DevReady Podcast

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, sits down with returning guest Dr Simon Skalicky, Senior Glaucoma & Cataract Surgeon, Director & Principal Associate at Eye Surgery Associates, Founder & CMO of Eyeonic, researcher, academic, and healthtech entrepreneur. Dr Simon shares how his passion for improving patient outcomes led him from ophthalmology into software development, artificial intelligence, and medtech innovation. The conversation explores the future of digital health, AI-powered diagnostics, healthcare entrepreneurship, and the challenges of bringing regulated medical technology to a global market. This episode offers valuable insights for founders, healthcare professionals, software developers, and anyone interested in how technology can improve access to healthcare and prevent avoidable blindness. Dr Simon's journey into technology began with a simple observation from clinical practice. While treating glaucoma patients, he repeatedly heard complaints about the traditional visual field test used to diagnose and monitor the disease. Recognising that patient discomfort could negatively affect both participation and diagnostic accuracy, he started exploring ways to redesign the experience using software and game-inspired interactions. At the same time, his research highlighted a significant global challenge, with millions of people living with undiagnosed glaucoma despite effective treatments being available. These insights became the foundation for Eyeonic, a digital vision testing platform that has now delivered more than 45,000 tests across over 80 countries and supports 29 languages. The discussion also explores the realities of building a healthcare technology company from the ground up. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr Simon taught himself programming and developed an early minimum viable product, refining the software through direct patient feedback and clinical testing. As the product matured, support from industry mentors, Microsoft's startup ecosystem, and a growing team of specialists helped transform the prototype into a commercially deployable medical device. Along the way, he navigated complex challenges including cybersecurity, software architecture, regulatory approvals, quality management systems, and compliance requirements across multiple international markets. Anthony and Dr Simon discuss the importance of assembling strong teams, sharing a compelling vision, and recognising the value of diverse perspectives. As Eyeonic expanded internationally, gaining adoption among clinicians often proved more challenging than securing regulatory approval. Building trust, understanding cultural differences, and working closely with local healthcare leaders became essential components of the company's growth strategy. Dr Simon reflects on how collaboration across disciplines, countries, and cultures has played a significant role in helping Eyonic scale globally while maintaining clinical credibility. Artificial intelligence is another major theme throughout the conversation. Dr Simon explains how AI-assisted development tools are accelerating innovation and helping teams experiment, prototype, and iterate more quickly than ever before. At the same time, he highlights the need for strong governance frameworks, intellectual property protection, cybersecurity safeguards, and regulatory oversight when deploying AI within healthcare environments. Anthony and Dr Simon also examine whether aspiring developers should learn traditional programming fundamentals before relying on AI coding tools, agreeing that a solid understanding of software architecture, planning, data structures, and code review remains essential for building reliable systems. Looking ahead, Dr Simon is focused on expanding Eyeonic's international presence while developing a broader suite of AI-powered eye care solutions. He envisions a future where pa

Michael Meyer, Founder and Neurodivergent Leader at M31 Consulting, returns to the DevReady Podcast, with host, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai,, for a thought-provoking discussion on leadership, artificial intelligence, innovation, and the growing importance of divergent thinking in modern business. Drawing on insights from his book Weird Is the New Normal: The Unlikely Path of Leadership and his work helping organisations navigate change, Michael explores how technology is reshaping leadership and creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs, founders, and business leaders. This episode offers practical insights into AI adoption, business growth, neurodiversity in leadership, organisational change, and the skills required to thrive in an increasingly technology-driven world. Michael reflects on the often invisible nature of technology, where users experience seamless digital products without seeing the complex systems, infrastructure, and expertise that make them possible. He shares how the success of his book inspired him to expand the reach of M31 Consulting through an AI-powered platform featuring a digital twin of himself, providing on-demand access to leadership guidance and frameworks. The conversation explores how AI is making innovation more accessible, allowing founders and entrepreneurs to test ideas, automate repetitive work, and accelerate business growth while still relying on human judgement for strategy, scaling, and long-term decision-making. A major theme throughout the episode is the rise of divergent thinking as a competitive advantage in the modern economy. Michael explains the differences between divergent and convergent thinking styles, highlighting how creativity, curiosity, strategic foresight, and adaptability are becoming increasingly valuable as automation takes over routine tasks. Using examples from influential business leaders and technology pioneers, he demonstrates how organisations benefit when different thinking styles work together, combining innovation, structure, execution, and risk management to navigate rapid change and uncover new opportunities. The discussion also examines how technology-driven principles such as Agile thinking, experimentation, continuous improvement, and adaptability can be successfully applied beyond the software industry. Michael shares examples of businesses that have transformed traditional industries by embracing technology, automation, and customer-focused innovation. He argues that meaningful change requires leadership support from the top of an organisation and that businesses willing to challenge established ways of working are better positioned to improve efficiency, increase profitability, and remain competitive in fast-changing markets. Anthony and Michael conclude by exploring the evolving role of leaders as generalists who understand enough about every area of their business to create accountability, evaluate outcomes, and make informed decisions. From marketing and technology to operations and people management, leaders need a broad perspective to connect strategy with execution. The conversation highlights the value of curiosity, experimentation, and lifelong learning, while emphasising the importance of creating environments where people can work to their strengths. Together, they make the case that organisations achieve stronger results when they empower diverse thinkers, encourage innovation, and support individuals in doing their best work. #DevReadyPodcast #Leadership #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Innovation #Neurodiversity #NeurodivergentLeadership #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #Technology #DigitalTransformation #AerionTechnologies