DevReady Podcast

Riding High in Business: Transforming Challenges into Triumphs | Ep 110 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts, Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by the guest  Milton Collins, Certified Business Coach, ActionCOACH and Managing Director, Glenbroch Pty Ltd. Join us in this insightful episode as the three explore Milton’s journey from equestrian excellence to strategic business growth.
Collins shares his remarkable journey from growing up on a rural farm to becoming an accomplished performance horse expert and international competitor. He highlights the pivotal role of coaching in refining his innate talents.
Collins also delves into his career trajectory, detailing his experience with Price Waterhouse and his passion for equestrianism. The challenge of balancing his equestrian pursuits with a burgeoning professional career led him to an innovative accounting firm in Gippsland. His contributions played a crucial part in transforming the firm into a thriving powerhouse with multiple offices and a substantial team.
Throughout the discussion, Collins emphasizes the power of strategic collaborations, the importance of client alignment, and the art of effective salesmanship. He shares insightful anecdotes of businesses navigating the pandemic successfully, transforming challenges into opportunities. Collins underscores the significance of systems, strong teams, and nurturing long-term relationships for business growth. His holistic perspective, drawing lessons from equestrianism and diverse ventures, adds a unique dimension to his coaching philosophy, emphasizing versatility and collaboration.

Democratising Fashion through Personalisation & On Demand Production | Ep 109 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our host, Anthony Sapountzis, is joined by Mira Mikosic, Founder & CEO of Simple Chic. Simple Chic is revolutionizing the fashion industry by offering an on-demand and circular marketplace that empowers women to customize their clothing experiences. With a commitment to sustainability and ethical practices, Simple Chic connects customers with independent designers and makers for tailored clothing solutions, including made-to-order pieces, alterations, upcycling, repairs, and recycling.
Mira highlights the urgent need for change within the fashion industry, addressing issues like overproduction, overconsumption, and the environmental impact of synthetic textiles. Simple Chic's approach focuses on reducing waste, advocating for natural fabrics, and addressing labor exploitation. By shifting toward a customer-centric model, the platform aligns clothing choices with individual needs and life stages, offering a more meaningful and sustainable fashion experience.
The conversation delves into the pitfalls of the profit-driven fashion industry and the rise of fast fashion brands that prioritize sales and cost-cutting over ethical practices. Mira emphasizes the necessity for industry-wide change to counter these trends. She also discusses the adverse effects of excessive consumption driven by design trends and social media influences, leading to a culture of overconsumption. Mira introduces Simple Chic's circular fashion concept, which emphasizes personalized clothing while also extending the life of garments through repairs and upcycling. The episode underscores the brand's mission to make fashion simpler, more ethical, and more resonant with individual preferences.
Topics Covered
· Eco-friendly fashion transformation
· Breaking down fast-fashion’s pricey profit paradigm
· Fashion industry and choice overload
· Sizing standards and styles
· Fashion with a purpose
· Tech-driven fashion evolution
· Customer-designed couture
· Need to empower women in fashion
· Fashion industry’s economics and ethics
Important Time Stamps
· Empowering Women and the Planet: Simple Chic's Triple-Fold Solution (0:17 – 3:15)
· Fashion's Dark Side: Profit-First Industry Exposed! (3:16 – 5:43)
· Fashion’s Vicious Cycle of Overconsumption (5:55 – 8:33)
· Fit or Miss: The Sizing Struggles We Face (9:14 – 10:56)
· Style on Demand: Mira Mikosic on Simple Chic's Sustainable Approach (10:57 – 13:14)
· Fashion x Technology: Shaping Personalized Style with Simple Chic (13:35 – 17:51)
· Fashion's New Fit: Mira Mikosic on Revolutionizing Personalization (18:15 – 20:43)
· Putting Customers in the Designer's Seat (21:54 – 25:19)
· Breaking the Mold: Quest for Inclusive Fashion (25:26 – 28:34)
· Cost of Clothing and Fashion’s Offshore Struggle (28:59 – 30:33)
· Fashion for All (30:59 – 34:30)
· From MVP to Masterpiece: Mira's Evolutionary Tech Tool (34:42 – 38:48)
· From Need to Solution: Insights into Fashion Innovation (39:35 – 42:58)
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Innovating Customer Experiences & Empowering Brands Through Ai | Ep 108 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our host, Anthony Sapountzis is joined by Santiago Santa María Morales, Product Director at NTT DATA Europe & Latam. From enhancing customer service through AI to deciphering the future of communication, this conversation is a deep dive into the world of technology innovation. Don't miss out on Santiago's insights that could reshape how we interact with brands!
Topics Covered
• Leveraging AI to Elevate Brand-Customer Connections
• Tech Evolution: From NLP to GPT-3 to Beyond!
• Improving Customer Connections through Streamlined Communication
• Secrets to Near-Perfect Service through Ai
• Crafting Hyper-Personalized Solutions
• How GPT’s Magic Works
• Inside the Ai Loop
• Emergence of Skills for Ai
• AI's Multisensory Breakthroughs
• Navigating the Digital Deception
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Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2uaqDvt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerionAuTech

Coaching, Leadership, and Tech: A Journey of Innovation with Slaven | Ep 107 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts, Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by the guest Slaven Drinovac, Managing Director, Coaching Centre, a virtual coaching platform that helps individuals and organizations achieve their goals through coaching, training, and development programs. Slaven delves into problem-solving and its relevance to his journey, unveiling the nuances of the coaching landscape and its hurdles. He addresses the paradox between recognizing coaching's benefits and the scarcity of opportunities for organizational leaders, attributing it to funding challenges. Fuelled by a passion for impactful leadership, Slaven shares his drive to democratize coaching accessibility.
The conversation navigates through the inevitable integration of technology, the iterative process of refining ideas, and the transformative power of AI in coaching. Slaven's reflections echo the evolution of his project, the pivotal role of collaboration with developers, and the valuable lesson of thorough communication. He discusses his vision for the future, outlining Coaching Centre's expansion from Australia to international landscapes while harnessing AI's potential to reshape coaching dynamics. Tune in for an insightful journey through problem-solving, coaching, and the intersection of technology and leadership.
Topics Covered
Empowering leaders through leadership coaching
Technology-powered solutions for maximum impact
Journey from concept to reality
Automating the repetitive process for efficiency gains
From simple to robust through iteration
Need for clarity and detail when communicating with developers
Future Ready: AI-Powered Coaching and Global Expansion
Important Time Stamps
Making leadership coaching accessible (0:32 – 1:47)
Future-proofing Leadership through technology (2:10 – 4:22)
From spreadsheet to innovation: Slaven’s tech journey (4:35 – 6:32)
Translating vision into tech as a non-tech founder (8:40 – 9:46)
Shaping perfection through iteration (10:05 – 11:49)
How developer discussions shape project success (11:51 – 13:10)
The power of clarity and detail (15:03 – 17:16)
The Development Playbook: lessons in effective tech engagement (17:33 – 20:05)
Elevating tech collaboration (22:29 – 26:10)
Bridging gaps with tech: AI-powered coaching and global expansion (32:30 – 34:47)
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aerion-technologies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aeriontech/
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerionAuTech
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2uaqDvt

Building and Selling a Startup to Twitter: Shanif Dhanani’s Lessons | Ep 106 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts, Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by Shanif Dhanani, Founder & ChatGPT Consultant, Locusive, a platform that provides the complete infrastructure and applications to connect your proprietary data to ChatGPT. It allows you to build Slackbots, chat servers, and other services so your employees and customers can get the most out of your data. Having founded a successful start-up, pioneering as one of the world's first mobile advertising companies, Shanif has been at the forefront of tech innovation and digital marketing. Get ready to dive into the world of data science and mobile advertising as we explore his insightful journey and valuable expertise.
Topics Covered:
The evolution of Shanif’s tech brilliance
From startup to mobile advertising powerhouse
Lessons in startup success
Tech trends and the next big thing
How AI is transforming industries with predictive technology
What founders think about ChatGPT
Leveraging ChatGPT to enhance efficiency
The impact of contextual information retrieval
Overcoming challenges like rate limits and acclimating
Important Time Stamps
A Data Geek's Rise to Mobile Advertising Stardom (1:01 – 1:58)
Building a Million Ad Request Powerhouse for Twitter (1:59 – 3:30)
Tech Success Secrets: Build, Sell, and Pivot (3:49 – 4:59)
Tech Disruption and ChatGPT: The 100 Million User Phenomenon (5:44 – 7:27)
Debunking myths & embracing possibilities with ChatGPT (8:03 – 10:41)
Optimism and excitement for ChatGPT (10:50 – 12:39)
Finding the sweet spot between people and ChatGPT (15:13 - 16:54)
How Chatbots transform business from data conversations to revenue generation (22:10 – 25:08)
Navigating the stages of ChatGPT implementation for business success (25:43 – 28:01)
Balancing visionary goals with tangible outcomes (30:30 – 33:27)
Success stories and trends in small-scale projects (33:40 – 35: 46)
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aerionTech
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aerion-technologies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aeriontech/
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2uaqDvt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerionAuTech

Redefining Content Creation with Copydash.ai | Ep 105 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts, Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by the guest JP Tucker, Co-Founder of Copydash.ai, who discusses his journey in the e-commerce space. He talks about how a need within his business led to the creation of Copydash.ai, a platform that helps businesses and brands create content 100x faster than other platforms and reduce project costs by up to 80%.
Topics Covered:
• The inspiration behind creating copydash.ai
• Challenges faced in the e-commerce space and the need for compelling content generation
• The role of AI in content creation and its impact on businesses
• Differentiating copydash.ai from other content generation platforms
• Strategies for optimizing product feeds and improving rankings
• The importance of trust and building credibility in the market
• Integration of copydash.ai with popular platforms like Shopify and WordPress
• Expansion plans and reaching out to larger e-commerce brands
• The value of local talent and minimizing turnover in tech teams
• Managing team dynamics
Social Media Clips (Time Stamps):
• Journey from a liquor business to an AI startup (0:37 – 6:30)
• Challenges in content creation and the ultimate power of user feedback (5:49 – 8:35)
• Empowering teams for success (9:20 – 11:59)
• AI as an empowering assistant (12:00 – 12:37)
• Navigating development challenges and the value of communication (12:38 – 16:58)
• Building engagement in virtual teams (17:04 - 19:33)
• How is copydash.ai different from Chat GPT? (19:35 – 21:24)
• Expanding platform integration (21:30 – 22:33)
• Overcoming the awareness barriers (23:24 – 24:13)
• What the future looks like for copydash.ai (24:23 – 27:03)
• Team dynamics and the power of values (27:16 – 28:51)
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerion_tech/
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/2Uz6CLL
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2uaqDvt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerionAuTech

The Innovation Race | Ep 104 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts, Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by Andrew Grant, Director of Tirian Innovative Solutions and the Author of two highly acclaimed books, The Innovation Race and Who Killed Creativity. Andrew recorded a three-part Creativity Series with the DevReady Podcast, centered around his book, Who Killed Creativity and, in this episode, he talks about The Innovation Race. In this book, he and Gaia Grant take the latest academic research and present it in an accessible way to make a compelling case for forging a sustainable future driven by innovation. Listen to the episode to understand how to ask critical questions like - Why do we innovate? Are we at risk of innovating for the sake of innovation? What could we be doing better? – and to know why ambidexterity is vital in leadership.
Topics Covered:
What is sustainable innovation?
The two leadership styles: exploration and preservation
Need for ambidexterity
Understanding tension and managing it well
Learning from ancient cultures
Is AI the future?
Important Time Stamps:
From uncovering creativity to decoding innovation (0:48 – 3:26)
Ambidexterity as a balance between exploration and preservation (3:37 – 6:24)
Nested dimensions of exploration and preservation (6:25 – 8:28)
Overcoming the natural bias in leaders (8:33 – 11:52)
Leaders need to balance the tension in the team (11:53 – 15:37)
Learning ambidexterity from ancient cultures (18:26 – 19:13)
Collaborative Canvas (19:31 – 22:03)
Leader needs to be purpose-driven (23:55 – 26:56)
Is the future AI? (28:24 – 33:50)
iCLi assessment (43:30 – 44:38)
Follow & Subscribe to the DevReady Podcast:
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aerion-technologies
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aeriontech/
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2uaqDvt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerionAuTech

Solving Today’s Problems to Build a Better Tomorrow | Ep 103 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by Chris Tran, Founder & Managing Partner at CapConnect; and Board of Directors at TiE. Chris talks about the Southeast Asian market and the founders' elemental role in shaping a better tomorrow by solving today's problems. Chris compares the markets in the West with the emerging market of Southeast Asia and explains how solving problems and gaining traction are essential, regardless of the market. 
Topics Covered
Chris’s work in the South East Asian Market
What founders need to consider when moving into a new market
Government’s vital role in making Singapore a tech hub
Australia’s underutilized opportunities in the tech space
Inconsistency in policies can be problematic for founders
How do the founders tap into the South East Asian market?
Understanding VCs
Why do founders succeed?
Important Time Stamps
Factors to consider when entering the South East Asian market (1:20 – 5:29)
Why is money coming to Singapore? (5:49 – 7:36)
The Australian Advantage (7:38 – 8:09)
Founders navigating the inconsistencies in policies (8:35 – 11:34)
Move towards AI? (13:36 – 15:12)
How do the founders tap into the South East Asian market? (17:06 – 19:59)
What types of start-ups/businesses are funded in Singapore? (21:13 – 23:19)
Evolution of the Fintech market in Singapore and new opportunities (23:49 – 27:20)
Market for the VCs (27:58 – 30:03)
What fuels Chris’s passion? (30:39 – 32:36)
Who are the ones that succeed? (33:55 – 35:54)
Building support for the Founder (36:39 – 39:06)
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Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerionAuTech
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Innovate for Growth | Ep 102 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis are joined by Guy Brunsdon, Founder and Managing Director of Sazoma Systems. Guy is a technologist and a product leader with global experience—from Silicon Valley (USA) to Cambridge (UK) to Australia. In this episode of the podcast, Guy talks to our hosts about his extensive networking and product management career and how he strives to help people discover and create cutting-edge products, services, and solutions from conception to launch that solve their most critical customer problems.
Topics Covered:
Background in Networking
Product Management
Sales-led growth as opposed to product-led growth
Challenges faced
The secret to Cisco’s success
Don’t find a solution that fits a problem
Focus on the discovery process
Why do products and digital transformations fail?
Jobs Theory
Systems Thinking
Important Time Stamps:
Guy’s Background and Learnings in Networking (0:56 – 4:38)
Entering the start-up space with Context Relevant (12:41 – 13:40)
Going back to Cisco (13:41 – 15:13)
Australia and product management (15:15 – 16:45)
Challenges when launching products (17:18 – 22:09)
What led to Cisco’s success?  (24:30 – 26:03)
Move from a problem space to a solution space (26:56 – 28:14)
Why do products and digital transformations fail? (30:20 – 36:07)
Systems Thinking (43:16 – 47:38)
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aeri...
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Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2uaqDvt
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AerionAuTech

Unleash the Power of Sports and Join the ‘Heros Club’ | Ep 101 | DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our hosts, Andrew Romeo and Anthony Sapountzis, are joined by Stuart Thornton, Founder of heros.xyz, a membership club of athletes and fans committed to inspiring and investing in each other. Listen in to understand Stuart’s journey—of how he co-founded hoolah (now Shopback), Asia’s omnichannel ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ ecosystem headquartered in Singapore, and how he then went on to found heros.xyz.
Topics Covered
• Stuart’s background and how hoolah was founded
• What are the elements for a start-up?
• How to form the right team at the right time?
• Understanding merchant engagement models
• Need for MVP
• Value of communicaton in a team
• How heros.xyz was founded
Important Time Stamps
• Setting up the ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ ecosystem (1:51 – 5:12)
• The Start-Up Allure (5:13 – 7:38)
• Working With the Right People at the Right Time (9:08 – 12:33)
• The Sales Process (15:21 – 19:09)
• How to Build Traction (20:51 – 22:47)
• We Made a Sale in 10 minutes (22:48 – 25:00)
• Value Communication in the Team (31:21 - 33:05)
• How heros.xyz came to be? (33:17 – 39:32)
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aeri...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aeriontech/
Apple Podcast: https://apple.co/36XdTFQ
Soundcloud: https://bit.ly/2Uz6CLL
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2uaqDvt