Startup Stories - Mixergy #2287 AI made a “no code” founder into a coder
24 snips
Dec 8, 2025 
Ben Tossell, founder of MakerPad and now Head of Developer Relations at Factory, shares his journey from no-code to coding following an acquisition. He discusses the emotional impact of selling MakerPad and how AI transformed his learning process, allowing him to bridge the gap between technical concepts and everyday language. Tossell emphasizes that while no-code tools alleviate some struggles, they don’t eliminate founder challenges. He also showcases Factory's innovative AI tools designed to streamline developer workflows.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Developer Relations Feels Like Founding A Company
- Developer relations mirrors many founder tasks: community, product, and growth ownership.
- Ben Tossell found DevRel felt like a founder role and used it to stay engaged after selling MakerPad.
AI Agents Multiply Management Overhead
- AI agents increase the number of parallel tasks and contexts a founder must manage.
- Ben Tossell argues that agents worsen context-switching and can make people feel less productive despite doing more.
Started MakerPad Because He Couldn't Code
- Ben started MakerPad because he couldn't learn traditional coding and built products with Webflow, Zapier, and Airtable.
- When others asked how he built things, he began teaching those workflows and launched MakerPad.