In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis welcomes back Gareth Rydon, Co-Founder of Friyay.ai, for his fourth appearance on what’s fast becoming a regular monthly AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... catch-up. Gareth, a seasoned product strategist and startup advisor with a passion for practical AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... adoption, brings his signature insight and candour to a wide-ranging discussion. From hands-on use cases with Claude’s Gmail and Calendar integration to big-picture reflections on education, disruption, and the future of work, this episode offers something for tech leaders, builders, and business owners navigating the evolving AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... landscape.
The conversation kicks off with Gareth sharing a “discovering fire” moment using Claude’s integration with Gmail and Google Calendar. Despite its limitations, the tool’s ability to categorise emails, find calendar gaps, and prioritise tasks significantly enhanced his productivity. This led into a broader discussion on how businesses are moving away from rigid, custom-built systems in favour of exploring AI-native capabilities within existing platforms like ChatGPT. Gareth and Anthony both highlight the need for teams to simply spend time using these tools, discovering how features like web search integration or native assistant functionalities can streamline daily work.
They also dive into the rising importance of making digital content discoverable by AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... agents. As Gareth explains, businesses must begin optimising their web presence not just for Google SEO, but for what he calls “agent search”, ensuring tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity can extract, understand, and act on their content. Despite this being a clear gap in the digital marketing space, few agencies are actively tackling it. Anthony shares strategies around structured data and schema markup, reinforcing that the early adopters of agent optimisation will have a distinct advantage, at least before the landscape becomes monetised and competitive.
The episode then shifts to Model-Connected Plugins (MCPs) and how small businesses can tap into their potential without needing to code. Using examples like Shopify or Stripe integrations, Anthony explains how AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... assistants can act on behalf of business owners by interacting directly with their tools. Gareth notes that this evolution in tech is empowering everyday people to take ideas further, faster; especially when combined with user-friendly automation tools like N8N. As he puts it, the time to get fluent with prompting and working alongside your digital assistant is now, not later.
In lighter but equally eye-opening moments, Gareth describes an experiment where he got different AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... models: ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini—to critique each other’s writing. The resulting “prompt battle” showed just how rapidly these models are evolving and improving. From there, the conversation deepens into AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... safety, with references to new guardrails in Claude, and even reports of companies preparing “AGI bunkers” to protect research teams. Both speakers agree that while we’re far from true Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), the trajectory is steep and public trust will hinge on how responsibly this tech is developed.
The discussion wraps with a thoughtful look at how AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... is reshaping education, creativity, and economic opportunity. Referencing a post by Darren Coxon, Gareth questions the ROI of traditional degrees in an era where AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... can teach and guide learners for a fraction of the cost. He and Anthony reflect on outdated university curricula, the skill of “learning to learn”, and the future of work, from developers to labourers, facing increasing automation. With AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... tools flooding the market and even Amazon capping eBook uploads due to AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... content overload, Gareth ends with a grounded reminder: focus on what you can control today. Try one thing. Switch on an integration. Ask better questions. And above all, keep learning.
Topics Covered
- Using Claude’s Gmail and Google Calendar integration for productivity
- Transition from custom-built workflows to native AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... tool features
- The rapid evolution and redundancy of AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... tools
- Optimising websites for AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... agent discoverability (“Agent Search” / Generative Engine Optimisation)
- Misconceptions about prompting AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... for brand visibility
- Leveraging MCP servers for AI-powered automation in small businesses
- Prompt battles: comparing outputs from ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini
- AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... safety, security levels, and ethical concerns around AGI
- The value of university degrees in an AI-driven world
- Staying grounded and building practical AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... capability amidst rapid change
Important Time Stamps
- This AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... Tool Reads Your Emails and Plans Your Week (0:07 – 4:26)
- Forget Custom Builds—This Is the New Way to Use AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... at Work (4:27 – 9:55)
- SEO Is Out. AEO (Agent Engine Optimisation) Is In. (9:56 – 17:50)
- How Small Businesses Can Automate Big Tasks with AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through... (17:51 – 27:28)
- Claude vs ChatGPT vs Gemini: Who Writes It Best? (27:29 – 33:29)
- Would You Pay £130K for a Degree or $32 for ChatGPT? (33:30 – 41:48)
- Feeling Overwhelmed by AIArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a very large and broad spectrum of technologies which most people would be familiar with through...? Start Here. (41:49 – 45:00)
