From Musician to Developer & Low-Code Agency CEO – with Austin Reed
Episode Summary:
Join us as Austin Reed, CEO of Horizon Dev, shares his entrepreneurial journey from being a full-time musician and digital nomad to building a thriving development agency focused on low-code and no-code automation. Austin opens up about scaling Horizon Dev, landing dream clients like VRF, building a vibrant Skool community, and navigating the personal challenges of identity, resilience, and leadership along the way.
What You Will Learn:
How Austin transitioned from music and freelancing to leading a global dev agency.
The evolution of outbound prospecting and why branding often wins over cold outreach.
Key no-code/low-code tools and their tradeoffs for businesses and developers.
Insights into scaling a business with long-term client relationships and MRR stability.
The mindset shifts and personal growth required to sustain entrepreneurial success.
Featured Guest: Austin Reed – CEO of Horizon Dev.
Host: Ben Reed, host of the Next Gen Sales Leaders Podcast.
Episode Highlights:
[00:01:00] Building Horizon Dev: From musician and nomad to tech CEO.
[00:03:30] Branding vs. Outbound: Why Austin shifted from cold outreach to long-term brand and content strategies.
[00:08:10] Skool Community: Teaching no-code/low-code automation to founders & devs.
[00:26:00] Martial Arts & Mindset: How Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu shaped resilience.
[00:32:00] The Automation Stack: N8N, Zapier, Make, and Lovable.
[00:44:00] Ecosystems & Psychology: Why some tools win despite better options.
[00:52:00] Identity & Burnout: Learning to let go and grow as a leader.
[01:14:00] Meditation & Surrender: Vipassana retreats and emotional awareness.
[01:23:00] Final Reflections: Empowering teams and clients to chase their dreams.
Connect with Austin:
Website: https://horizon.dev
YouTube: / @horizonsoftwaredev
LinkedIn: / automationsexpert
Follow Ben on Social:
LinkedIn: / benjamin-aaron-reed
Join our FREE Group "NextGen Sales Systems:" https://tinyurl.com/next-gen-skool
Centralize & Analyze Your GTM Data: https://revyops.com