performance using tools like Clay, Airtable, and HubSpot to bring data into one central view—critical for making informed decisions as you scale. A strong advocate for founder-led sales, Halen explains why founders should stay hands-on in the early stages—especially when entering new markets. Their intimate product knowledge, agility in conversations, and ability to adapt strategy in real-time make them the best fit for initial sales. While parts of the funnel can be outsourced or automated, the founder should always be the one leading calls, understanding objections, and spotting new opportunities. Only after this process is defined should companies consider hiring sales reps or expanding teams. To close out the episode, Halen and Andrew discuss what it really takes to expand into the U.S.—from understanding time zones to making the right hires. Halen cautions against hiring too early without a clear sales process, recommending fractional leadership or agency support for lean teams. Whether it’s an SDR, AE, or VP of Sales, every hire should serve the larger strategy, not burden a broken process. Their final takeaway? In the U.S., successful founders sell first and build later—a mindset shift that could redefine how early-stage startups grow and scale. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupSales #FounderLedGrowth #B2BSaaS #OutboundSales #ScaleIntoTheUS #SalesAutomation #TechFounders

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis welcomes Emma Reeves, Director of Excelerate Marketing and a strategic marketing specialist with over a decade of experience. Emma shares her journey from corporate roles in finance and affiliate marketing to launching her own agency in the midst of the COVID pandemic. She unpacks the importance of developing a clear marketing strategy, understanding your target audience, and creating authentic content that delivers measurable results. Whether it's attracting customers or recruiting top talent, Emma explains why marketing should be seen as a long-term investment—not a last-minute fix. Emma’s career began in the world of affiliate and digital marketing, where she worked with high-profile platforms like RateCity and businesses such as OnDeck and MYOB. Her expertise across multi-channel campaigns and partnership marketing laid the foundation for Excelerate, which she launched during one of the most uncertain times for small businesses—2020. Witnessing business owners waste money on scattered marketing efforts without a strategic backbone, Emma recognised the need for a more structured, insight-led approach. Excelerate was built to bridge that gap, helping service-based businesses establish marketing foundations that not only convert, but also scale. Throughout the conversation, Emma shares how Excelerate focuses on professional service industries such as accounting, legal, financial services, and property. These businesses often offer intangible services and operate in saturated markets, making strong brand positioning and messaging essential. She explains how directors, despite being industry experts, are often reluctant to show up on camera or create personal content—something Emma actively works to change. She positions personal branding not as a vanity project, but as a vital channel for building trust, credibility, and visibility in a crowded digital space. Emma also addresses one of the most common pitfalls she sees: businesses funnelling money into ads without clear messaging or knowledge of who they’re targeting. She emphasises the need to differentiate between entry-level contacts and actual decision-makers in B2B, adjusting communication styles and messages accordingly. Building rapport, delivering value, and establishing trust are central themes in her approach—because the goal isn’t just to generate leads, but to create sustainable business growth. Diving into ad platforms, Emma breaks down the differences between Google, Meta, and YouTube, explaining how each platform serves a different intent and demographic. She encourages business owners to test, track, and optimise continuously—and most importantly, to hold their agencies accountable. Ads, she reminds us, are just one tool in the broader marketing funnel. Emma champions an agile, strategic approach, where budgets are adjusted based on opportunity, seasonality, and long-term objectives rather than rigid contracts. As the episode wraps up, Emma leaves listeners with a powerful message: start now. She notes that many businesses delay strategy due to lack of time or budget, only to regret it later. Marketing isn't a one-off campaign—it's a foundational element of your business that supports visibility, stability, and growth across every stage. Emma also reframes the way founders view marketing, pointing out that every business is already marketing in some form. The key is to build on what's already working and continuously refine it. For those seeking practical insights and a fresh perspective on marketing in today’s digital landscape, this episode is a must-listen. #MarketingStrategy #DigitalMarketing #ServiceBusinessGrowth #MarketingTips #LeadGeneration #SmallBusinessMarketing #BusinessGrowth

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew Romeo is joined by Dannielle K. Pearson—an award-winning strategist, keynote speaker, and former U.S. military intelligence officer—whose diverse career has spanned global consultancy, enterprise strategy, and tech innovation. Dannielle shares her journey from high-stakes defence work to shaping scale-ups and SaaS companies, bringing a rare blend of analytical rigour and commercial acumen to every conversation. Now based in Australia, Dannielle draws from her experiences at Deloitte, Salesforce, and Procore to empower founders and teams to think more critically, act more strategically, and adapt to fast-changing markets. Whether you’re building a product, seeking funding, or shaping a go-to-market plan, this episode is packed with practical insights and refreshing truths. Dannielle begins by unpacking how her formative years in the U.S. Air Force intelligence community instilled her with core competencies that remain central to her work today—critical thinking, accountability, and situational awareness. Transitioning into the corporate world through Deloitte and then Salesforce, she applied these skills to enterprise strategy, eventually leading the development of vertical market roadmaps for one of the world's most recognised SaaS platforms. Her unique ability to blend big-picture strategy with practical execution took her to Procore, where she played a key role in market expansion during its pre-IPO phase. At each stage, her approach to strategy has remained rooted in data, clarity, and adaptability. Sharing an inside look at her time at Procore, Dannielle recounts the company’s unconventional founding story, including how the CEO famously worked for $1 a year and recruited talent from local coffee shops. She speaks candidly about the missteps many U.S.-based tech companies make when expanding into international markets—particularly Australia—and how strategic localisation is often the missing piece. Her role at Procore saw her leading efforts across APAC, prioritising markets, and tailoring strategy to ensure effective market entry, with a sharp focus on product-market fit and executional timing. When it comes to early-stage product development, Dannielle challenges conventional wisdom. She explains why too much upfront market research can stall momentum and argues for a more agile approach: build something, put it in front of real users, and be willing to adapt. She illustrates this with a compelling example of a startup that unintentionally built a rostering tool, only to discover—through live feedback—that it solved a major problem in the hotel industry. Dannielle urges founders to embrace adaptability, avoid perfectionism, and understand that real validation comes through customer engagement, not desktop research. Drawing from her work with Startmate and her experience reviewing hundreds of pitch decks, Dannielle outlines the three types of founders she sees most often: the hype-chasers, the emotionally attached builders, and the adaptable, market-driven entrepreneurs. She encourages founders to fall into the third category—those willing to listen, evolve, and say no when needed. Investors, she notes, don’t fund ideas—they fund people. A founder’s mindset, adaptability, and ability to execute consistently outweigh flashy slides and inflated market claims. Rounding out the conversation, Dannielle and Andrew discuss the psychology behind startup funding, busting the myth of the “TAM slide” and underscoring the importance of understanding your obtainable market. They reflect on how different business models—consulting-led, low-cost/high-volume, enterprise SaaS—require distinct funding paths. From client-funded MVPs to early wins through strategic partnerships, they explore how founders can build sustainably and profitably. Most importantly, Dannielle leaves listeners with three takeaways: adaptability is everything, don’t rely on total addressable market metrics alone, and know what to say no to. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupStrategy #ProductMarketFit #AngelInvestor #WomenInTech #BuildInPublic #TechLeadership

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Mark McPherson, Leadership Communication Expert, Executive Coach, Speaker, and Author—for a deep dive into the art of handling difficult workplace conversations. Drawing on decades of experience coaching leaders and executives across Australia, Mark shares his practical frameworks for delivering feedback that is clear, constructive, and confident. Whether you're managing high-performing teams or navigating your first leadership role, Mark's insights offer actionable strategies to help you communicate with authority—without losing your humanity. Mark begins by recounting the origin of his expertise: taking over a team where one toxic team member put his leadership to the test. Frustrated by the lack of useful, real-world advice available, he began developing his own methodologies focused on practical, immediate solutions rather than abstract theories. At the heart of his message is a simple but profound truth—avoiding tough conversations not only undermines team culture but also erodes a leader’s self-respect. For Mark, confident communication isn’t a “nice to have”; it’s a leadership essential. Throughout the episode, Mark introduces his signature tool: personal conversation scripts. These scripts are designed to guide leaders through uncomfortable discussions using language that is assertive but tactful, clear but not combative. He explains how these scripts must be personalised to reflect each leader’s communication style, cultural context, and company environment. His advice? Focus on one issue at a time, be specific, and once you’ve made your point—zip it. Trying to address too many things at once only confuses the message and dilutes its impact. Mark also highlights the importance of fact-based feedback. He warns against using vague or emotionally charged labels like “disrespectful” or “belligerent” and instead recommends sticking to observable behaviours. By referencing specific examples and tying them back to company policy—or even just common courtesy—leaders can reduce defensiveness and keep the conversation grounded. Consistency is another major theme: teams need to know the standards, and they need to see those standards applied evenly and fairly across the board. In the final part of the conversation, Mark shares his FEA and FEAR frameworks—structured approaches that stand for Facts, Explain, Ask, and Request/Reward. These models give leaders a quick, repeatable format to address issues with calm authority. He walks through real-world examples, including how to handle something as seemingly simple (yet loaded) as a timesheet error. His closing message is one of balance: yes, some conversations are awkward, but with preparation, structure, and the right mindset, they can be delivered with both professionalism and empathy. #LeadershipCommunication #ToughConversations #ExecutiveCoaching #PeopleManagement #FeedbackThatWorks #DevReadyPodcast #LeadershipDevelopment #AerionTechnologies

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo is joined by Michael Bronfman, CCO & MD of baresop and a seasoned entrepreneur with a track record of scaling, exiting, and investing in high-growth businesses. From launching his first startup at just 18 to now being a shareholder in over a dozen ventures, Michael shares a candid account of the highs, lows, and pivotal lessons he's gathered along the way. With experience spanning tech, healthcare, SaaS, and consumer goods, Michael unpacks what it really takes to build and acquire successful businesses in today’s climate—and why long-term thinking, the right people, and strategic structuring matter more than ever. Michael’s entrepreneurial journey began with a problem he encountered firsthand: struggling to get a haircut on his lunch break while working in sales at Telstra. That frustration sparked a beauty booking platform, which he later sold to Zomato—his first exit by the age of 22. His next major milestone was joining Openpay as its third employee, helping scale the buy-now-pay-later company to 250 staff and a listing on the ASX. This chapter of his journey offered a crash course in hypergrowth, hiring at scale, and the operational complexities that come with explosive expansion. Throughout the conversation, Michael reflects on the value of patience, resilience, and learning through doing. He emphasises that real business success doesn’t come overnight and warns against the trap of chasing quick wins. Instead, he advocates for building relationships, surrounding yourself with complementary skills, and sticking with a venture long enough to see real results. He and Andrew highlight the importance of mindset over experience, noting that hunger and alignment are more valuable than credentials in early-stage ventures. Michael also opens up about Openpay’s eventual liquidation—clarifying that it was due to investor issues rather than poor management. He shares how this experience, while challenging, strengthened his resolve and reinforced the importance of building sustainable, profitable ventures. It also prompted his transition into business acquisitions, where he began focusing on buying businesses with strong operations and recurring revenue, often backed by government funding. These characteristics, he explains, provide stability and long-term potential, even in unfamiliar industries. Now a shareholder in around 14 businesses, Michael’s approach to acquisitions is strategic and structured. He’s moved away from the mindset of “100 companies by 40” and instead seeks quality over quantity, favouring calculated risk, strong leadership teams, and industries with long-term viability. He views his role as assembling a puzzle—bringing the right people into the right roles to unlock hidden potential. Deals, he notes, aren’t about the size of the business but the strength of the opportunity and how well the risk is managed. Wrapping up, Michael reinforces his core principle: every acquisition must be a win–win. Whether it’s a well-performing business or one that needs operational tweaks, what matters most is ensuring all parties benefit and that relationships remain strong. Reputation, trust, and communication are everything in the acquisition space—and Michael makes it clear that ethical deal-making is just as important as financial success. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about startup exits, business acquisition strategy, or building a legacy through thoughtful entrepreneurship. #StartupGrowth #BusinessAcquisition #Entrepreneurship #ScaleUpStrategy #RecurringRevenue #FounderInsights #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis speaks with Charlie Ill, CEO of Investible, exploring his intriguing journey from aerospace engineering into Venture Capital. Charlie reflects on his career transition, detailing how his early experiences in engineering and process improvement provided him with unique skills and perspectives beneficial to his role in Venture Capital, particularly regarding business restructuring and technological innovation. Charlie delves into Singapore’s transformation into a leading global tech innovation hub. He discusses the strategic decisions made by Singapore's government, which focused on fostering deep-tech innovation through targeted incentives and a supportive environment. This has allowed Singapore to become a standout ecosystem for startups looking to rapidly scale their technological solutions and achieve international impact. Strategic mentorship lies at the core of Investible’s philosophy. Charlie shares how Investible employs data-driven methodologies to carefully match startups with mentors possessing relevant experience and expertise. These tailored mentorships significantly address skill gaps, facilitate informed decision-making, and accelerate overall growth, positioning startups effectively for sustained success. Charlie also discusses the importance of syndication among venture capital firms. He explains how collective VC involvement supports startups beyond mere funding, providing diverse perspectives, pooled resources, and more comprehensive support. This strategic collaboration ensures startups are equipped with broader insights and networks to navigate growth effectively. Examining global startup ecosystems, Charlie highlights cultural and economic differences in Australia, Singapore, and the Middle East. He points out the significance of entrepreneurs understanding and addressing local market dynamics. Successful startups, Charlie emphasises, are those that tailor their products and strategies to align deeply with the needs and expectations of their cultural context. Charlie stresses the essential traits of resilience and resourcefulness for startup success. He emphasises how limited resources can compel founders to creatively navigate challenges, resulting in innovative solutions. Charlie underscores that resilience, driven by necessity, often leads to more effective and efficient outcomes. Lastly, Charlie discusses venture capital strategies during economic downturns. He believes these periods offer unique opportunities, emphasising the importance of disciplined execution, agility, and sustainability. He notes that while fewer startups may receive funding during such times, those that do often have stronger foundations, better adaptability, and higher potential for long-term success. #VentureCapital #StartupInsights #Mentorship #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Stephen Kee, Head of Business Growth at SME Digital. Stephen shares his journey from financial mathematics to digital marketing, recounting his move from South Africa to Australia in 2011 and his entrepreneurial ventures. After building a successful Airbnb business that generated $1 million in turnover, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to pivot. This led him to SEO and web design, where he now helps businesses optimise lead generation and conversion. Drawing on his mathematical background, he highlights the similarities between Airbnb’s algorithm-driven marketing and search engine optimisation, laying the foundation for his current role at SME Digital. Stephen’s transition into digital marketing was shaped by his corporate experience and an intensive business course that equipped him with both technical web design skills and essential business knowledge. A pivotal moment in his journey was attending a bootcamp, where he realised the power of networking and the adage that "your network is your net worth." Initially developing a web agency to support his Airbnb business, he soon recognised a greater opportunity in helping service-based businesses enhance their online presence. He reflects on the evolving nature of SEO, particularly the growing influence of TikTok and AI-driven searches, emphasising the need for businesses to adapt to shifting digital trends. Discussing marketing strategies, Stephen explains that while psychology plays a role, data and mathematics are equally crucial in ensuring success. He underscores the importance of a structured approach, using data-driven insights to refine marketing efforts. Anthony shares his experience with social media advertising, highlighting the necessity of experimentation to find the right approach for audience engagement. They discuss the challenge of balancing budget constraints with the time required to identify effective strategies, reinforcing the value of incremental progress. Stephen also outlines the key elements of SEO, stressing the importance of aligning content with search intent and leveraging over 2,300 ranking factors to improve visibility. Client expectations play a critical role in digital marketing success, and Stephen highlights the importance of managing them effectively during onboarding and discovery calls. He explains that many clients base their keyword strategies on anecdotal advice rather than data, making it essential to guide them towards evidence-based decision-making. Comparing Google Ads to renting and SEO to property ownership, he demonstrates the long-term value of organic search rankings. He also advises businesses to calculate their customer acquisition costs to assess SEO viability, noting that ranking highly in both paid and organic search amplifies visibility. The discussion further explores how lifetime customer value shapes digital marketing strategies. The episode concludes with a cautionary discussion on the risks associated with unregulated industries like software development and SEO. Stephen shares a case where a client lost $1.4 million due to poor supplier choices, highlighting the need for businesses to work with credible experts. Anthony draws parallels between software development and construction, stressing the importance of proper planning before execution to avoid costly mistakes. Stephen advocates for industry education, warning against misleading SEO metrics and urging businesses to prioritise tangible results over vanity metrics. The conversation serves as a valuable guide for businesses looking to navigate digital marketing with a strategic and data-driven mindset. #DigitalMarketing #SEO #BusinessGrowth #MarketingStrategy #WebDesign #LeadGeneration #Entrepreneurship

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis interviews, Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai, Australia’s first generative AI studio. A leader in human-centred AI design, Gareth returns to share fresh insights on how small and medium businesses can embrace AI as a strategic partner. Together, they unpack the latest developments in generative AI, discuss emerging tools and trends, and offer practical advice for business owners, developers, and innovators navigating the fast-moving AI landscape. The conversation opens with Gareth reflecting on how the AI landscape has shifted dramatically, moving away from elaborate prompt engineering towards more intuitive, plug-and-play assistants embedded in business workflows. He and Anthony highlight the growing strength of reasoning models like GPT-4, which allow users to interact in a more natural, conversational manner. Gareth, known for his focus on human-first design, recommends a more collaborative approach—encouraging users to ask AI for clarification or even admit when it lacks information, in order to reduce hallucinations and improve reliability. The two also share their hands-on experiences with Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini, having recently made the switch from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace. While Copilot fell short of expectations, Gemini impressed with its seamless integration and functionality, particularly within tools like Google Sheets. The discussion moves into the realm of coding, where tools like Claude in Cursor are enabling developers to rapidly prototype with minimal error—though both caution that a basic understanding of coding is still essential to get the most out of these tools. As AI reshapes traditional development roles, Gareth points out a blurring of lines between business analysts, product managers, and developers. With the right approach, non-technical professionals can now build and launch real products. Tools like Bubble and other no-code platforms may soon become obsolete, as AI models like Claude 3.7 generate high-quality, scalable code with speed and precision. They touch on the rise of “vibe coding”—where AI assists in development based on natural language—and how this could even change the way startups secure funding, given that fewer resources are now needed to bring a concept to life. In closing, Anthony and Gareth discuss the broader implications of AI in team collaboration, planning, and operations. From uploading wireframes to guide builds, to using AI tools as a ‘third person’ in strategic workshops, they illustrate how businesses can dramatically accelerate their planning cycles. Gareth also shares some favourite workflow hacks—like using AI to process meeting transcripts and draft planning documents. His parting advice is clear: don’t wait for the perfect time. Pick one tool, start small, and let curiosity guide you—because the best way to learn what AI can do for your business is simply to try. #DevReadyPodcast #GenerativeAI #SmallBusinessGrowth #ClaudeAI #ChatGPT #AIForSMBs #TechLeadership

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo speaks with Nicholas Ooi, an investor at Investible, about his journey from corporate consulting to venture capital. Nicholas shares how his passion for technology and startups led him to make a career shift into the startup ecosystem, specifically during its rapid growth in Australia. Now, as part of Investible, Nicholas focuses on early-stage investments in the ANZ and Southeast Asia regions. Looking ahead to 2025, he is optimistic about improving market sentiment, especially for early-stage investments, and the growing role of AI in streamlining software development for founders. Nicholas discusses the stages of investment that Investible focuses on, specifically Pre-Seed to Series A. These stages include companies that are either pre-revenue or just beginning to generate some revenue. He emphasises that Investible invests in a wide array of sectors, including AI-enabled software, deep tech, and hardware, with a strong emphasis on building defensible companies. One key insight Nicholas shares is the growing importance of vertical applications in AI startups, which are more effective than horizontal solutions. By targeting specific industries, vertical solutions allow companies to scale efficiently within their niche. In addition to his thoughts on investment, Nicholas offers insights on the future of AI and its role in software products. He believes that all software companies will need to incorporate AI in the long term to remain competitive. However, he also stresses that successful companies must first focus on solving real customer problems before adopting AI. Nicholas acknowledges the challenges faced by Australian companies competing with US giants due to capital constraints but highlights emerging opportunities in adjacent sectors like semiconductor chip production and machine learning models. Nicholas gives a look into his daily routine as a venture capital investor. His day typically involves three main tasks: meeting with early-stage startup founders, conducting due diligence on promising investment opportunities, and preparing materials for the investment committee to secure funding. He underscores the importance of ongoing support for portfolio companies post-investment, as helping them grow and succeed is a key part of his role. Nicholas also touches on the balance of screening, analysis, and strategic involvement that makes up the comprehensive nature of his work. Another important discussion in the episode focuses on the evolving nature of software business models. Nicholas highlights the shift from traditional subscription-based models to usage-based models, such as API call-based pricing. He also shares the significance of "founder-market fit," explaining how successful founders often have a personal connection to the problems they are solving. Nicholas discusses how investors assess founders, looking for unique insights, technical expertise, and soft skills such as resilience and adaptability that are crucial for long-term success. Lastly, Nicholas shares what sets Investible apart when working with founders seeking investment. He points to their strong presence in Southeast Asia, which offers businesses opportunities to expand into the region, and their angel syndicate model that provides hands-on, strategic value beyond financial backing. Nicholas also discusses the pressures of pursuing venture capital funding and encourages founders to carefully consider whether they truly want to scale their businesses under the expectations and long-term commitments that come with VC funding. #VentureCapital #TechStartups #Entrepreneurship #StartupGrowth #Investing #BusinessFunding #DevReady

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Klaus Bartosch, CEO of Dreamoro, to discuss the critical gaps in startup strategy and commercialisation. With over 35 years in IT and experience founding and exiting a listed health tech company, Klaus brings invaluable insights into the challenges facing entrepreneurs today. Having engaged with more than 450 founders in the past 18 months, he reveals a startling reality—only two had a well-thought-out strategy, while most confused go-to-market plans with a comprehensive business strategy. Klaus stresses the importance of strategic planning, capital allocation, and defining a clear target market early to increase the chances of successfully commercialising tech solutions. A key challenge for many founders, particularly those in their early twenties, is their limited skill set beyond domain expertise. While they may understand their industry, they often struggle with areas like UX design, software architecture, commercialisation, and marketing. Klaus highlights how even experienced entrepreneurs make strategic mistakes and advocates for using the Playing to Win framework to define market positioning, customer focus, and growth strategies. A crucial factor in startup success is identifying the single most important metric that drives accelerated growth, as it shapes the overall business direction and informs key decision-making. Understanding and leveraging key growth metrics is often overlooked by founders. Klaus discusses how many startups fail to correctly identify their actual customer base, drawing on examples like Xero’s strategy of turning accountants into their sales force. He emphasises the importance of co-designing solutions with end users to ensure real product-market fit, rather than relying on assumptions. Additionally, he challenges the conventional approach to Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), arguing that they must deliver tangible value beyond being a simple proof of concept. A true product-market fit is evident when demand grows organically without excessive marketing spend. Klaus critiques the way marketing success is often measured, arguing that vanity metrics like clicks and likes are meaningless if they do not translate into revenue. He warns against marketing agencies that avoid accountability for business outcomes, stating that return on ad spend (ROAS) is the only metric that truly matters. He also highlights the need for founders to calculate customer acquisition cost (CAC) accurately, incorporating all related expenses such as sales, onboarding, and churn. Misleading figures that ignore early customer drop-off can create a false sense of success, and businesses must take a brutally honest approach to assessing and optimising acquisition costs. Strategic focus is essential for early-stage startups, and Klaus warns against the temptation to pursue an overly broad market too soon. Referencing Playing to Win by A.G. Lafley and Roger L. Martin, he outlines five key steps: defining a winning aspiration, selecting where to play, determining how to win, identifying required capabilities, and establishing management systems to track success. One of the biggest pitfalls for founders is “chasing the money” by adapting their product for a single client at the expense of their broader vision. Short-term revenue wins that do not align with the company’s core strategy can lead to long-term failure, making it essential to resist distractions that could derail sustainable growth. Finally, the conversation turns to the realities of entrepreneurship, including the pressures of setting ambitious goals and the misconceptions surrounding startup success. Klaus emphasises that simply setting high targets is not enough—founders must realistically assess the scale of the problem they aim to solve and establish practical milestones. Many entrepreneurs overestimate their market size, overlooking adoption curves and true market penetration challenges. He also addresses the impact of social media glamorising startup life, contrasting it with the stark reality of failure rates, which exceed 80-90%. Klaus critiques Australia’s "tall poppy syndrome," arguing that failure should be viewed as a learning experience rather than a reason to dismiss founders in future ventures. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupGrowth #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #ScalingStartups #TechInnovation #Dreamoro

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo sits down with Oliver Wolff, Product Manager at Kinde, to explore his journey from software engineer to product manager, and how his role has evolved in the startup environment. Oliver shares his transition from working at a large Australian logistics company to product management at Afterpay and Kinde. He highlights the dynamic nature of working in a startup, where responsibilities extend beyond product management to encompass sales, support, and marketing. Andrew and Oliver discuss the benefit of product managers being closely involved with sales to better understand customer needs, offering unique insights into the differences between working in a startup versus a scaling organisation. Oliver dives into the core of successful product management, stressing the importance of focusing on the problem rather than the solution. He reflects on the ever-changing market conditions and technological advancements, noting that understanding the customer’s perspective—especially when selling to engineers—is crucial. He discusses how engineers value detailed, thoughtful information and need time to process it, leading to longer sales cycles. This deep customer engagement allows Oliver to gather valuable insights, which he uses to inform product decisions and keep the team aligned with user needs. The conversation shifts towards Kinde’s approach to authentication. Oliver and Andrew agree that businesses should avoid building authentication systems from scratch, instead opting for solutions like Kinde’s plug-and-play service, which integrates easily with platforms such as Google and Microsoft. Oliver highlights that, unless authentication is a core part of the product’s value proposition, businesses should focus their engineering efforts on what makes them unique, leaving the complexities of security and authentication to specialists like Kinde. This approach saves valuable resources and ensures products remain secure and compliant. Oliver further explores Kinde's security-first approach, noting how the company embedded security into its DNA from the beginning by hiring a security engineer as its first team member. While managing security concerns, Kinde balances user experience by ensuring customers remain confident in the platform’s security while also making it easy to use. Oliver explains how Kinde continuously adapts to emerging security challenges and meets increasing demands for transparency from engineers. He also discusses Kinde’s upcoming features, including tiered pricing models and expanded functionalities like user management and billing, designed to streamline workflows for startups. Lastly, Oliver shares his vision for Kinde and how the platform aims to simplify the complexities of user management, feature flags, and subscription billing. As Kinde rolls out its new pricing models and enhances its offerings, it helps startups manage their systems more effectively, allowing engineers to focus on building value-driven features. Oliver explains how Kinde’s feature flags enable better product testing and controlled rollouts, while the platform’s no-lock-in policy fosters trust with users. Reflecting on his passion for product management, Oliver reveals how customer feedback and seeing real value delivered to users motivates him every day, ensuring Kinde’s solutions are always aligned with the customer’s needs. #PasswordlessAuthentication #CyberSecurity #UserExperience #TechInnovation #DigitalIdentity #SoftwareDevelopment #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis speaks with Jameel Rehman, Founder of Tech Sales Academy, about the challenges in tech sales education. Jameel, a former top 1% account executive at Cisco and Telstra Enterprise, transitioned into coaching after recognising a significant gap in structured sales training. He discusses the importance of organisation, problem-solving, and genuine customer relationships in achieving top sales performance. Rather than simply selling products to hit KPIs, Jameel believes great salespeople act as trusted advisors, solving business problems with integrity and a service-first mindset. His success in high-stakes enterprise sales has been driven by a structured and ethical approach, which he now shares through his academy. Jameel’s journey into tech sales was unexpected. While working at a gym, he discovered a natural talent for selling memberships and supplements, which led him to a role in Telstra’s retail division. He quickly became a top seller but faced challenges when transitioning from B2C to B2B due to the complexity of enterprise technology sales. However, his entrepreneurial mindset allowed him to adapt, treating sales like running his own business rather than simply being an employee. This perspective made his transition into entrepreneurship seamless, as he was already accustomed to managing high-value clients and solving complex problems. The conversation takes a humorous turn as both speakers reminisce about their early jobs at Coles, sharing stories about working in produce and dairy. Recognising a lack of formal training in tech sales, Jameel founded Tech Sales Academy to help individuals develop structured sales skills. Despite achieving top performance globally, he realised that many professionals were left to figure things out independently, without proper frameworks or guidance. After being made redundant, he saw an opportunity to build a practical and structured learning system for sales professionals. Rather than targeting enterprises, he focuses on individual development, ensuring that those who are genuinely motivated receive meaningful training to advance their careers in tech sales. Jameel’s passion for coaching stems from his own experience as a gifted child who struggled with traditional education systems. His approach combines technical skill development with personal transformation, appealing to those who feel lost within outdated societal structures. He likens his coaching to software installation, helping individuals "download" the mindset and knowledge required for success in tech sales, much like Neo learning kung fu in The Matrix. His mission is to empower sales professionals with both the confidence and the structured processes necessary to thrive in the industry. While tech sales shares many similarities with traditional B2B sales, it requires a strong understanding of technology solutions and their impact on customer problems. Success hinges on core sales principles—identifying ideal customers, crafting strong value propositions, and effectively navigating sales cycles. Engaging both technical and financial stakeholders often lengthens the process, making it crucial to identify high-leverage decision-makers. Jameel also highlights the importance of structured hiring for startup founders looking to transition from founder-led sales to a dedicated sales team. Finding the right "Frontier AE"—someone with a strong sales structure, a hunter mentality, and a willingness to work within startup constraints—can be the difference between stagnation and growth. Ultimately, in today’s market, building a product is easier than selling it, making sales expertise a key differentiator for startup success. #TechSales #DevReadyPodcast #SalesAcademy #CustomerRelationships #B2B #BusinessGrowth #SalesTips

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo welcomes Jodie Imam, Co-Founder and CEO of Tractor Ventures, to discuss alternative funding options for startups. Jodie shares her journey from a corporate marketing career to running an Australian fashion brand and later co-founding her first startup, Occasional Butler. She reflects on the challenges of building a marketplace without prior tech experience, learning the hard way about customer validation, and ultimately selling the business to Airtasker. Andrew and Jodie also discuss the myths surrounding unicorn startups and the pressures of venture capital funding. The conversation highlights the importance of exploring alternative funding models beyond traditional VC-backed growth path. Jodie explains Tractor Ventures' unique funding approach, which provides loans to profitable, steadily growing businesses that may not fit the high-growth venture-backed model. These businesses typically solve real problems that the founders have personally experienced, which creates strong customer reliance. Rather than taking equity, Tractor Ventures offers loans that businesses can repay over time, allowing them to scale without relinquishing ownership. This non-dilutive model has proven to be a cost-effective alternative for many businesses, especially as they continue to grow and generate revenue. The ideal businesses for Tractor Ventures' funding range from those with monthly revenues between $50,000 and $2 million. Jodie advises founders to think beyond their first funding round and plan strategically for the next 3–5 years. She challenges the conventional startup playbook and encourages founders to define their success on their own terms—whether it's building a high-growth venture or owning a profitable $50 million business. Both Jodie and Andrew highlight the need for founders to stay flexible and adaptable, as market conditions are constantly changing, and businesses must be prepared to evolve. Jodie discusses how Tractor Ventures has refined its funding model over time, initially experimenting with revenue-based financing but eventually transitioning to a more traditional unsecured principal-and-interest loan model. With interest rates ranging from 10–13%, these loans provide crucial capital to businesses with 3–6 months of runway, even if they are not yet profitable. Tractor Ventures also uses its proprietary technology, Hover, to manage loans and monitor financial health, as well as Horsepower, which assesses risk by analysing financial metrics like cash flow and customer concentration. In addition to funding, Tractor Ventures offers a robust support network called "The Village," which includes over 250 founders and more than 100 angel investors. This community-driven approach provides mentorship, peer support, and access to valuable resources such as masterclasses and networking events. Jodie shares success stories of businesses that have scaled without diluting equity, such as Clive and SOC Spa. With the market sentiment improving and more founders exploring non-dilutive capital options, Tractor Ventures is poised to continue helping businesses grow and thrive. #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #ScaleUp #TechGrowth #FounderSuccess #AlternativeFunding #DevReadyPodcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits with Stephen Graham, Co-founder & GM of Shadowboxer, to discuss the realities of startup life and venture building. Stephen shares his journey from the corporate world to the fast-paced startup ecosystem, highlighting the unique challenges and rewards of working in a venture studio. Shadowboxer, founded in 2020, partners with entrepreneurs to shape and build innovative businesses, often taking equity instead of fees. The conversation delves into the appeal of working across multiple industries, the excitement of rapid learning, and the importance of having "skin in the game." Anthony resonates with this mindset, reflecting on his decision to skip the corporate ladder and start Aerion Technologies straight out of university. The discussion explores how starting a business before major life commitments—like mortgages and children—can feel like a calculated risk, yet unforeseen challenges, such as a global pandemic, can still disrupt plans. Stephen acknowledges that his risk appetite has evolved with family responsibilities but still values the agility and direct communication inherent in startup environments. Unlike corporate settings, where bureaucracy slows decision-making, startups thrive on fast, impactful interactions. The urgency in startups is real—missing a critical opportunity can set a company back significantly—so access to key decision-makers is crucial. The relationships formed in these high-pressure environments are often more personal and rewarding, fostering deep professional growth. Stephen highlights the shifting landscape of startup funding, noting how early overfunding led to rapid growth, but recent economic changes have increased scrutiny on traction metrics. Startups today must prioritise rapid prototyping and leverage AI and low-code tools to validate ideas quickly. Anthony points out that while tighter funding conditions present challenges, they encourage healthier, more sustainable business models focused on profitability rather than endless investment rounds. Stephen remains optimistic about alternative funding options beyond traditional venture capital, allowing more startups to build viable businesses without chasing unicorn status. Execution and team quality often matter more than the idea itself when launching a successful startup. Stephen stresses the importance of momentum, product-market fit, and surrounding oneself with skilled advisors, especially in unfamiliar industries. The discussion also touches on funding shifts from VC firms to family offices, with investors favouring businesses that generate faster returns. Clinician founders, in particular, are seen as strong entrepreneurs due to their industry expertise and financial discipline. Overall, Stephen and Anthony praise Australia's startup ecosystem for its growing investor community and support for innovation. Working with non-technical founders presents unique challenges, particularly in defining clear roles within a startup. While some teams have technical co-founders, others rely on external expertise before building an in-house team. The best founders are those who remain deeply focused on customer needs and problem-solving, ensuring a clear business direction. Stephen prefers working with "battle-scarred" founders—those who have prior entrepreneurial experience—due to their resilience and learned lessons. However, he also acknowledges that younger founders bring fresh perspectives, optimism, and a higher risk tolerance, which can be equally valuable in the startup world. Many startups make the mistake of rushing into development without proper planning, leading to costly missteps. Founders often seek help only after failed attempts with previous vendors, realising the need for structured guidance. Success lies in slowing down, thoroughly planning and designing before development begins—minimising risks for both founders and their technical teams. Experienced teams, like those at DevReady, apply insights from past projects to help non-technical founders navigate these challenges. While failure is common in startups, those who learn from past mistakes and iterate strategically significantly increase their chances of long-term success. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupSuccess #TechInnovation #Entrepreneurship #ProductDevelopment #GoToMarket #FounderMindset #BusinessGrowth #ScalingStartups #StartupStrategy #BuildFast #Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis welcomes Ken Thomas, Founder of TenClub, an outsourced sales agency focused on solving small business sales challenges in Australia. Ken dives into the struggles many founders face when transitioning out of sales roles and hiring their first salesperson—an often tricky process with a high failure rate. He highlights that up to 50% of initial sales hires fail, with ROI often taking 9 to 18 months, and shares how TenClub’s mission is to accelerate this process, enabling businesses to break through revenue barriers and achieve sustainable growth. Anthony adds personal reflections, noting the transformative impact of structured sales processes on business success. The name TenClub reflects milestones and camaraderie, symbolising achievements like securing ten clients or reaching significant revenue goals. For Ken, the name encapsulates progress and collaboration, values that underpin his approach to supporting small businesses. Drawing on a decade of experience across retail management, corporate sales, and fintech, coupled with an MBA, Ken has developed tailored solutions that improve sales processes, streamline operations, and drive growth. By leveraging his expertise and networks, TenClub helps founders establish scalable systems and generate consistent leads. Throughout the episode, Anthony and Ken address common sales challenges, such as equating customer service with sales and the absence of defined processes or tools like CRMs. Ken stresses the importance of implementing structured systems to handle key sales stages, from discovery calls to closing deals. He also advocates for clearly articulating value propositions, aligning with client pain points, and using straightforward tools like pitch decks to enhance efficiency and streamline workflows. Ken also shares personal insights into overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing entrepreneurship. He credits his support network, particularly his wife, for encouraging him to take risks and build confidence. By adopting a growth mindset and openly sharing knowledge, Ken underscores the value of building trust and fostering collaboration as key ingredients for long-term success. For startup founders, Ken offers practical advice: focus on tasks they excel at, delegate responsibilities, and map out clear roles. He emphasises aligning new hires with the company’s values and vision, prioritising strategic oversight, and avoiding micromanagement. These principles, he explains, allow businesses to scale effectively while navigating the complexities of sales and team building. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupSales #SalesLeadership #BusinessGrowth #ScalingUp #sales

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Kerrie McGilvray, Managing Director of The Admin Superheroes, to discuss the challenges faced by small business owners and how they can scale effectively. Kerrie shares her unconventional career journey, which began as an apprentice mechanic and eventually led her to the role of operations manager in a project consultancy firm. After her position was made redundant, she ventured into fractional operations management, providing small businesses with high-level expertise without the need for full-time employees. Kerrie’s company focuses on streamlining processes, removing bottlenecks, and enabling growth through fractional management services. Kerrie delves into the struggles many business owners face, particularly in the tech industry, where expertise in their field often does not translate into effective operational management. She explains that while outsourcing certain tasks may seem daunting, it is essential for scaling a business and allowing owners to focus on their core strengths. Many owners hold on to tasks they dislike, which results in burnout and inefficiency. Kerrie advises owners to delegate responsibilities they do not enjoy to improve overall productivity and wellbeing. She also highlights common problems that small business owners, especially those without formal business training, often encounter. This includes failing to revisit and refine systems as the business grows, struggling with team management due to lack of training, and not fully understanding financials, which can impede growth. Kerrie explains that many owners, feeling stuck, may contemplate selling their business without realising that with a few changes, they could meet their goals and thrive. Throughout the conversation, Kerrie emphasises her passion for problem-solving, efficiency, and aligning a team’s personal goals with the broader business objectives to ensure long-term success. She shares her insights on the complexities of managing team dynamics, especially when business owners are reluctant to relinquish certain responsibilities. Effective communication and reassurance are crucial to overcoming resistance and ensuring that staff understand how operational improvements will benefit both the business and their career development. Kerrie wraps up by recommending business owners perform a time and energy audit to identify tasks that could be outsourced, ultimately saving time and increasing revenue. This episode provides valuable insights into the importance of operational efficiency, team management, and outsourcing to scale a business effectively. Kerrie’s experience offers actionable advice for business owners looking to optimise their operations and grow with confidence. #BusinessGrowth #TimeManagement #EfficiencyTips #SmallBusinessSuccess #Entrepreneurship #Outsourcing #FractionalManagement

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Andrew Romeo sits down with Ronsley Vaz, Founder of Amplify Ai and Founder of We Are Podcast, to explore the transformative power of artificial intelligence and its rapid evolution. Ronsley, an expert in both computer science and podcasting, discusses his participation in OpenAI’s Dev Day, where groundbreaking advancements were showcased, such as reinforcement learning and advanced query functions. These innovations are set to revolutionise AI, enabling smarter models, streamlined database queries, and even automated code debugging. The conversation highlights the rapid pace of AI development and its practical implications for businesses and technology. Ronsley and Andrew delve into the challenges and complexities of building high-quality software, with a particular focus on AI’s context windows. They discuss how the “short-term memory” (context window) and “long-term memory” (model training) of AI impact its performance, drawing parallels between AI and human intelligence. Ronsley likens AI to a silicon-based life form, dependent on data and computational power. The discussion underscores the importance of crafting structured, incremental prompts for AI to function effectively and the limitations of overloading models with excessive data. They also emphasise the need for selecting the right AI models for specific tasks to optimise results. The conversation then shifts to the practical applications of AI in business. Ronsley advises businesses to use AI for tasks where they lack expertise, such as project management or ideation, rather than for tasks they already excel at, like writing copy. He shares his personal struggles with writing marketing copy and explains how AI has helped him overcome these challenges. Ronsley encourages business owners to harness AI for neglected tasks, such as lead generation or scaling operations, to boost efficiency and achieve better outcomes. Andrew and Ronsley further discuss how AI tools, such as Grammarly, have improved communication processes and streamlined workflows. They also highlight how DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders has helped accelerate the product design and engineering process by addressing bottlenecks in their business. Ronsley stresses that AI should not only be applied to solve existing challenges but also be integrated into successful processes to enhance them. He also introduces Amplify Academy, where he provides businesses with tools and frameworks to automate and integrate AI into their operations effectively. Finally, Ronsley offers his insights on the evolving landscape of attention in marketing, explaining that capturing and maintaining attention is critical for business success. He emphasises the importance of aligning content with market signals to attract attention more effectively. Ronsley also discusses the growing influence of short-form video, particularly on platforms like TikTok, and shares how content can gain more visibility when it is strategically aligned with what audiences are paying attention to. The episode concludes with Ronsley’s thoughts on the future of AI, predicting that businesses will need to adapt quickly to these advancements or risk being left behind in an increasingly fast-moving ecosystem. #AI #BusinessGrowth #RonsleyVaz #ArtificialIntelligence #TechInnovation #PodcastInsights

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis talks to Litsa Barberoglou, Chief Collaborator of Brandivine. Litsa shares her unique journey into the world of marketing and brand-building, starting from a career path without clear direction to discovering her passion for blending creativity with analytics. With early successes in fast-moving consumer goods and the wine industry, Litsa went on to create Brandivine, a consultancy offering a six-step process for building successful brands. Her love for understanding people and their motivations is a key driving force behind her work. Litsa reflects on the transition from working in large organisations to running her own business, which allows her to forge deeper connections with clients and understand the motivations behind entrepreneurial risk-taking. She emphasises that successful businesses aren’t just about delivering products or services, but about creating meaningful change for customers. By focusing on adding value rather than simply defining roles, businesses can find greater purpose and connection with their audiences, leading to sustainable success. A crucial part of building a brand, according to Litsa, is crafting a compelling brand story. She outlines the importance of consistency in messaging and explains how a brand story acts as a guiding “compass” for decision-making. Litsa argues that branding goes beyond logos and visual elements, and is essential for building trust and loyalty with customers. She stresses that business owners need to understand the distinction between branding and tactical marketing strategies, such as content or social media marketing, to ensure their brand story is consistently communicated across all touchpoints. For start-ups and small businesses, Litsa highlights the importance of crafting a brand story that’s grounded in business viability. She advises that companies focus on core principles—such as their purpose, beliefs, and communication style—early on, to ensure consistency even as the business evolves. Recognising that brand storytelling is an ongoing process, Litsa encourages businesses to develop a flexible approach while maintaining a consistent foundation. This approach helps businesses grow and adapt while keeping their brand identity intact. Throughout the discussion, Litsa shares practical insights into the challenges businesses face in creating brand alignment, particularly when it comes to separating personal identity from the business brand. By focusing on operational challenges and involving employees and referral partners in sharing the brand story, businesses can enhance credibility and broaden their client base. Litsa also outlines the six guiding principles of building a brand story: purpose, values, brand name, personality, differentiation, and positioning. She concludes by emphasising that consistency, collaboration, and clear brand guidelines are crucial to creating a successful and scalable brand. #BrandingTips #BrandStory #MarketingStrategy #Entrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #Startups #BrandingSuccess

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Kaia R. Parv, the Interim CIO of Licensed Fund Management Company. Kaia offers invaluable insights into her impressive career in both finance and technology, touching on her journey from operations at Bank of America to leadership roles in asset management and hedge funds. She reflects on how lateral moves in her career have opened up growth opportunities, and underscores the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and embracing change in an increasingly automated world. Kaia delves into the shifting dynamics of the workforce, particularly the transition from offshoring to automation. She advises the younger generation, particularly those born after 1990, to remain flexible and comfortable with frequent changes, as they may need to reinvent their skill set every few years. Both Kaia and Anthony agree on the importance of problem-solving skills and the ability to learn how to learn, as opposed to relying solely on technical knowledge. This approach will be key to staying relevant in a rapidly evolving job market. The conversation also explores the growing role of AI and technology in businesses, particularly in marketing and development. While the full impact of these shifts has yet to be realised, Kaia discusses how companies are preparing for this transformation. With increasing automation, certain roles may become obsolete, but fractional roles—particularly in startups—are on the rise. These part-time or project-based positions offer flexibility and fresh perspectives without increasing full-time headcount, which Kaia views as a growing trend that will continue in the years ahead. As the discussion turns to fractional work in senior roles like CFOs and CIOs, Kaia shares her thoughts on the value of long-term fractional projects that provide deeper expertise and experience. She notes how the post-COVID world has reshaped work culture, particularly with the rise of the digital nomad trend and flexible working arrangements. The ability to work autonomously across time zones has opened up new opportunities for global consulting, further solidifying the value of remote and flexible work environments. Kaia also touches on the challenges posed by regulatory environments, particularly when it comes to fractional roles and the complexities of holding multiple jobs in different countries. She explains how evolving tax and immigration laws, such as the new digital nomad visa in Thailand, are signalling a broader global shift toward supporting flexible work arrangements. Kaia envisions a future where a simplified global tax system will make working across borders more straightforward, eliminating the need for complicated tax residency rules. Finally, Kaia discusses the evolving work environment, focusing on the shift from traditional 9-to-5 roles to a results-driven approach. The rise of outsourcing and fractional work, with clear KPIs and deliverables, is helping companies become more agile and cost-effective. Through her own experiences, Kaia highlights the growing trend of businesses adopting this model to enhance productivity while maintaining flexibility and accountability. She concludes by reflecting on her own leadership journey, including her experience overcoming imposter syndrome, asserting her boundaries, and learning to solve problems independently.

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis sits down with Shantanu Bhattacharya, Founder and CEO of Siometrix, to explore the evolving landscape of cybersecurity. Shantanu shares his extensive expertise, covering his pioneering work on the TCP/IP stack and public key infrastructure technologies that shaped secure communications. Now based in Canberra, Shantanu provides cutting-edge cybersecurity consultancy to federal agencies and organisations, focusing on data-centric security and fortifying operating systems to combat today’s complex cyber threats. Shantanu delves into the unique challenges posed by zero-day attacks, which exploit unknown vulnerabilities. Instead of playing the traditional "cat-and-mouse game" of reactive security measures, he advocates for proactive, data-centric solutions that include device and software authentication. This multi-layered approach, combined with low-level system monitoring through kernel-level software, ensures comprehensive protection. Shantanu also shares insights into obtaining code signing certification for such high-security software. The conversation expands to the specific needs of small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and government agencies. Shantanu highlights the challenges SMBs face, such as limited budgets and an overwhelming array of tools. He explains how Siometrix identifies vulnerabilities in IT systems, including risks from hybrid work setups and unregulated smart devices. Emphasising that effective cybersecurity is a blend of technology, secure processes, and human compliance, Shantanu provides practical advice on mitigating risks like weak passwords and unsecured networks. Shantanu and Anthony discuss the security risks associated with IoT devices, particularly unregulated, low-cost products. They highlight how such devices can act as gateways for attackers to infiltrate broader networks. Segmenting IoT devices onto separate networks and maintaining vigilance over unexpected vulnerabilities, like home CCTVs, are key strategies for reducing risks. This discussion underscores the growing need for awareness and proactive measures in the face of expanding IoT usage. The conversation also explores cloud-based security risks. Shantanu warns against blindly relying on cloud solutions without understanding the associated vulnerabilities, such as exposing sensitive data through poorly managed access. Comparing cloud environments to a house with multiple windows, Anthony stresses the importance of dedicated IT professionals to oversee network security. Together, they emphasise the need for businesses to map out where critical data is stored to protect it effectively. Finally, Shantanu highlights the importance of appointing a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or delegating cybersecurity responsibilities to ensure robust processes are in place. He discusses the increasing accountability of company boards in managing cybersecurity risks and the dangers of oversharing personal information online. To address gaps in organisational security, he offers virtual CISO services, helping businesses implement measures like password management, network segmentation, and multi-factor authentication to fortify their defences against evolving threats.