The Good Stuff - Episode 29 - From Zero to Vibe Coder
In this episode, Pete and Andy dive into the world of "vibe coding" and discuss how to get someone from absolute zero to building their own applications in record time. The conversation centers around Pete's upcoming workshop at the Bitcoin Bush Bash in Busselton, where he plans to teach 20-50 people how to create customized Bitcoin wallets from scratch in just 30 minutes.
They explore the traditional barriers to learning programming—the presupposed knowledge, the friction of setup, and the intimidating complexity—and how AI tools have dramatically changed the learning landscape. The discussion touches on the asymmetry of knowledge in tech, the challenges of teaching coding to beginners, and how AI has become the non-judgmental tutor that cuts through layers of assumed expertise.
They also explore practical applications of AI tooling beyond coding, from business automation to tax preparation, and make a compelling case for why business owners in particular need to understand these tools to stay competitive.
**Timestamps:**
- 0:00 - Introduction and the value of "always be recording"
- 2:00 - The vibe coding workshop challenge: teaching Bitcoin wallet creation in 30 minutes
- 5:00 - The friction problem: terminal commands, repo cloning, and beginner barriers
- 8:00 - Why experienced developers struggle to teach: the asymmetry of knowledge
- 11:00 - How AI cut through the learning barriers and changed everything
- 14:00 - The "Hello World" drop-off problem and learning surface area
- 18:00 - Current tools still aren't normie-friendly enough for true beginners
- 25:00 - The Replit solution: web-based coding that removes installation friction
- 30:00 - AI agents and the future of automated workflows
- 35:00 - Why business owners need to attend vibe coding workshops
- 40:00 - Moving beyond ChatGPT/Claude to agent-based tools like Wingman
- 43:00 - Using AI for non-coding tasks: tax organization and business automation
- 47:00 - The future of email-based businesses and automation opportunities
- 50:00 - Closing thoughts on freeing people up for higher-value work
