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 c...
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
