DevReady Podcast

Aerion Technologies

We started the DevReady podcast to help non-techs build better technology. We have been exposed to so many non-techs that describe the struggle, uncertainty and challenges that can come with building technology. The objective for the DevReady podcast to share these stories and give you the tools and insights so that you to can deliver on your vision and outcomes. You will learn from non-tech founders that have invested their time and money into developing technology. We will discuss what worked, what didn’t and how they still managed to deliver real value to their users. These stories are inspirational – demonstrating the determination, commitment and resolve it really takes to deliver technology. Throughout the DevReady Podcast we also invite subject matter experts to the conversation to give you proven strategies and techniques to successfully take your idea through to delivery and beyond. Enjoy the Podcast, it will challenge you, inspire you and provide the tools you will need ...

  1. 4 DAYS AGO

    How to Sell Your Business for Maximum Value: Exit Strategy Insights with Simon Bedard | Ep 278 | DevReady Podcast

    In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, is joined by Simon Bedard, Managing Director of Exit Advisory Group. Simon brings deep experience from investment banking, business ownership, and sell-side mergers and acquisitions, where he now helps founders prepare for and execute successful business exits. After working with high-net-worth individuals and selling his own businesses, Simon identified a significant gap in professional, end-to-end exit support for business owners. His work focuses on business valuations, exit strategy, and advisory services that help founders understand what their business is worth and how to maximise value before selling. The conversation explores why selling a business is far more complex than many founders expect. Simon explains that while business owners are naturally comfortable with uncertainty and risk, investors approach acquisitions with a fundamentally different mindset that prioritises risk reduction. This difference often leads to friction during negotiations, particularly when emotional attachment and legacy considerations come into play. Simon shares practical insights into how founders and buyers can view the same business very differently, and why understanding investor psychology early can significantly reduce stress and improve outcomes during a sale. Anthony and Simon also unpack the differences between selling smaller owner-operated businesses and larger corporate-style companies. Smaller businesses may attract a wider pool of potential buyers, but owners often lack the time, resources, and transaction experience required to manage a sale effectively. Larger businesses typically have stronger internal teams, experienced advisers, and more sophisticated buyers who understand the mergers and acquisitions process. Simon notes that the current market is characterised by historically high levels of available capital, creating strong competition for quality businesses, while also increasing the risks for owners who engage buyers without proper representation. The discussion then turns to the dangers of unsolicited acquisition approaches. Simon explains that buyers usually operate within structured, sales-driven processes designed to maximise value for the acquirer. Without independent advisers and a seller-led process, business owners can lose control, endure lengthy due diligence, and still end up without a firm offer. Emotional fatigue and time pressure often weaken negotiating positions, leading to reduced valuations and unfavourable deal terms. Running a competitive process with the right advisers is essential to protecting value and maintaining leverage. Finally, Simon outlines what business owners should prioritise when preparing for an exit. He stresses the importance of early planning, often three to five years in advance, to reduce owner dependency and address risks such as key person exposure and customer or supplier concentration. Simon explains that time and value are closely linked, and delaying preparation often forces founders to compromise on price or terms. The episode concludes with a clear message that thoughtful planning, realistic timelines, and experienced guidance are critical to achieving a successful and well-managed business exit. #BusinessExit #ExitStrategy #SellYourBusiness #BusinessValuation #MergersAndAcquisitions #FounderJourney #Entrepreneurship #PrivateEquity #BusinessGrowth #DevReadyPodcast

    33 min

  2. 10 FEB

    Why Most Corporate Innovation Fails and How to Scale Beyond Proof of Concept | Ep 277 | DevReady Podcast

    Andrew Romeo welcomes listeners to the DevReady Podcast for a deep dive into corporate innovation, open innovation strategy, and how startups and enterprises can work together more effectively. In this episode, Andrew is joined by Spiro El Khoury, Head of Growth (Australia) and founding team member at The Bakery, as well as a mentor at Startmate. Spiro shares insights from his journey into the innovation ecosystem, spanning corporate venturing, startup mentorship, and building stronger innovation pathways in Australia. Spiro reflects on his move from Lebanon to Australia during the COVID period, explaining how unexpected circumstances shaped his career in technology consulting and innovation. From early roles as a business analyst and product owner, he remained closely connected to the fast-moving startup world while helping corporates deliver solutions. He emphasises that the most effective innovation happens when organisations collaborate with external ecosystems, including startups, universities, and research institutions, particularly in complex sectors such as mining, healthcare, and decarbonisation. The conversation explores The Bakery’s role as a corporate innovation management firm supporting large organisations with sustainable innovation strategies. Spiro explains that innovation must go beyond branding or “innovation theatre” and instead become a structured growth engine delivering measurable outcomes. The Bakery helps corporates strengthen internal innovation teams, engage in Horizon Two and Horizon Three initiatives, and connect with scale-up startups through models such as venture client partnerships. Andrew notes that many corporate innovation efforts lose momentum over time, making execution and long-term commitment essential. Spiro breaks down the concept of open innovation, where corporates acknowledge that the best ideas and solutions often exist outside their own walls. He shares how global organisations like Procter & Gamble use external partnerships to reduce risk, accelerate R&D, and avoid reinventing proven solutions. The Bakery applies this approach by helping corporates define major challenges, run open innovation programs, and identify the right innovators through structured processes like demo days, while avoiding the common “proof of concept graveyard” where pilots fail to scale. The episode also offers practical guidance for startups seeking corporate customers, with Spiro stressing the importance of traction, proven value, and understanding enterprise buying cycles. Through his work with Startmate and Launch Club, he mentors founders to acquire early customers and navigate corporate complexity. Spiro also highlights Australia’s opportunity to improve innovation output through better education, stronger frameworks, and community-driven initiatives like the Corporate Innovation Series and the Corporate Innovation Summit, positioning innovation as a long-term strategy for national and business growth. #DevReadyPodcast #CorporateInnovation #OpenInnovation #AerionTechnologies

    40 min

  3. 3 FEB

    AI for Small Business: Tim Krotiris on Backable and Better Decisions | Ep 276 | DevReady Podcast

    For this episode of the DevReady Podcast, host Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and Co-Founder of DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders , sits down with Tim Krotiris, Founder and CEO of Backable and Founder of Philotimo Global, to unpack what AI means for founders who are building in the real world. Tim shares the hard-won lessons from two decades of entrepreneurship, why small business owners have historically been underserved compared to big enterprises, and how Backable is designed to provide practical, always-on support without becoming another distraction. Tim’s story starts early, with a first attempt at entrepreneurship at 16 and a career shaped by building, scaling, and selling businesses across industries. From martial arts promotions and gym ownership to property, apparel, and marketing agencies, Tim’s path led him to a deeper focus on helping SMBs grow through Philotimo Global. That experience also exposed a pattern: two founders can have similar opportunities and advice, yet produce dramatically different results, and Tim became obsessed with understanding why. That obsession evolved into a decade-long effort to rebuild advisory support into something more intelligent, consistent, and founder-friendly. Tim explains how they approached the problem like a research project, mapping conversations, decisions, and outcomes to uncover the variables behind success, scaling, and failure. While early assumptions leaned towards traditional machine learning and predictive analytics, the emergence of modern large language models accelerated their progress and reshaped the implementation, turning years of groundwork into leverage rather than redundancy. A key theme throughout the conversation is the reality of speed. Anthony and Tim explore how AI reduces the lag between ideas and implementation, making it possible to prototype quickly, gather feedback, and decide whether to pivot or kill an idea within days. They also offer a clear warning about “vibe coding” and AI wrappers: moving faster is only helpful if you can plan, evaluate, and understand what is happening under the hood, otherwise you risk doing the wrong thing faster. The goal is not endless experimentation, but sharper decision-making, clearer prioritisation, and better outcomes. Finally, Tim brings it back to founder psychology and leadership, sharing lessons that apply whether you are using AI or not. He emphasises that tough periods are moments in a business lifecycle, not a verdict on your identity, and that leaders must avoid becoming psychologically fused to the business. He advocates for falling back in love with the problem and the customer, staying open to the right support network, and embracing vulnerability with people who understand the journey. Backable’s mission reflects that belief, with a focus on helping founders feel “never alone, always ahead” while building the business that supports the life they actually want. #AIForSmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #BusinessGrowth #AI #DevReadyPodcast #AerionTechnologies

    33 min
  4. Startup Hiring, Culture Fit and Customer Discovery with Jarren Pinchuck | Ep 275 | DevReady Podcast

    27 JAN

    Startup Hiring, Culture Fit and Customer Discovery with Jarren Pinchuck | Ep 275 | DevReady Podcast

    Andrew Romeo, CEO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and Co-Founder of DevReady.Ai, welcomes Jarren Pinchuck, Operations and Growth Executive and Advisor at Startmate, to the DevReady Podcast to unpack what it really takes to build and scale a startup. In this episode, Andrew and Jarren explore the practical lessons that sit behind successful growth, including customer-led product development, early-stage customer discovery, and how to hire for culture fit when every role can make or break momentum. Jarren shares his journey from South Africa into entrepreneurship, starting with an unexpected turn away from advertising after only six weeks and into hospitality. Working in restaurants taught him how to communicate under pressure, handle real-time customer feedback, and spot problems by listening closely to people. Those frontline experiences shaped his approach to business and product, reinforcing that the fundamentals do not change across industries: you must market and sell a service, retain customers through a strong experience, and earn referrals by consistently delivering value. That customer-first mindset carried into Jarren’s first tech product, which was born from a simple operational frustration in restaurants: the noisy, inefficient kitchen bell system. After seeing pager technology in the US, he identified a practical alternative for busy venues where staff could not hear the kitchen and distances made coordination difficult. He and his team introduced a hardware-led paging solution into South Africa, managed setup and basic programming as part of onboarding, and learned first-hand what it takes to translate a real-world workflow problem into a sellable product. The episode also covers the hard realities of early go-to-market execution. Jarren explains how being too early to market, combined with a low-volume sales approach and ongoing servicing demands, limited the business’s scalability. He reflects on missed opportunities to pivot sooner towards higher-need environments like food courts and takeaway, then outlines how he and his partner adapted by moving into a lease-style corporate coffee model built around servicing and recurring revenue through coffee bean distribution. His path later took him to London, where he worked in online gaming and casinos and gained deeper experience in technology, payments, platforms, and SEO-driven growth, before relocating to Australia. From there, Andrew and Jarren move into the core scaling topic: hiring the right people and building culture intentionally in a fast-moving startup environment. Jarren argues that people are the most important lever in any business, but especially in early-stage teams where the margin for error is small and misalignment can quickly derail product direction and customer outcomes. He shares a structured approach to hiring that assesses communication, curiosity, and cultural alignment alongside role capability, and he advocates for bringing engineers and product leaders closer to customers through habits like monthly customer show-and-tell sessions. The key takeaway is clear: strong internal communication and trust tend to mirror the customer experience, and the best startups stay customer-led by using discovery conversations and continuous feedback to shape the product from day one. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupAdvice #CustomerDiscovery #StartupHiring #CultureFit #ProductDevelopment #Founders

    34 min
  5. Why Most Startups Build the Wrong Product and How to Get It Right | Ep 274 | DevReady Podcast

    20 JAN

    Why Most Startups Build the Wrong Product and How to Get It Right | Ep 274 | DevReady Podcast

    In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders , is joined by Karina Carter, Fractional Chief Product Officer and Leadership Coach. With over 12 years of experience spanning the United Nations, government research, startups and global tech companies, Karina brings a deeply practical perspective on modern product leadership. She shares insights from her journey into product management, her work building technology across complex markets like China, and her current role helping underperforming companies realign strategy, teams and execution. This conversation is essential listening for founders, product leaders and teams looking to build better software through strong product strategy, customer insight and disciplined decision making. Karina explains how transitioning from academic research at the UN into product allowed her to move faster, work directly with customers and turn data into action. Her experience running a venture studio in China required building bespoke technology to operate across the Great Firewall, giving her a unique perspective on solving complex problems in constrained environments. Today, as a fractional CPO, she is often brought into organisations that are struggling to perform, where she audits product strategy, uncovers misalignment and identifies untapped opportunities hidden in existing data. These discoveries frequently lead to new use cases and significant revenue growth without increasing team size. The discussion highlights how cultural context, data literacy and customer understanding are foundational to sustainable product growth. A core theme of the episode is Karina’s belief that better products do not come from bigger teams, but from people with a growth mindset and a sense of radical responsibility. She explains how she uses data to understand what is happening inside a product, then pairs that insight with deep customer conversations to uncover why it is happening. Customer interviews, she argues, are not about asking users what to build, but about understanding their real problems, fears and motivations. This approach allows product, design and engineering teams to focus on value rather than features. Anthony reinforces that most customers buy based on perceived value, not technical specifications. The conversation also explores why so much user research fails to deliver meaningful insight. Karina highlights how confirmation bias, inconsistent interview questions and poor research design often lead teams to hear only what they want to hear. She stresses the importance of structured interview frameworks, representative sampling and an understanding of cognitive bias when interpreting feedback. Together, Anthony and Karina explain why product teams should not overreact to the loudest customers, who are often a small and unrepresentative minority. Instead, feedback should be evaluated holistically, guided by a clear product vision, strategy and well defined OKRs, with every product decision treated as a hypothesis to be tested after launch. Finally, Anthony and Karina discuss the impact of AI tools like ChatGPT and vibe coding platforms on modern software development. While Karina supports experimentation and creative exploration using AI, she warns that these tools can accelerate poor decisions if foundational product thinking is skipped. They explore the risks of AI hallucinations, overreliance on automated analysis and the erosion of critical thinking in product teams. Both agree that AI is most powerful when used to support synthesis, competitor analysis and ideation, not as a replacement for human judgement. The episode concludes with a clear message that great products are built through disciplined discovery, thoughtful design and human insight, with AI used as an assistant rather than the decision maker.

    34 min

  6. 15 JAN

    AI in 2026: Predictions for Australian Businesses | Ep 272 | DevReady Podcast

    AI is moving fast but what actually matters in 2026? In this finale episode of the 12 Days of AI Christmas series, Anthony Sapountzis (Aerion Technologies) and Gareth Rydon (Friyay) reflect on the biggest AI shifts of the past year and share what Australian businesses should really be paying attention to next. They discuss the rise of Google and Gemini, how AI advertising will be woven into content, why sovereign AI is becoming a serious priority, and why most businesses don’t need dozens of AI tools to get value. The conversation also explores why human creativity and real expertise will become more valuable as AI-generated content floods the internet, and how the global AI race between Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and others is shaping the future. A grounded, no-hype look at what 2026 holds for AI, business, and work. Subscribe to the DevReady Podcast for practical conversations on AI, software, and building smarter businesses. #AI2026 #DevReadyPodcast #ArtificialIntelligence #AustralianBusiness #AITrends #Gemini #ChatGPT #FutureOfWork #Podcast

    17 min
  7. ChatGPT Is Not Enough Why AI Workflows Matter for Business | Ep 273 | DevReady Podcast

    13 JAN

    ChatGPT Is Not Enough Why AI Workflows Matter for Business | Ep 273 | DevReady Podcast

    Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and Co-Founder of DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders , is joined on the DevReady Podcast by Nikhil Singh, Co-Founder of AI2Easy and Co-Founder and CTO of Deciphr AI. With over two decades of experience in software development and startup growth, Nikhil brings a deeply practical perspective on how artificial intelligence is evolving inside real businesses. In this episode, Anthony and Nikhil explore the journey from early machine learning systems to modern AI workflows, unpack the realities behind AI hype, and share grounded advice for organisations looking to move beyond basic chat-based tools. Nikhil shares how Deciphr AI emerged from a personal frustration with long form content and the challenge of knowing what was worth deeper attention. Designed to semantically understand audio, video and large documents, Deciphr AI transforms content into summaries, quotes, blogs, show notes and social media assets. The discussion traces the technical evolution behind this capability, from early approaches using entity extraction, knowledge graphs and topic modelling to a hybrid architecture incorporating large language model APIs. Anthony and Nikhil also reflect on how concepts like neural networks, computer vision and APIs have existed for decades, even if recent infrastructure investment has finally made them accessible at scale. A key theme throughout the episode is that successful AI adoption depends far more on processes than tools. Nikhil explains how customer feedback revealed that most businesses need AI to integrate into existing workflows rather than operate as isolated SaaS products. Layering AI on top of CRMs, ERPs and internal systems requires clearly documented processes, strong operational foundations and realistic expectations. AI, like a new employee, must be trained and tuned to the business rather than expected to deliver instant results out of the box. Anthony and Nikhil also cut through the noise surrounding AI agents and automation trends. They note that most so called agent workflows in the market are still single agent systems with limited decision making, despite being presented as advanced multi agent solutions. True autonomous agents capable of planning, reasoning and executing towards a goal remain rare outside domains like software development and creative experimentation. The conversation also highlights the rise of shadow AI, where employees bypass official tools due to poor enterprise rollouts, reinforcing the need for secure, well implemented AI strategies rather than outright bans. The episode concludes with practical guidance for organisations ready to move beyond chat interfaces into full AI workflows. Nikhil emphasises the importance of defining clear metrics and outcomes, such as reduced reporting time or improved turnaround, before starting any AI initiative. He shares examples of high impact workflows in document heavy industries, where AI powered knowledge bases turn unstructured data into structured insights while keeping humans firmly in the review loop. The ultimate goal, as Anthony and Nikhil agree, is not replacing people but augmenting teams so they can focus on higher value, strategic work. #AIinSoftwareDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership #AerionTechnologies #AIWorkflows #BusinessAI #Automation #DevReadyPodcast #ArtificialIntelligence

    33 min
  8. AI in Software Development: Hype vs Reality in 2025 | Ep 271 | DevReady Podcast

    16/12/2025

    AI in Software Development: Hype vs Reality in 2025 | Ep 271 | DevReady Podcast

    In this follow-up episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis sits down again with Bill Lennan, Founder of 40 Percent Better, to explore how AI is changing software development, tech careers, and business decision-making. Bill brings a grounded, executive-level view on what is working, what is not, and why the AI boom feels both exciting and unsettling for teams worldwide. Connect with Bill on LinkedIn for more of his thinking on leadership, technology, and practical innovation. Together, Anthony and Bill unpack what staying relevant in an AI-driven tech industry really requires, and why human skills remain central to future-proofing your career. They begin by tackling the rapid shifts happening across the industry and the myth that AI can already replace great engineers. Bill explains that while AI can speed up prototyping, high-quality software still needs experienced developers to review outputs for reliability, maintainability, and security. He also points to a growing adoption barrier that executives keep raising: the economics of AI remain unclear. Flexible and unpredictable operating costs make it hard for companies to plan return on investment, which slows rollout even when the technology looks promising. Anthony then shares what he sees in the wider conversation: founders celebrating “vibe coding” as if it removes the need for engineers, while developers warn about security risks and brittle code. Bill feels this debate echoes earlier technology waves like the early internet, where big ideas arrived before infrastructure, standards, and safeguards were ready. The pattern is familiar: early optimism, unexpected failures, then gradual maturity. Both agree that AI will improve and start prompting builders about security and trade-offs more like a senior engineer, but it will still need human judgement to align solutions with real user value. From there, the discussion moves into AI’s limits in human-centred work. Anthony argues that AI lacks emotional intelligence and empathy, which makes it unsuitable for roles that require care and context, such as nursing. Bill expands this to a broader point about data quality: AI reflects what humans have studied and published, and much of human behaviour research is narrow, culturally limited, or based on small sample sizes. That means AI can confidently generate answers that are incomplete or biased, and people’s tendency to accept written outputs at face value only worsens the risk through confirmation bias. Finally, they turn to career resilience. Bill urges people in tech, especially students, to build a broader skill set that includes communication, curiosity, and user-focused problem solving, because the market now has a surplus of programmers. AI may keep pushing coding up the abstraction ladder, but the ability to work with people, understand real needs, and lead collaborative teams will remain a competitive edge. They also touch on AI’s hidden energy costs, the learning downside of overreliance on tools, and even the value of practical life skills as a hedge against automation. The takeaway is simple: in a fast-changing AI era, soft skills and adaptability are not optional extras, they are the safest long-term investment. #DevReadyPodcast #AIinSoftwareDevelopment #SoftwareEngineering #TechCareers #AerionTechnologies #AIAdoption #VibeCoding #FutureOfWork

    41 min
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

We started the DevReady podcast to help non-techs build better technology. We have been exposed to so many non-techs that describe the struggle, uncertainty and challenges that can come with building technology. The objective for the DevReady podcast to share these stories and give you the tools and insights so that you to can deliver on your vision and outcomes. You will learn from non-tech founders that have invested their time and money into developing technology. We will discuss what worked, what didn’t and how they still managed to deliver real value to their users. These stories are inspirational – demonstrating the determination, commitment and resolve it really takes to deliver technology. Throughout the DevReady Podcast we also invite subject matter experts to the conversation to give you proven strategies and techniques to successfully take your idea through to delivery and beyond. Enjoy the Podcast, it will challenge you, inspire you and provide the tools you will need ...

Information

  • Creator
    Aerion Technologies
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    277
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    DevReady Podcast