Good Stuff Podcast

The Good Stuff, with Pete and Andy - Episode 9: Tools, Tools, Tools Hosts: Pete and Andy (with bonus ambient drum and bass from a nearby camper van) We dive deep into the practical tools we're using for AI development, exploring the difference between AI as tools versus human-at-the-edge workflows, and discussing the technical complexity of building local AI systems. Key Discussion Points: The Cold Open: Screen Time and Digital Minimalism (00:00-05:52)** Pattern Matching vs. Reasoning in AI (07:00-17:20) Apple's recent paper questioning whether LLMs truly "reason" or just do sophisticated pattern matchingHow thinking models workThe relationship between human thought and AI pattern matchingHow AI systems handle novel problems and the role of entropy AI Tools in Practice (18:50-32:00) Why Cursor has gained such traction compared to alternativesThe importance of context management and local file accessPete's experience with OpenAI's Codex vs. local tools like Cline and CursorThe dopamine feedback loops that make certain tools more engaging Local vs. Cloud AI Systems (30:00-40:00) The benefits of running AI systems locally rather than in web appsAvoiding the complexity of SaaSHow local processing leverages your computer's existing power and storageThe privacy advantages of keeping personal data on your own machine Memory and Knowledge Graphs (38:52-50:00) The limitations of basic RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) systemsIntroduction to graph RAG systems that provide richer contextHow Stakwork uses self-improving graph databases for better AI performanceThe importance of solving the "memory problem" for effective AI systemsLLMs as translation layers between human language and structured data Personal Knowledge Graphs (50:00-58:00) Pete building a personal knowledge graph systemUsing Docker containers and API interfaces for local AI developmentThe challenge of managing context across multiple AI tools and workflowsBethan's book "The Human Edge" Building AI Systems: Technical Complexity (58:00-01:10:00) How accessible it is for non-developers to build AI systems with current toolsThe "slow code" approach: treating development as a learning experienceApply Git liberally!Andy's experiments with N8N for workflow automation and content creation pipelines Workflow Automation vs. Autonomous Agents (01:16:00-01:22:00) Comparing deterministic workflows to autonomous agentsWhy most business tasks are better suited to static workflowsThe role of humans in AI systems: providing intent and experienceEnumeration vs. abstraction: building specific workflows rather than trying to create universal solutions Development Stack and Tools (01:13:00-01:16:00) Pete's current toolkit: Cline, Visual Studio, O3, Claude, Codex, Code, Personal Graph....Plans for a local Nostr-based ebook reader with cross-device syncingPaying for all the tools! Conspiracy Corner: Moon Mysteries and Dead Internet Theory (01:25:00-01:35:00) Discussion of moon landing anomaliesDead Internet Theory and how algorithms shape both content creation and consumptionThe decline of film qualityAI-generated content and the future of creativity Key Quotes: "The job of the LLM isn't to be everything... what LLMs are specifically good at is translating stuff into and out of human language" "The price of bullshit is also dropping to zero" "We're not here to raise low agency children!" "Everyone loves a sausage!"

The Good Stuff, with Pete and Andy - Episode 8: The Golden Age of Entrepreneurship Pete and Andy explore how AI is creating unprecedented opportunities for entrepreneurship and individual agency, examining both the positive transformations and personal risks in this transitional period. Key Discussion Points: Opening & Technical Difficulties (00:00-05:53) The boys lost their "finest podcast ever recorded" due to technical issues! Learning to Code with AI (08:40-23:40) Andy shares his journey learning to code: Moving beyond "vibe coding" to intentional learning through project-based approachUsing AI as a technical co-founder and mentor rather than just automationStructured methodology: Planning with Claude, building with Cursor, reviewing and iteratingThe importance of staying involved in the process rather than abdicating to AI The "Super Fast Waterfall" Development Process (18:50-22:00) Pete introduces the concept of AI-enabled development methodologyAI excels when given structured frameworks rather than open-ended tasks Permissionless Leverage and the Golden Age (36:40-45:20) Dramatic reduction in barriers to experimentation and starting businessesFrom needing teams, technical co-founders, and investor capital to solo executionShift from audience-of-millions to audience-of-one business models Challenging Traditional Startup Wisdom (45:20-48:40) Critique of Andreessen Horowitz founders' claim that small businesses are "meaningless" Rejection of the scale-equals-significance mentality- Benefits of lower capital requirements and venture-scale returns not being necessaryPersonal fulfillment vs. world-dominating ambitions The World of Abundance (48:40-55:00) Drawing parallels to the Industrial Revolution: AI as a deflationary force similar to mass production- The Value Trap creating financial incentives for disruption Competition eventually driving prices down and creating abundance Humans as Experience and Observers (55:00-62:20) Philosophical discussion on the human role in an AI-driven world: Humans provide the "qualia" - the conscious experience AI lacksPeople identify problems and improvements while AI handles executionRenaissance-style revival where economic abundance enables pursuit of meaningful work Personal Financial Risk in the Transition (62:20-72:00) Major concerns about individual exposure during the AI transition: 30-year mortgages as problematic in uncertain employment landscapeRising interest rate environment making debt service more expensiveThe risk of being heavily leveraged without personal runway Blue-Collar vs White-Collar Displacement (72:00-75:00) Short-term risks in traditional "safe haven" industries: White-collar displacement potentially flooding entry-level tradesImportance of finding unique personal value propositions Creating for Yourself, Not Audiences (75:00-End) Drawing from Rick Rubin's creative philosophy: The value of non-commercial creative pursuits- AI enabling leisure and space for meaningful creative workYour job becomes experiencing life and improving its sharp edges for others Key Insights: "This is a renaissance for entrepreneurs. If you're entrepreneurial minded, this is just a huge, an amazing time to be alive." "The cost of experimentation has just dropped precipitously and that is in general good for society." "Your job is to experience life and to realise where the sharp edges are and to improve them for everybody else."** Bottom Line: AI represents the greatest opportunity for individual agency and entrepreneurship in generations, but success requires intentional engagement with the technology rather than passive adoption, while carefully managing personal financial risk during the transition period.

The Good Stuff, with Pete and Andy - Episode 7: Rise of the Generalist Hosts: Pete and Andy (recording at City Beach, Perth) Episode Overview: In this episode, the hosts discuss automating their podcast production pipeline and explore how AI is changing knowledge work. They examine the impact of AI on jobs, explaining how it gradually automates tasks at a "subatomic" level rather than replacing entire roles immediately. The conversation delves into effective strategies for working with AI coding tools, the future of work, and why generalists with adaptable skills may thrive in an AI-powered economy. ------ Podcast Production Automation (00:55 - 03:35)- The hosts describe automating their podcast production workflow- Their system handles audio processing, transcription, and content generation- AI tools generate show notes, article summaries, and identify potential clips- The goal is to streamline marketing efforts without manual interventionContent Generation at Scale (03:35 - 06:07)- Discussion of how automated processes save hours of manual work- Possibility of using voice cloning technology - Creating purpose-built content for different platforms from source materialKnowledge Capture in Organizations (06:07 - 10:44)- Applying similar automation techniques to organizational knowledge management- Capturing and sharing discussions across an organization- Using knowledge graphs to store company information- Creating personalized content delivery based on preferencesAI for Problem-Solving (10:44 - 15:25)- Challenging the criticism that AI can't solve novel problems- Discussion of Pablo's "Tenex agent framework" for problem-solving (⁠

Primal

Live Free

Importance of allowing AI time to work through complex problems- Comparison to human problem-solving processes that also require trial and errorAI's Impact on Jobs (23:30 - 31:20)- Examining how AI impacts jobs at a "subatomic" task level- Discussion of why people don't see their jobs as replaceable- Second-order effects of partial job automation (consolidation, wage impacts)- Historical context of technological disruption and job displacementFuture of Work in an AI Economy (31:20 - 38:35)- Debate on what jobs might remain protected from automation- Potential government responses (regulation, UBI, job programs)- Economic impacts like tax base erosion and inflation*- The shift to generalist skills in uncertain environmentsEffective AI Coding Techniques (57:30 - 1:08:00)- Strategies for working effectively with AI coding tools- Using a sequential approach rather than one-shot generation- The importance of planning before coding- Having Claude as a "project manager" while using Cursor for implementation- Balancing speed with understanding and control "Your job isn't a whole, it's 200 sub-jobs... and any one of them is automatable already given time and tooling"

The Good Stuff, with Pete and Andy - Episode 6: You Can Just Learn Things Hosts: Pete and Andy (recording at City Beach, Perth in their van) Episode Overview: Pete and Andy explore how AI is transforming education and learning, discussing the future education, the power of self-directed learning, what kids should be learning and how AI can positively impact high-quality personalized education. AI and the Future of Learning (02:50-05:43) Discussion about what kids should study in a rapidly changing job market Pete's children are developing entrepreneurial skills with AI support The "Teddy Fashion Boutique" business Pete's daughter has created Exploring game development with AI for Pete's son's tabletop gaming interests Rethinking Traditional Education (05:43-10:30) Critique of the industrial-era "assembly line" approach to education The importance of play-based and child-led learning approaches How AI can enable a shift from classroom instruction to personalized mentoring Questioning the value of traditional education when information costs approach zero Personal Learning Journeys with AI (10:30-16:17) Coding with AI assistanceHow AI provides the patience and personalization needed to build learning momentum The importance of having projects you're motivated to build rather than abstract learning The Intelligent Assembly Line of Education (16:17-20:30) School structure mimics industrial assembly linesAI allows for removing the time constraints on educationLearning can become more ad-hoc and follow natural curiosityEducation doesn't need to be confined to specific years in a person's life Learning Through Knowledge Graphs (47:56-52:13) Using AI to break down courses into concepts, topics and abstractionsCreating a "map" of both what exists to be learned and what a person knowsNavigating a personalized learning path from current knowledge to desired knowledgeAI can identify the optimal path through connected concepts for each individual Purpose and Agency in Learning (34:40-37:40) Will AI force people to rediscover purpose beyond jobs?The relationship between agency and purpose?AI as a catalyst for pursuing learning aligned with personal interests Democratizing High-Quality Education (52:13-56:33) How AI can provide the benefits of one-to-one tutoring at scaleUsing AI to create personalized explanations at appropriate complexity levelsThe value of learning in context rather than in the abstractCreating immersive, engaging learning experiences tailored to individual interests Credentialism vs. Learning (01:01:56-01:15:03) Questioning the value of credentials in a world of commoditized expertiseThe shift from credential-based systems to meritocracyThe permissionless nature of learning with AI vs. permission-based traditional education "You Can Just Learn Things" (01:11:12-01:15:06) The democratizing power of AI in allowing anyone to learn anythingNo need to wait feor permission or formal instruction to pursue knowledgeHow to use AI tools effectively for learning (even without sophisticated tooling)The inevitable bifurcation between those who embrace self-directed AI learning and those who don't Memorable Quotes: "You can just learn things." (01:11:24)"The beauty of play is it doesn't feel like work." (30:44)"We spent most of our adult lives trying to track back to that childlike creativity." (31:04)"I think education is going to change quite drastically." (01:01:30)"It doesn't matter what we say to differentiate ourselves in a market. It's more about what we build and how we prove out the values we want to operate by." (09:27)

The Good Stuff, with Pete and Andy - Episode 5: Billy Big Models Hosts: Pete and Andy (recording at City Beach, Perth) Episode Overview: Pete and Andy challenge the belief that more advanced AI models are needed for business transformation, arguing existing models are already sufficient to achieve dramatic cost reductions. They explore frameworks for AI implementation and why businesses should act now rather than waiting for future developments. Agriculture Mechanization as an AI Parallel (03:40-06:42) Before mechanization: 10 farm workers needed to feed 1 person; after: 1 farmer feeds 100+ Similar dramatic workforce changes could occur in knowledge sectors with AI The "Billy Big Models" Concept (11:06-15:10) Central question: Do we need more advanced AI models for business transformation?Pete argues we don't need models better than what existed 9-12 months agoChallenging the industry narrative focused on larger models and AGI Augmentation vs. Agentic Approaches (18:12-22:00) Augmentation: Using AI tools to enhance existing human jobs (current focus)Agentic: Completely rewiring business processes on an "AI native" standardThe distinction between "assist" vs. "automate" approaches Task Decomposition as the Key (23:22-25:55) Breaking down jobs into "subatomic" tasks is crucialEach agent only needs to do one small task well, not an entire job100 simple agents is exponentially easier than creating one complex agentHuman tasks ($100) → LLM tasks ($10) → silicon/code tasks ($1) Traditional Business Model Problems (29:10-32:38) Companies adding AI as "tool creep" rather than rethinking from first principlesPursuing 5-15% efficiency gains when competitors might achieve 90% cost reductionProcesses designed around humans remain expensive even with AI tools E-commerce Parallel to AI Transformation (35:44-39:12) Limited approach: existing stores simply adding websites (e.g., Myer)Transformative approach: complete rethinking (e.g., Warby Parker)Question of whether incumbents will be displaced by AI-native businesses Obstacles to Business Transformation (43:56-49:57) Lack of understanding about AI implementation approachesInsufficient intent, time, and money to transform operationsMiddle management's disincentives to reduce team sizeWaiting for "AGI" as an excuse for inaction The "Learn to Surf" Analogy (53:28-55:51) Business transformation requires reading patterns like a surferTechnology shifts as waves that businesses must learn to rideThe ocean/wave is more powerful than you - you must adapt to it Agency as the New Competitive Advantage (56:46-01:00:02) High-agency individuals will benefit most in the next 5-10 yearsAgency may become "the new IQ" for harvesting opportunityThe need for adaptability rather than rigid expertise Advancements Beyond Bigger Models (01:03:40-01:10:45) Recent key advancements weren't bigger models but new techniques:Multi-agent architectures mirroring how teams of people approach problems. Notable Quotes: "If you're sat around waiting for AGI and AGI takes 10 years, and right now I can take 80% of the cost out of a business line, I will crush you in the market.""What would this process look like if I now had unlimited access to intelligence?""Agency is going to be the new IQ. That's the standard for harvesting opportunity."

Good Stuff 04 - The Intelligent Assembly Line (audio) Pete Winn, Andy David Pete and Andy explore how AI will transform business processes through "The Intelligent Assembly Line" - breaking down complex knowledge work into smaller, automatable components. This episode examines how AI is shifting business processes from human-centered to human-at-the-edge, and having a similar impact as Henry Ford's assembly line.