Business vibes
Justin vibe-coded an app 5 minutes before recording this episode. Justin and the Transistor team just got back from Banff for their annual company retreat. How do these retreats actually work? What are they good for? Brian has some pretty good signups for Builder Methods Pro memberships! (How can he keep that momentum going?) He's also juggling Agent OS customer support. Timestamps: (00:00) - Intro (00:21) - Justin's been vibe coding again (02:11) - Transistor's company retreat (14:48) - The…
Why does the same amount of effort produce wildly different results?
Brian is wondering: how do you manage a popular open source project? Justin went to Toronto and introduced his son to Adam Wathan, Wes Bos, Steve Schoger, and Caleb Porzio. Why does the same amount of effort produce wildly different results? And... is everyone getting tired of all this copycat content that's optimized for algorithms? Timestamps: (00:20) - Preview of what we're going to talk about (02:11) - Builder Methods Pro and AgentOS (03:58) - The importance of human content in an age of…
A framework for getting what you want
Justin's been using Stripe Sigma to learn a lot more about the history of revenue at Transistor. He had a phone call with Jason Cohen about how to get what you want out of your business. And Brian talks through the same frameworks to figure out what might work best for Builder Methods including exploration of courses, cohorts, community, and more. Timestamps: (00:06) - We're back! (00:59) - Brian's healthcare journey (09:36) - Deep dive into Stripe Sigma and Transistor's history (37:38) - Asking…
Should we be outsourcing customer support to AI chatbots?
Justin is wondering whether AI customer support is worth it. Brian is navigating the emotional rollercoaster of YouTube. He's wondering whether he should pursue sponsorships as a revenue stream. Brian introduces Agent OS, a new development tool designed to streamline coding processes when working with AI tooling (which got a big reaction during the live stream). Timestamps: (00:33) - Justin's experiment with AI support chat bots (15:20) - Do you want AI writing your responses? (19:06) - Trying to…
I don't love SaaS anymore
AI and programming is a hot topic, and it feels like Brian has found that "founder/audience" fit where his interests align with a wave of audience interest. He and Justin discuss their process for making YouTube videos. Justin also asks: "how do we ensure that our worst tendencies don’t bloom" when we're making products? (Founder retreats and masterminds come up). The big topic: Brian's not loving SaaS (anymore). Timestamps: (00:06) - Brian's YouTube journey (04:29) - What Brian's hoping…
What's in Justin's Buckets?
It's Justin's turn in the hot seat to talk about what he's got in his buckets: which projects make the most money? Which take the most time? Where is he focused on breaking new ground? How does Transistor, The Podcast Standards Projects, and other projects he's got going all fit together? Plus: what kind of grit, desire, and resilience do you need to actually build a company that works? Timestamps: (01:09) - Why Brian will never join your Slack (04:54) - What email client did Brian switch to? (16:56)…