On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, our host Anthony Sapountzis welcomes back Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai and a seasoned expert in human-centred design and AI-led innovation. Gareth brings his strategic perspective shaped by years of experience helping businesses integrate generative AI into a fifth monthly update (and sixth podcast appearance) filled with practical insights, real-world use cases, and refreshing candour. As an advisor and speaker in the AI space, and someone deeply embedded in helping organisations rethink the way they work, Gareth offers a compelling look at how the latest tools are reshaping productivity, collaboration, and even tax season.

Gareth kicks things off by spotlighting Whispr Flow, a voice-first tool that’s completely reshaped his digital workflow. With near-total abandonment of the keyboard, Gareth shares how he now navigates across platforms and communicates with AI agents using only his voice, freeing up time and dramatically streamlining tasks. Anthony explores similar shifts in his own habits, describing how he’s integrated Gemini into both his Android phone and Galaxy Watch to support hands-free interaction. Their conversation reflects a wider transformation in how professionals are leveraging multimodal AI tools in day-to-day life, especially for ideation, task management, and even parenting on the go.

From there, the pair dig into the importance of clarity and intentionality when working with powerful AI agents like ChatGPT, Claude, and Lovable. Gareth emphasises that users should treat these tools less like magic buttons and more like collaborators, approaching them the same way you’d guide a junior team member. By clearly defining a desired outcome, users avoid getting lost in suggestion spirals and instead co-create solutions that are actually fit for purpose. Gareth shares a useful prompt: ask the AI to act like a product manager and help you gather requirements. This approach, they agree, aligns closely with DevReady.ai | AI-Powered App Planning for Non-Tech Founders ’s mission of planning smarter, not just building faster.

In an era where low-code and no-code solutions are proliferating, Gareth and Anthony reflect on the continued (and growing) demand for skilled engineers, particularly those who can bring products through to commercialisation. While founders can now prototype faster than ever, they explore the need for hybrid workflows that blend rapid iteration with robust development standards. This leads to a valuable discussion on how to manage shared codebases between technical and non-technical collaborators, maintain quality and security, and ensure products can scale effectively in production environments.

The episode rounds out with a brilliant real-world use case: Gareth’s AI-powered tax return workflow, a shining example of what’s possible when tools like Claude and Gemini are used creatively. Without maintaining a spreadsheet all year, he leveraged contextual prompting to build a dynamic tracking system, recover forgotten deductions, and extract travel data from Gmail and calendar entries. The outcome? A faster, smarter, and more comprehensive tax submission. Gareth uses this case to advocate for process-first thinking in automation, reminding listeners that true productivity comes not from the tools themselves, but from how clearly we define our desired outcomes before inviting AI in.

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