Brian Casel

We make 2 big announcements about changes to The Panel. Then we debate whether there's a founder branding advantage and how AI will affect small software teams in 2026. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode: Bootstrapped Web Marketing for Developers A Mexican standoff Happening in AI The five stages of losing our craft Justin is the co-founder of Transistor.fm Brian is the founder of Builder Methods Jordan is the co-founder of Rosie

Important: we're no longer livestreaming on Justin's personal YouTube channel. Make sure you're subscribed to ​The Panel's channel​ to get notified when we go live: Subscribe to The Panel YouTube here --> Join us FRIDAY (tomorrow, Feb 20) at 11 AM Pacific (2 pm EST) for a surprise announcement: https://www.youtube.com/live/sxASjnzAYkw We'll be announcing: - A new ███████ ██████ ████ - And a brand new ████ ███████ - New livestream/recording time: Friday, 11 am Pacific - Livestreams will now be streamed from ​The Panel YT channel​, not Justin's personal channel

Brian and Justin jump off Matt Shumer's "Something Big is Happening" article to ask questions like is something big happening in AI that even regular folks need to be preparing for? Is this the most important year of your work as a software developer? Should you be getting your financial house in order to prepare for what's about to hit us all? Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode: Justin's snowboard adventure in Revelstoke "Something Big is Happening" – The viral Matt Shumer article (76M views) Matt Shumer's blog Matt Shumer's company (HyperWrite) "Tool Shaped Objects" – The response to Shumer's post Justin's new RSS feed Builder Methods video library (Claude Code course) Moneyball: "Adapt or die" clip Justin's post on XSLT going away

Come meet the crew of AI agents Brian has working for him, Justin's building fake apps to experiment and find out what he wants for real apps, and why don't we feel like we can relax now that we're doing ok? Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode: OpenClaw (Clawdbot) Brian’s crew of AI agents that live on his Mac Mini OpenClaw popularity on GitHub over time Demo of Justin’s video hosting app The story of how Freshbooks created a fake company to launch a new version of their product Caleb Porzio - Everything I feel about AI right now Jeffrey Way - I'm done Adam Wathan - ui.sh

Jordan Gal joins The Panel to get some thoughts out about how software development feels like it's shifted since the holiday break, the lowering cost of making a mistake, how his team has to get ready for the new AI first workflow, marketing in the age of AI, and what happens to funding startups when anyone can build the app? Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode: ✨ Rose AI 👤 Jordan Gal 🛠️ Langdock AI 🐦 Adam Wathan & Tailwind Sponsors 💡 DHH on AI Agents 🔨 Builder Methods (Build with AI) 🎙️ Transistor.fm (podcast hosting)

Now that the holiday break is over, how are we feeling about 2026? We're talking about the new ideas we have to build or work on, as well as predictions for 2026 in AI, building, normal tech usage, and social media. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode: Marketing for Developers Ghost CMS Technical knowledge to build an app Acquired 10th anniversary Acquired sponsorship rates Adam's morning walk episode Adam's tweet Brian's Claude Code course Claude Skills / Design World

We're looking back at what our thoughts were about 2025, and scheming ideas and plans for 2026. How do you hand over decision making in your business in an AI world? How does remote work first affect junior developers? And do you panic when sales slow down? Adjust? Rethink everything? Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode: Bootstrapped Web | 2025 recap & 2026 outlook Design OS Adam Wathan Chris Enns / 🍋 Tuple Taylor Otwell Obsidian  Every ONCE  Lars Lofgren Marketing for Developers

Justin shares his thoughts on competition crushing his business, Brian contemplates open sourcing an idea for front end AI tooling, and when should you run with a new idea vs knowing when to drop it. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Adam’s morning walk podcast Brian’s personal site Brian’s DesignOS announcement 37signals Fizzy Nathan Barry “Leave some value on the table” Tailwind CSS Insiders Rework podcast “picking a price”

Brian and Justin discuss the recent launch of Filterhawk, which Brian built to replace Gmail's built-in filters. They also talk about SaaS marketing strategies (which channels still work?). Justin shares some initial numbers from the Black Friday sale. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode FilterHawk – Take Control of Your Gmail Inbox Inertia.js shadcn/ui Claude Cursor Google Gemini superwhisper Wispr Flow Improving frontend design through Skills | Claude Hatchbox.io Forge Rewardful Stripe Sigma Panic – Nova Google Antigravity From AI skeptic to UNFAIR advantage – YouTube How remote work changed my life Podscan.fm

Brian and Justin are joined by a surprise guest: Nadav Keyson, founder of Riverside. We had an impromptu conversation about how Riverside launched (and found traction), the impact of funding (vs bootstrapping), how Navad thinks about competition, and whether he thinks having investors leads to more stress. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Riverside's original Product Hunt launch Rob Snyder blog post: The Physics of Startups Brian's new app: FilterHawk Brian's tweet

AI dev is changing rapidly, and... AI dev is rapidly changing how we build websites and apps. Brian and Justin wrestle with this new reality and discuss the different phases of a startup, how indies can cultivate brand loyalty, and when you should maybe do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Panel Animated intro Hillcharts Cheeky Pint interview with Anthropic founder Derek Sivers article Humanoid robot OpenAI acquires app that watches you Duer Jeans Plain English podcast

Justin spoke to a grade 12 class about entrepreneurship, and was surprised by what he learned about teenagers. Brian has thoughts on the impact of Agent OS v2.1 and struggles with the support burden of open-source software.  They talk about “Wealth is the freedom from having to monetize every idea." Also: Johnny Ive and Rivian founder RJ Scaringe's product design processes. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Suno Suno intro song for The Panel Justin’s high school talk Agent OS Builder Methods Pro Discord Tweet: “Wealth is the freedom from having to monetize every idea” Survey: How does Basecamp get new customers? Cheeky Pint podcast interview with Rivian founder

Aaron Francis joins The Panel this week to talk about entrepreneurship, programming, and parenting. We chatted about how personal experiences shape our business journeys, the evolution of programming tools, and the importance of identifying market signals for success.  Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Mostly Technical Aaron Francis Ian Landsman Dancing Without A Partner – Signal v. Noise Paper – design, share, ship Newsletter - Aaron Francis Phil Vischer - Wikipedia ThePrimeagen - YouTube

Justin is impressed with V0's ability to build working prototypes quickly. We've also got Sora 2 thoughts. And... what should we teach our kids when AI makes everything easy? Brian launches Agent OS v2. Could either of us survive without the internet for more than a day? Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Sora by ChatGPT 0xFramer on X Cheeky Pint: Des Traynor on Intercom (transcript at 35m15s) Mind the Game Podcast Tony Dinh: Oct 2025 Updates - Code, Money, and Travel TypingMind - LLM Frontend Chat UI Agent OS - AI Coding Agents System Spec-Driven Development Workshop Mostly Technical: Vision Quest Justin Jackson: 2017 Year in Review Alex Duggleby on AI and Junior Developers

Justin Jackson and Brian Casel discuss the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, particularly in the context of AI's impact on product development, creativity, and the job market. They explore the importance of having a clear vision when using AI tools, the challenges faced by junior developers, and the enduring need for human connection in art and media. The discussion also touches on the future of work, the role of AI in enhancing productivity, and the implications for artists and creators in a rapidly changing environment. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode v0 by Vercel Dribbble  Balsamiq Big Tech Told Kids to Code. The Jobs Didn’t Follow. - The New York Times Aaron Francis on X The Last Days Of Social Media Stratechery by Ben Thompson Dithering Agent OS

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: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Justin's vibe-code app: Segments – Podcast recording timer Justin's app demo video Town of Canmore Chris Enns: podcast editor Build Your SaaS | An update from Justin and Jon What's Next? with Brian Casel Claude Code | Claude Fast and reliable end-to-end testing for modern web apps | Playwright

We're joined by Ian Landsman, from the Mostly Technical podcast, joins us to chat about Outro.fm and Helpspot. We talk digital fatigue, the challenges of maintaining an online presence, the importance of building a community around shared interests, finding the right audience, and balancing personal goals with business objectives. As Brian⁩ prepares to launch Builder Methods Pro, we debate the value of community feedback and the potential for unforeseen opportunities in creating content online. Ian talks with us about the development of Outro.fm as an all-in-one solution for podcasters, the importance of building a membership community, the production side of podcasting tools, and the challenges faced in the podcasting market. Also: the difference between one-time sale products (courses) and SaaS. Timestamps: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Ian Landsman A Smart Bear Builder Methods | Training for AI-first software developers Outro.fm Mostly Technical Member Site | Outro The Podcast Website Builder | Podpage Luma · Delightful Events Start Here The Changelog podcast Syntax - Web Development Podcast Help desk software for effortless email support

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: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Sam Sulek YouTube Channel Builder Methods Workshop Justin’s Toronto Hangout Marketing is a Transfer of Enthusiasm Agent OS GitHub Project Open Source Contribution Guidelines (Litestream) 37signals Book Royalties Revenue Effort vs Outcome Blog Post 1,000 True Fans Omarchy 2.0 Wes Bos Downie - YouTube Video Downloader for macOS

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: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Jason Cohen: About the author Mostly Technical ChartMogul | CRM & Subscription Analytics built for B2B SaaS growth Message from Paddle Kit: Email-First Operating System for Creators (formerly ConvertKit) Build Your SaaS | The “charge more” debate Average Podcast Downloads: Podcast Measurement and Growth Finding Fulfillment Agent OS | A free open-source system to train smart AI coding agents The PULL framework - by Rob Snyder Jay Clouse - Creator Science Learn Laravel | Laracasts Wes Bos Learn Ruby on Rails | GoRails

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: YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️ 🎤 Send us an audio or video message 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com 📺 🦋 Links mentioned in this episode Bento Transistor’s new customer service page Agent OS Agent OS on GitHub Brian’s YouTube Colin and Samir interview by Jay Clouse Colin and Samir Jay Clouse’s revenue breakdown Wes Bos Syntax.fm