Typeform: What happened?

Typeform: What happened?

Forms used to feel like progress. Typeform was sleek, Google Forms was simple, and building your own meant control. But today, AI agents are rewriting the rules. They gather data with context, tone, and flow—no rigid input fields required. Going back to old-school forms feels like switching from Spotify to a cassette tape. The tools didn’t just age—they missed the AI shift.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Post Vibe Coding

Post Vibe Coding

It seems like a long time ago that I decided to try a No-Code February. Going cold turkey on code has some interesting side effects. The math of applying AI coding tools to advising and consulting has forced some changes in how I approach all code projects: Launch By Lunch AI Accelerators, Vibe Coding Office Hours, and tech stack audits. And a renewed focus on the scoring site of the low-code cookbook.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Econ of CodeEcon of Code
Economics of Code #1

Economics of Code #1

AI and low-code, in conjunction, are changing the core math for how 'code' is generated, priced, and sold. I am exploring how this math is changing, learning as I go.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Essentialism for Founders

Essentialism for Founders

Low-code and Marcus Aurelius had a gentle battle in my startup brain. One quote triggered an insight, which triggered a pivot and then lead to Ai Accelerator that sold out in hours.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Resource Restriction is Great!

Resource Restriction is Great!

No founder I know doesn't need more funding. In the back of every startup founder's brain is the wish to get the funding problem off their backs and work without distraction. It's unfair to say, stop, and embrace scarcity as a superpower.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Weekly InsightsWeekly Insights
Chessboard Chaos!

Chessboard Chaos!

The last two months have been stressful for many founders working out of Venture Lane. EdTech startups have taken the brunt of the funding changes for Universities. It's not over yet, but there is a silver lining!

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Weekly InsightsWeekly Insights
Vegas vs. Berlin: What I Learned About How Clients Want to Engage

Vegas vs. Berlin: What I Learned About How Clients Want to Engage

I reworked my fractional CTO practice by changing my mindset. I had been operating like a German Casino, and missing the mark, but I needed to be more like Las Vegas. Make it stupid easy for a client to hire and pay.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Weekly InsightsWeekly Insights
Are Developers Becoming Obsolete?

Are Developers Becoming Obsolete?

The next wave of software builders won't know how to code. And that's ok. The challenge for tech leaders will be bringing their work into a company's technology stack.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Low Code Hack #1

Low Code Hack #1

A good low-coder is a cheap low-coder. Cheap means fast. It means you get to revenue and outcomes faster. It means you don't spend time and money on complexity. No matter how easy Google and Microsoft make getting started, it's still complex.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Weekly InsightsWeekly Insights
Friday Newsletter

Friday Newsletter

Ok this week, I got off the Ai horse for a bit. I am a bit Ai saddle sore, if thats a thing. Turns out there is a limited, that even I can tired of. This week I did some reading, explored the Magma AI Agent Platform and built out a Beehiiv Identity solution. Happy Friday everyone!

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Low CodeLow Code
Beehiiv as my login?

Beehiiv as my login?

A key part of startups’ technology stack is how they approach public vs private features. Usernames and passwords are the logical starting point. Other ways require a little imagination but lower the impacts on roadmap and tech spend.

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
Weekly InsightsWeekly Insights
AI Coding Patterns & Rules of Engagement

AI Coding Patterns & Rules of Engagement

Scrambled codebases, competing NPM packages, duplication code and a high token burn are all part of the learning curve. I remain very focused on driving my code utility rate as high as possible.This is a rolling set of learning...

Stephan Smith
Stephan Smith
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