The Good Stuff - Episode 29 - From Zero to Vibe Coder

In this episode, Pete and Andy dive into the world of "vibe coding" and discuss how to get someone from absolute zero to building their own applications in record time. The conversation centers around Pete's upcoming workshop at the Bitcoin Bush Bash in Busselton, where he plans to teach 20-50 people how to create customized Bitcoin wallets from scratch in just 30 minutes.

They explore the traditional barriers to learning programming—the presupposed knowledge, the friction of setup, and the intimidating complexity—and how AI tools have dramatically changed the learning landscape. The discussion touches on the asymmetry of knowledge in tech, the challenges of teaching coding to beginners, and how AI has become the non-judgmental tutor that cuts through layers of assumed expertise.

They also explore practical applications of AI tooling beyond coding, from business automation to tax preparation, and make a compelling case for why business owners in particular need to understand these tools to stay competitive.

**Timestamps:**

- 0:00 - Introduction and the value of "always be recording"

- 2:00 - The vibe coding workshop challenge: teaching Bitcoin wallet creation in 30 minutes

- 5:00 - The friction problem: terminal commands, repo cloning, and beginner barriers

- 8:00 - Why experienced developers struggle to teach: the asymmetry of knowledge

- 11:00 - How AI cut through the learning barriers and changed everything

- 14:00 - The "Hello World" drop-off problem and learning surface area

- 18:00 - Current tools still aren't normie-friendly enough for true beginners

- 25:00 - The Replit solution: web-based coding that removes installation friction

- 30:00 - AI agents and the future of automated workflows

- 35:00 - Why business owners need to attend vibe coding workshops

- 40:00 - Moving beyond ChatGPT/Claude to agent-based tools like Wingman

- 43:00 - Using AI for non-coding tasks: tax organization and business automation

- 47:00 - The future of email-based businesses and automation opportunities

- 50:00 - Closing thoughts on freeing people up for higher-value work

Good Stuff Episode 28

Pete and Andy reunite in person at City Beach to explore how AI agents are can give individuals the power to solve their own problems. From Wingman V2's evolution to the resurrection of pre-digital work practices, they discuss why treating agents like employees with their own computers might be the key to unlocking practical AI leverage without the complexity of SaaS abstractions.

0:00 Back in the van at City Beach, Perth - discussing grass, beaches, and jet lag after Madeira

2:55 Kicking off with Wingman V2 development and the importance of reading skills documentation

5:02 What is Wingman? The TLDR for new listeners on agent orchestration software

9:05 Anthropic releases Claude Code on mobile - perfect timing for Wingman's approach

10:19 The lobotomization problem and why model flexibility matters for production systems

13:29 Building processes with agents: triggers, workflows, and file-based conventions

16:12 File watchers and convention-based programming for agent coordination

18:44 The challenge of selling Wingman vs. using it to run businesses directly

21:08 Why agents are like employees: managing workload across multiple direct reports

23:30 The cloud vs. on-premises debate: putting computers in businesses, not businesses in computers

25:42 Staying involved in the process to maintain intuition and avoid costly mistakes

27:52 The last mile problem: getting from 95% to production-ready

30:09 Small vibes, many courses: iterative development with constant testing and commits

31:38 The shift from resource allocation to rapid experimentation in enterprise

34:17 Why outsourced consulting models struggle with agent-driven development

37:20 Multi-user Wingman: the philosophical question of shared vs. individual agents

39:53 Using Nostr keys for identity management in small business tools

42:10 Building Good Stuff with just two people and AI leverage

44:45 The importance of developer logs, security reviews, and daily highlight reports

48:49 Relearning structured work practices from the pre-digital era

52:07 Building Pontefex: a visual interface bridge for Claude Code web development

54:37 Why clipboard-based workflows beat complex integrations

56:07 The Excel principle: empowering people to solve their own problems with tools

The Good Stuff, with Pete and Andy - Episode 27: Lessons Learned

Hosts: Pete and Andy

Episode Overview: Pete and Andy reflect on lessons learned from months of experimentation with AI agents, coding tools, and building software. They discuss the shift from "vibe coding" to more structured approaches, the importance of shipping usable tools, and their plans for a multiplayer version of Wingman.

Key Discussion Points:

Side Quests and Experimentation (01:16-08:30)

• Andy builds a habit tracker that evolved into a doom-scrolling prevention app
• Pete experiments with media over QUIC and real-time streaming protocols
• The power of AI to remove gatekeeping from learning new technologies
• Building an Nostr-based virtual pub with spatial audio

Vibe Coding vs. Slow Coding (09:38-16:13)

• Insights from working with serious engineers on AI-assisted development
• Everyone uses AI differently - no single "vibe coding" workflow
• The importance of understanding your codebase architecture
• Moving slower to go faster: maintaining intuition while delegating implementation

Build vs. Buy: The Shopify Question (14:25-25:06)

• Andy's journey building an e-commerce site from scratch instead of using Shopify
• The value of understanding how things work vs. convenience of platforms
• Localization of software development - kids will build these things natively
• Self-reliance as a valuable use of AI-gifted time

Shipping Tools People Can Use (25:06-33:00)

• The critical lesson: put working demos in users' hands
• Plans for multiplayer Wingman to lower barriers to experimentation
• Designing the business into Wingman - mapping workflows and agents
• Testing at Bush Bash with live coding sessions

Orchestrators vs. Deterministic Processes (33:00-38:52)

• Why probabilistic orchestrator agents often fail in production
• The case for simple, deterministic workflow rules
• Left curve vs. mid curve: sometimes simpler is better
• Humans should still design the business processes

Rate Limits and Model Selection (38:52-42:43)

• Claude Haiku as a solution to usage limits
• Running agents via API for unlimited usage
• Multiplayer mode for sharing subscriptions efficiently
• The challenge of making complex technology accessible

Simplifying the Message (42:43-48:31)

• Beacon demo: focus on the "moment of magic" not the complexity
• "Solvatur Ambulando" - solve it by walking around
• Wingman's unique value: anywhere access + multiplayer agents
• Don't let ego get in the way of clear communication

AI Agents Playing Games (48:31-59:09)

• Using game environments to test model performance for business applications
• Games as sandboxes for learning resource allocation and strategic thinking
• Beyond single-agent approaches: teams of specialized agents
• General Catalyst's investment in gaming arenas for model testing

Multiple Minds Per Task (55:13-01:01:38)

• Humans have multiple personalities for different contexts
• Agents may need similar specialization to avoid being overwhelmed
• File-based handoffs between agents as a clean interface
• The power of forcing agents to document their reasoning

"Mid curve me is just like 'oh I've been so clever' - but that's not for the person on the other end that wants to look at it."