Big episode! Brian shares the results of his launch of Instrumental Components (sales numbers, and how he's feeling). He also talks about his next project: helping devs and teams navigate how to use AI in software development and design. This episode was recorded live, with tons of folks joining us in the "panel" chat. Adam Wathan ended up joining us last-minute to talk about how he's changed is mind on AI and coding, and how AI is affecting Tailwind's business.

Timestamps:

• (02:50) - What is Instrumental Components and how has the launch been?
• (11:06) - Why not go for something big?
• (24:26) - What you hear online vs the reality of what's going on
• (29:24) - Pricing change for Instrumental Components
• (34:04) - Where Brian's going next
• (51:42) - Adam Wathan on how they're using AI
• (01:06:14) - Writing PRD for AI instead of prompt writing
• (01:09:39) - How is AI going to affect Adam's business?
• (01:24:03) - Vibe coding personal projects

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Links mentioned in this episode

• Instrumental Components - Brian's new product
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company
• Integrate Open AI and Anthropic APIs into your Rails applications (video)
• Rob Walling's Stair Step approach
• Vercel's new V0 AI tool
• Thorsten Ball's article: How to build an agent
• Mostly Technical | 85: Screencasting.com Launch Failure
• The Steve Ballmer Interview: The Complete History and Strategy
• TaskMaster AI Solutions
• Claude Code Overview
• AI Video Editor
• Figma AI Creativity
• Rand Fishkin on Marketing

Justin just got back from a big trip to London UK for the podcast industry conference, and honestly, it's got him thinking about some big thoughts about the podcasting medium. This episode starts out with an honest chat between Brian and Justin: 'How are you feeling about the podcast so far?'

Timestamps:

• (00:06) - Just the two of us
• (01:06) - The struggle with guests on a podcast
• (10:33) - What if we did it live?
• (16:46) - What's Justin been up to?
• (20:28) - How does the shift in podcasting affect Transistor?
• (24:50) - Justin's universal theory about podcasting
• (39:51) - One reason Justin is hopeful
• (43:42) - The pipeline problem is a big one for startups
• (51:19) - How could Transistor work in a video podcast world
• (57:53) - Why Justin is hopeful about Apple Podcasts

• 🎤 Send us an audio or video message
• 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com
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• 🦋 Reply on Bluesky
  

Links mentioned in this episode

• The Podcast Show
• Instrumental Components - Brian's new product
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company

Justin and Brian talk about how Brian's launch for Instrumental Components went. "Some things are way harder now that I'm older." Brian describes some of the technical challenges faced during the launch. There's also a meaty section about how much AI to use in software development (and how Brian uses it). At the end, Justin provides some feedback on Brian's pricing and marketing strategy.

Timestamps:

• (00:05) - Introduction
• (02:00) - Brian's early access launch
• (04:15) - The fear that nobody is going to buy
• (06:45) - Sass vs product
• (09:43) - How does it feel to launch a product as a solo person?
• (13:11) - Hiring vs doing it yourself + AI
• (24:20) - Are we losing the shared experience?
• (37:20) - Why are you batching invites out?
• (46:23) - The pricing decision
• (51:13) - The importance of positioning
• (55:40) - Why should this be a subscription?
• (01:04:38) - The importance of getting other people telling your story
• (01:09:23) - How to ask for social support from your people
• (01:17:16) - What's Justin up to next

• 🎤 Send us an audio or video message
• 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com
• 📺 Leave a comment on YouTube
  
• 🦋 Reply on Bluesky
  

Links mentioned in this episode

• Aaron Francis' tweet
• Adam Wathan
• How About Tomorrow?
• The REWORK Podcast
• Replit
• Statamic
• Gravity Forms
• Tailwind UI Components
• Radical Design Course
• Instrumental Components - Brian's new product
• Clarity Flow - Brian's SaaS product
• Transistor.fm - Justin's company