Amjad Masad on vibe coding, AI agents, and the end of boilerplate

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Jan 7, 2026

Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, shares his journey from teaching himself to code in Jordan to democratizing programming through his platform. He discusses the influence of gaming on product design and champions 'vibe coding' as the future of literacy. The conversation touches on AI's role in enhancing creativity and human agency, arguing for a shift towards computational thinking over syntax mastery. Masad envisions a world where anyone can build using natural language, reshaping societal norms around jobs and entrepreneurial potential.

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ANECDOTE

Early Game That Sparked A Career

Amjad taught his younger brother math by building a simple game on an early visual programming CD-ROM.
That early project hooked him on making things and later his brother joined Replit.

ADVICE

Teach Kids By Making, Not Manuals

For teaching kids, prioritize making things over manuals or syntax drills.
Let them explore Replit and learn programming by osmosis when they encounter bugs or curiosity.

INSIGHT

Gaming Principles Improve Onboarding

Design principles from gaming improve onboarding: quick dopamine hits, safe undo, and easy sharing.
Replit implements checkpoints, ledgers, and simple publishing to mirror game exploration.

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On this episode of Possible, Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger sit down with Amjad Masad, founder and CEO of Replit, to explore how AI is fundamentally changing who gets to build software and what that means for work, creativity, and human agency. Masad traces his journey from growing up in Jordan teaching himself to code and connects it to his love of video games which helped inspire him to build a platform that turns natural language into working software. The conversation spans everything from why gaming mindsets make better builders, to how CEOs are rediscovering hands-on creation, to why “vibe coding” is the next form of literacy and why computational thinking is more important than syntax mastery. The conversation also digs into the future of AI agents, long-running autonomous workflows, and what it means to design environments for machines rather than humans. They also confront harder questions about jobs, fear, regulation, and society’s responsibility during a cognitive industrial revolution. The episode ultimately reframes AI not as a replacement for human creativity, but as a force that can return people to a more entrepreneurial, expressive, and meaningful way of life.

For more info on the podcast and transcripts of all the episodes, visit https://www.possible.fm/podcast/

01:45 – Introductions and Amjad’s background

02:07 – Growing up in Jordan, video games, and learning to build

06:19 – How gaming culture shaped Replit’s product philosophy

09:55 – Designing Replit around safety, reversibility, and exploration

13:24 – Defining vibe coding and where the term came from

15:55 – The new literacy: computational thinking and soft skills

22:09 – Getting past the blank page and learning by making

25:06 – Entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and who Replit empowers

30:48 – Designing environments for AI agents and durable businesses

35:55 – Open source, abstraction, and “cathedrals built from bazaars”

38:25 – The future of corporate work and creative ownership

48:29 – Fear, skepticism, and cultural responsibility around AI

54:13 – Jobs, disruption, and becoming AI-native in a changing economy

01:11:12 – Rapid Fire Questions