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. 1d ago

    What Every Non-Technical Founder Should Know Before Building an App | Ep 333 | DevReady Podcast

    In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, speaks with Jay Mon, Founder of City Swapp, Product Design Lead at Exceed Business Intelligence, and Founder and Lead Designer at Innomad Digital Solutions. Jay shares how her journey from broadcast media into product design and startup building was shaped by solving real-world problems, navigating the challenges of software development and learning how to build digital products more strategically. From launching her first travel-focused startup to developing City Swapp for remote workers, she reflects on the technical, financial and product lessons that changed the way she approaches startups, MVPs, marketplace growth and product validation. Jay’s first startup began with a simple problem she noticed while hosting on Airbnb. A guest needed somewhere to leave their luggage after checkout, and Jay saw an opportunity to connect travellers with nearby convenience stores that had unused storage space. The idea evolved into a digital product, but with no technical background, Jay and her co-founder found themselves navigating outsourced development teams, rising costs, delays and difficult technical decisions. The experience showed her how important it is for founders to understand enough about technology to ask the right questions, assess advice and stay involved in the development process. The startup eventually reached beta testing, but COVID disrupted the travel market and forced the project to pause. During that time, the technology became outdated, maintenance stopped and the cost of rebuilding became difficult to justify. Jay and Anthony discuss how this highlighted a broader lesson for founders: software requires ongoing investment in infrastructure, updates, documentation, maintenance and technical planning. They also explore how poorly structured code and short-term development decisions can create expensive rescue projects later, particularly when an MVP is built without considering the longer-term product vision. Those experiences directly influenced the way Jay approached City Swapp, a house-swapping and subleasing platform designed for remote workers. This time, she chose a leaner web-based model, worked with an experienced full-stack developer and selected cloud services that could scale alongside usage. Her product design experience also gave her greater ownership over the user experience, interface and technical conversations. Jay explains how staying close to the engineering process, retaining access to repositories and logins, and asking better questions helped her build with more control and fewer unnecessary costs. City Swapp also taught Jay a different set of lessons about marketplace businesses. She initially launched the platform with a subscription model, but quickly discovered the familiar marketplace challenge of balancing supply and demand. With too few listings, users had little reason to pay, prompting her to rethink monetisation and focus first on growing supply, validating demand and learning from real users. She reflects on how founder conviction can sometimes become rigidity, and why listening to feedback, validating earlier and building smaller can help founders make better product decisions. Looking ahead, Jay is repositioning City Swapp around free listings and user growth, supported by a manual KYC and verification process designed to create a safer subleasing experience for remote workers. The immediate priority is to build a strong supply of listings, grow the community and gather meaningful feedback before introducing monetisation. Throughout the conversation, Jay’s experience reinforces a practical message for startup founders: understand the problem deeply, stay flexible about the solution, plan beyond the MVP and treat every stage of product development as an opportunity to learn. #DevReadyPodcast #StartupFounder #NonTechnicalFounder #AppDevelopment #ProductDevelopment #MVP #SoftwareDevelopment #StartupLessons #TechFounders

  2. 2d ago

    Venture Capital, AI and the Future of Australian Startups | Ep 332 | DevReady Podcast

    Jordan Green, Chairman of the Pearcey Foundation and Chairman of Angels Australia, joins Andrew Romeo, CEO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and  Co-Founder of DevReady.Ai, on the DevReady Podcast to explore venture capital, startup growth, AI, innovation and the future of Australia’s technology ecosystem. Drawing on decades of experience as an entrepreneur, investor and technology leader, Jordan shares lessons from building companies in Australia and Silicon Valley, co-founding one of Australia’s early successful venture capital funds and supporting founders through angel investment. The conversation covers what makes early-stage investment work, why founder capability matters as companies scale, and how Australia can strengthen its position in technology, commercialisation and AI. Jordan reflects on the realities of venture capital and why fund size can have a significant impact on performance. He explains how smaller funds can often provide more focused support to early-stage startups, while larger portfolios make it increasingly difficult for experienced investors to remain closely involved with every company. Using investors such as Ron Conway as an example, Jordan discusses the value of combining financial capital with intellectual capital, strategic guidance and a support structure that helps identify where senior investor attention is needed most. The discussion also challenges the assumption that venture capital is the only pathway to startup growth, highlighting the role of angel investors, bootstrapping and proven commercial traction. The conversation then turns to the founder journey and the challenge of scaling beyond an individual’s own strengths. Jordan explains why founders eventually need to hire both complementary skills and people who can expand the capabilities they originally brought to the company. This becomes particularly important for technical founders who may have strong coding skills but limited experience in leadership, architecture, testing or quality assurance. Jordan and Andrew connect this to the rise of vibe coding and AI-assisted software development, discussing how generative AI can accelerate development while also creating risks around security, architecture, scalability and code quality when there is insufficient technical oversight. Jordan also explores the broader impact of generative AI on innovation and research. As AI makes software and content creation easier, he warns that increased output can also create more noise, making quality harder to identify. In research, Jordan argues that AI systems can steer people towards familiar patterns because they are built to predict likely outputs from existing data, potentially narrowing the scope of genuinely exploratory work. The discussion reinforces the importance of human judgement, curiosity and specialist expertise in areas where innovation depends on moving beyond established patterns. A major part of the episode focuses on Australia’s startup ecosystem, technology heritage and long-term economic growth. Jordan discusses the importance of employee equity, angel investment, research commercialisation and policy settings that encourage founders and investors to keep building in Australia. He also reflects on Australia’s long history of technology innovation, from early digital computing and digital music to Wi-Fi, Blackmagic Design and other globally significant achievements, while explaining how the Pearcey Foundation works to preserve and promote that legacy. Looking ahead, Jordan argues that Australia already has the talent, research capability and entrepreneurial strength required to succeed in areas such as AI and advanced technology, with future growth depending on better collaboration between government, universities, investors, founders and the wider business community. #DevReadyPodcast #JordanGreen #AustralianStartups #VentureCapital #AngelInvesting #ArtificialIntelligence #AustralianTech #StartupFunding #TechInnovation

  3. Sep 30

    How AI Is Changing Software Development: Courtney Smith on What Comes Next | Ep 331|DevReady Podcast

    How is AI changing the way businesses plan, build and use software? In this episode of the the DevReady Podcast, Andrew Romeo, CEO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and  Co-Founder of DevReady.Ai,  speaks with Courtney Smith, CEO of Strategy & Innovation at Kynection, founder of the Firefly Initiative and director of Quallogi. Drawing on more than 25 years in technology, Courtney shares lessons from building GPS hardware, mobile applications and enterprise software. Together, they explore rapid prototyping, AI adoption and the decisions businesses face as technology moves faster. Courtney explains how Kynection helps businesses in civil construction, mining and transport manage complex operations and costly assets. His experience has shown that a successful software rollout needs an engaged champion within the client’s organisation, regular stakeholder feedback and an agreed definition of success. Delivering a useful result early gives teams something concrete to assess and helps maintain momentum as the solution develops. As AI speeds up software development, Andrew and Courtney discuss the work required to keep outcomes reliable. Human testing and user feedback remain central to understanding whether a system solves the right problem. Courtney describes how Kynection balances experimentation with stable deployment and builds AI capability across its team. Andrew shares Aerion Technologies’ experience of reviewing and validating a growing volume of AI-assisted code, alongside the value of sharing lessons between colleagues. The conversation turns to clickable prototypes and their role in software planning. Courtney explains that written requirements can leave room for different interpretations, which may only become clear when a client sees the first version of a product. Rapid prototypes allow teams to show an interface sooner, walk stakeholders through it and uncover feedback while there is still time to shape the design. Capturing the underlying business requirements remains essential. Courtney also describes how AI has changed technical hiring at Kynection, where candidates may be asked to demonstrate their development process using AI tools. From there, he and Andrew consider where businesses should keep their data and intellectual property as they adopt AI. They discuss the potential for smaller models to handle routine processes, such as invoice processing, and for local AI tools to give organisations more control over their information. Looking further ahead, Courtney shares experiments ranging from studying workplace interruptions to exploring robots for construction site safety checks. He encourages business owners to preserve operational knowledge and make time to explore practical uses for emerging technology. Andrew and Courtney also consider how autonomous vehicles could affect mobility and car ownership, and how AI might help people connect ideas across different fields. #DevReadyPodcast #AI #SoftwareDevelopment #RapidPrototyping #BusinessTechnology

  4. Sep 29

    Is Your Business Underinsured? Daniel Fogarty on Data, Risk and AI | Ep 330 | DevReady Podcast

    Daniel Fogarty, CEO and Founder of Evari, joins Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, on the DevReady Podcast to discuss how AI is changing insurance and financial services. Drawing on his experience leading Zurich Insurance in Australia and New Zealand, Daniel shares why underinsurance remains a problem for growing businesses, how Evari moved from insurance distribution into technology, and where AI assistants can help financial services professionals spend more time with customers. The conversation also explores AI orchestration, data sovereignty and the importance of human advice. Daniel recalls a small business affected by the 2011 Brisbane floods. Its policy listed $500,000 in stock, while an assessor found that at least $1.6 million worth had been destroyed. The claim was ultimately paid in full, but the experience exposed how easily insurance cover can fall behind a business’s changing circumstances. It prompted Daniel and his co-founders to explore how cloud accounting data could help businesses and insurers work with more accurate information. Their first product worked technically, yet customers were understandably hesitant to share sensitive financial data with a provider they did not know. That experience helped shape Evari’s move towards providing technology for insurers and underwriting agencies. Daniel discusses QuivaWorks, an AI assistant platform used to support tasks such as document processing, administration and compliance. Across insurance, financial advice, mortgage broking and accounting, he sees an opportunity to reduce time spent on routine work. Both Daniel and Anthony emphasise the value of keeping people involved in decisions, particularly when customers need advice they can understand and trust. As businesses adopt more AI agents, Daniel expects token costs and energy use to make AI orchestration a pressing concern. He and Anthony discuss using programmed steps for predictable workflows and directing tasks that require interpretation to suitable AI models. Effective orchestration also means checking outputs and deciding when a person should review the result. Their discussion extends to AI sovereignty, including how Australian businesses can retain control over private data and make informed choices about the models and infrastructure they use. The episode closes with a broader question: how can people make useful choices amid constant technological change? Anthony describes his drive to explore new tools, while Daniel focuses on using technology to help Australians manage their financial lives. They recognise that busy professionals need practical solutions tested for their industries, supported by partnerships and reliable connections between systems. For Daniel, that collaboration could improve customer outcomes at home and help Australian technology businesses take their work overseas. #DevReadyPodcast #DanielFogarty #Evari #Insurtech #BusinessInsurance #AIInInsurance

  5. Sep 23

    Psychological Safety at Work: How Great Leaders Build Trust | Ep 329 | DevReady Podcast

    How can leaders build trust, strengthen workplace culture and preserve human connection in a technology-driven world? In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew Romeo, CEO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and  Co-Founder of DevReady.Ai, speaks with Joel Hines, Human Experience Designer at Being Human, speaker, storyteller, facilitator, trainer and author. Joel shares practical insights into human-centred leadership, psychological safety, storytelling and constructive workplace feedback. Drawing on a career spanning mental health, education, technology and organisational development, he explains how leaders can create environments where people feel safe to contribute, collaborate and perform at their best. Joel’s unconventional career began in acute mental health and occupational therapy before moving through fitness training, IT, software development and primary school leadership. Each experience strengthened his understanding of how people connect, communicate and respond to different environments. His five years as a primary school principal also taught him how to manage the needs of students, parents, teachers, communities, boards and funders. These lessons eventually shaped Being Human and Joel’s work helping organisations address cultural challenges, disengagement, conflict and stalled growth. Storytelling and play sit at the heart of Joel’s facilitation approach. He explains that workshop participants quickly want to understand who the facilitator is, whether they can trust them and what they will gain from the session. Purposeful games, shared experiences and personal stories can lower barriers, spark curiosity and prepare groups for more honest conversations. Joel also recommends introducing light, engaging questions into staff meetings and stand-ups to help colleagues understand each other beyond their job titles, while leaders can strengthen trust by sharing their own experiences and modelling the openness they expect from others. The conversation also explores self-awareness, vulnerable leadership and the role of AI in modern workplaces. Joel encourages leaders to recognise their strengths and blind spots, admit when they do not have an answer and invite their teams to contribute by asking, “What do you think?” Andrew and Joel discuss how AI can reinforce existing assumptions or return generic, agreeable responses without thoughtful prompting. Human creativity, healthy debate and collaborative problem-solving remain essential, with AI serving as a tool for testing ideas, challenging assumptions and exploring alternative perspectives. Joel concludes with a practical framework for giving constructive workplace feedback. The process begins by reviewing what happened, identifying what went well and considering what could be done differently next time. Leaders should ask whether the recipient is open to feedback, respect their boundaries and finish the conversation with a clear action. Comparing feedback to a gift, Joel explains that the recipient ultimately chooses how and when to use it. Through consistent trust-building, honest communication and action-focused feedback, leaders can help people grow while creating healthier and more connected workplace cultures. #DevReadyPodcast #PsychologicalSafety #Leadership #WorkplaceCulture #Storytelling #ArtificialIntelligence #AerionTechnologies

  6. Sep 23

    How AI and IoT Are Creating Healthier, Smarter Buildings | Ep 328 | DevReady Podcast

    Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai welcomes Bob Sharon, Founder and CEO of Blue IoT, back to the DevReady Podcast to explore how AI, IoT and smart-building technology can create healthier, safer and more energy-efficient buildings. Bob explains how Blue IoT combines connected sensors, open-platform building management systems and specialist engineering expertise to centralise fragmented data, detect operational problems and deliver practical solutions. Their conversation covers indoor air quality, intelligent building monitoring, platform development and Blue IoT’s plans for global expansion. Bob reflects on the decision to rebuild Blue IoT’s original platform after years of learning from customers and real-world building environments. Developed on AWS, the updated platform provides greater scalability, self-service alerts, configurable priorities, user-defined permissions and customisable dashboards. It also gives teams clearer visibility into sensor connectivity, signal strength and battery performance. A configurable cooldown period prevents faulty sensors or equipment from flooding facilities teams with repeated emails and SMS alerts, helping them focus on useful information and respond to critical issues faster. The discussion also explores the importance of selecting the right connectivity for each smart-building application. LoRaWAN is well suited to low-bandwidth monitoring and controlling smaller systems, while critical infrastructure such as chillers typically requires secure, wired building management systems with reliable, low-latency connections. Bob explains that IoT is an enabler that should be selected according to the problem being solved. The true value lies in outcomes such as reduced operating costs, healthier indoor environments and more efficient facility management. Indoor air quality is a central focus of Blue IoT’s work. Bob questions whether a small number of sensors can accurately represent conditions across a large office floor, particularly when air quality can vary significantly between rooms and work areas. He shares how Blue IoT identified elevated CO₂ levels at a Gold Coast school and developed an iterative solution involving sensors, remotely controlled exhaust fans, door vents and improved airflow. The project has since contributed to research with Queensland University of Technology and Thrive IAQ, examining the relationship between classroom air quality, absenteeism and student performance. Bob also explains how Blue IoT is combining AI, machine learning, human engineering, airflow modelling and digital twins to optimise ventilation, energy, water and indoor air quality. The company’s long-term roadmap aims to establish a single source of truth across multiple building systems, enabling property owners and facilities teams to improve comfort, safety and operational performance. With the built environment contributing around 40 per cent of global carbon emissions, Bob sees a major opportunity to reduce costs and environmental impact while making public buildings, offices and shopping centres safer for everyone, including people who are immunosuppressed or living with autoimmune conditions. Looking ahead, Blue IoT is raising capital to accelerate product development and expand into the UK and European markets. Bob is particularly interested in smart investment that brings valuable connections, strategic guidance and management expertise alongside funding. His vision is grounded in commercially sustainable innovation that helps organisations improve building performance while protecting the health and wellbeing of the people who use those spaces. #DevReadyPodcast #SmartBuildings #ArtificialIntelligence #IoT #IndoorAirQuality #BuildingTechnology

  7. Sep 16

    How AI Is Transforming Customer Loyalty in Luxury Retail | Ep 327 | DevReady Podcast

    Returning to the DevReady Podcast for her second conversation with host Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, Katerina Ali, Founder of Immersifi.xyz, shares how AI-powered customer recognition and loyalty technology can transform the retail experience. She explores changing customer expectations, the continuing importance of physical stores and the need for brands to deliver personalised experiences that encourage loyalty, repeat visits and revenue growth. Katerina also discusses bootstrapping the platform, validating it through an in-store proof of concept and using real customer data to guide product development. Customer expectations across luxury retail have changed considerably since Katerina’s previous appearance. Shoppers now expect brands to recognise their loyalty, provide genuine value and deliver welcoming in-store experiences. Physical stores remain important for high-value purchases, yet queues, waiting lists and complicated buying requirements can push aspirational customers towards increasingly competitive mid-tier alternatives. As AI makes brands and products easier to discover, the quality of the customer experience becomes even more important for retention. Katerina explains how Immersifi.xyz evolved by removing blockchain features and technical jargon so the platform’s value was clearer to customers, sales associates and retail brands. The team launched a bootstrapped proof of concept with essential features, allowing them to test assumptions and respond to genuine customer behaviour. This approach produced an almost immediate 20% increase in sales, a 75% sign-up rate and a 10% rise in customer spending. It also reinforced the importance of planning software carefully and understanding the operational environment before pursuing complex integrations. Through its white-labelled loyalty community and personalised in-app communication, Immersifi.xyz helps retailers encourage repeat visits and turn average shoppers into higher-value customers. Sales associates can capture details such as upcoming anniversaries, remember important conversations and deliver more relevant service. When early technical problems began affecting the experience, Katerina paused the platform and rebuilt it. Although the pause slowed momentum, open communication helped the business regain users, attract new members and strengthen customer trust. Katerina also discusses the importance of objective decision-making, continuous market research and realistic growth expectations. Smaller retailers have provided valuable testing environments where the team can resolve issues, collect data and develop case studies before expanding to larger luxury brands. Taking the time to understand the needs of brands, sales associates and customers has helped Immersifi.xyz refine its product positioning and move closer to product-market fit. The conversation closes with practical insights into startup funding and sustainable business growth. Bootstrapping has enabled Katerina to validate the platform and approach potential investors with credible evidence, while also retaining greater control over the company’s direction. She is seeking investors who can contribute retail knowledge, strategic guidance and meaningful industry connections as Immersifi.xyz prepares to onboard more brands, generate revenue and advance the next stage of the platform. Anthony and Katerina reflect on how strong planning, informed decisions and shared founder experiences can save startups valuable time and help them build technology that customers genuinely want. #DevReadyPodcast #CustomerExperience #RetailTechnology #ArtificialIntelligence #StartupJourney #ProductDevelopment #AerionTechnologies

  8. Sep 15

    How to Build a Profitable Purpose-Driven Business | Ep 326 | DevReady Podcast

    In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew Romeo, CEO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and  Co-Founder of DevReady.Ai, speaks with Jeff Bogensberger, CEO and Founder of The Laughing Otter, about building a profitable, purpose-driven business that creates positive social impact. Jeff shares his journey through SaaS startups, technology sales and senior leadership, along with his vision for a modern entertainment brand centred on laughter, creativity and meaningful change. Their conversation explores wholesome content, sustainable business models, social investment and the evolving role of AI in content creation. Originally from Canada, Jeff moved to Melbourne after selling a startup and travelling along Australia’s east coast. A professional opportunity encouraged him to stay, and Melbourne’s lifestyle, culture and work-life balance have kept him there for nearly two decades. His earlier career spanned technology startups, Microsoft reseller partners, communications and cybersecurity, with roles ranging from business development to general management. The Laughing Otter gradually grew from Jeff’s desire to build something independently while making people’s lives better. Jeff explains how the success of Bluey demonstrates the enduring appeal of wholesome entertainment built around relatable experiences, positive relationships and humour for different generations. He believes people increasingly want uplifting content that offers relief from the outrage, fear and division found across social media and mainstream news. The Laughing Otter responds to that demand by creating inclusive content and experiences designed to help diverse audiences find happiness in their own way. The conversation also examines the difference between company valuation and genuine customer value. Jeff questions startup models built around rapid user acquisition, continual losses and dependence on external capital, while Andrew highlights how investment often follows established trends perceived as less risky. They discuss how profitable businesses can remain commercially sustainable while supporting worthwhile causes. The Laughing Otter commits at least 10 per cent of its profits to social initiatives, including a suicide prevention campaign with Promise to Live that reached 50 million views and support for children at an orphanage in Uganda. Jeff and Andrew close by exploring how AI is changing content creation and distribution. AI gives The Laughing Otter faster ways to develop ideas and reach global audiences, although Jeff remains concerned about originality, artistic experimentation and consistency. Andrew sees human creativity, judgement and refinement as essential to producing meaningful work with these tools. For Jeff, the long-term goal is to combine technology, entertainment and a profitable business model to create joy and fund positive change around the world. #DevReadyPodcast #PurposeDrivenBusiness #SocialImpact #Entrepreneurship #ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessGrowth

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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
    332
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    DevReady Podcast