How an Advisory Board Helps Founders Scale a Business and Break Growth Barriers | Ep 320 | DevReady

In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Anthony Sapountzis, CTO and Co-Founder of Aerion Technologies and DevReady.Ai, speaks with Mike Logan, Advisory Board Chairman at C7EVEN Communications and author of The Asking Leader, about advisory boards, AI adoption and sustainable business growth. Drawing on his experience as a founder, business leader and chairman, Mike explains how structured advice can help founder-led, family-owned and privately held businesses clarify their goals, strengthen leadership and turn ambitious plans into practical action. Mike outlines four foundations that shape business performance: customers, people, systems and cash flow. While many small and mid-sized businesses consider advisory boards relevant only to larger organisations, they often face the same challenges around strategy, execution, risk and compliance. A well-structured advisory board brings specialist expertise to the table, establishes measurable outcomes and helps leaders navigate expansion, acquisitions, new markets, succession and rapid growth. The conversation also explores how COVID-19 accelerated digital adoption and changed the way teams communicate and collaborate. Anthony shares how Aerion Technologies transitioned to fully remote work without reducing performance, while recognising the fatigue created by back-to-back video meetings. Digital communication platforms and AI-powered meeting transcription now help businesses preserve decisions, capture context and give teams more time for focused discussion, creative thinking and strategic work. Anthony and Mike discuss the uncertainty surrounding AI adoption, particularly among non-technical business leaders who struggle to identify useful applications. Mike shares examples of professionals building their own AI tools for recruitment automation and long-term cash flow forecasting. Rather than chasing exaggerated claims about universal prompts and workflows, they recommend experimenting with accessible tools and developing small automations that solve specific business problems. Mike explains that sustainable growth also requires founders to evolve alongside their companies. Leaders who remain deeply involved in every operational detail can become a barrier to delegation, team development and business scalability. He shares how one founder introduced an experienced CEO and specialist advisers, helping the company grow from $10 million to $50 million while the founder remained closely connected to clients and continued serving as the face of the brand. A successful advisory relationship depends on a founder’s willingness to act, adapt and accept constructive challenges. Mike uses the lessons and “scar tissue” from his own leadership journey to help clients recognise capability gaps, strengthen their decision-making and build the right leadership structure. Through disciplined strategic reviews and practical accountability, advisory boards can help founders close the gap between their current position and the business, lifestyle and legacy they want to create. #DevReadyPodcast #BusinessGrowth #AdvisoryBoards #Leadership #FounderLedBusiness #ArtificialIntelligence #BusinessAutomation #AerionTechnologies