DevReady Podcast

Bridging Climate and Finance: The Startup Turning Carbon Metrics into Money | Ep 245 | DevReady Podcast

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

Startups, You're Doing Security Wrong. Here's the Smarter Cheaper Way to Fix It | Ep 244 | DevReady Podcast

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

Behind the Automation Curtain: What Businesses Get Wrong and Right | Ep 243 | DevReady Podcast

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.
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#Automation #AI #DigitalTransformation #BusinessGrowth #Podcast #LowCode #CyberSecurity #Innovation

From Deloitte to Disruptor: How Brittany Fox Built a Startup in 12 Weeks | Ep 242 | DevReady Podcast

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

Why Most AI Tools Fail And How to Actually Use Them in Your Business | Ep 241 | DevReady Podcast

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

Build a Month of Marketing Content in Minutes with Deborah Szabo’s Blueprint | Ep 240 | DevReady Podcast

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

Stop Wasting Time on Auth & Billing and Build What Matters with Kinde | Ep 239 | DevReady Podcast

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

Why Ignoring AI Could Cost You Your Career and How to Prevent It! | Ep 238 | DevReady Podcast

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

Community, Curiosity and Closing Deals: Lessons from a Serial Connector | Ep 237 | DevReady Podcast

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

Why Most AI Startups Are Faking It and What Actually Works | Ep 236 | DevReady Podcast

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