Built This Week

Episode 15: Sora 2 Took Over AI Video + Our New Parking Data Tool

This week on Built This Week, Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler debut Tix LAX, a new platform that visualizes parking tickets across Los Angeles using city APIs, from officer leaderboards to the surprising car colors that rarely get ticketed. Then, they dive into Sora 2, OpenAI’s latest video model that lets you insert yourself directly into AI-generated clips, whether skydiving, cooking sushi, or working on an oil rig. In the AI news rundown: OpenAI reaches a staggering $500 billion valuation, Apple shifts focus from Vision Pro to AI glasses, and a new startup builds AI-powered defense technology to shoot down drones.

—
 Show Notes:

(0:00) Intro – welcome + topics for this week

(1:20) What We Built: Tix LAX – LA parking tickets mapped with city data

(2:40) Inspiration from San Francisco’s viral parking ticket tracker

(4:00) Officer leaderboards + biggest ticket writers

(5:15) Ticket patterns by car color, violation type & neighborhood

(6:10) Data quirks: future-dated tickets + 2-day delay

(10:18) Tool of the Week: Sora 2 – OpenAI’s new video model + live demo

(19:32) AI News #1: OpenAI reaches $500B valuation

(21:54) AI News #2: Apple pivots from Vision Pro to AI glasses

(24:07) AI News #3: Startup building AI-powered defense robots to shoot down drones

(25:41) Closing thoughts – AI momentum driving markets into fall

—
 Platforms / Tools Mentioned:

• OpenAI / Sora 2: https://openai.com
• Apple: https://www.apple.com
• Meta (Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses): https://about.meta.com
• Nvidia: https://www.nvidia.com

—
 Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
 • Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
• Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
• Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
• Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

—
 Follow the Hosts:

 Jordan Metzner
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmetzner/
• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mrjmetz/
• X – https://x.com/mrjmetz?lang=bn

Sam Nadler
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nadler-1881b75/
• X – http://x.com/Gravino05

This week on Built This Week, we team up with Hooman (CEO, Collective) to build—and ship—new tools for solopreneurs. Jordan demos a cash-flow forecaster, insurance compliance checks, lending readiness, and AI business insights…plus a just-for-fun “Make It Rain” mode and mini-game. Then we go deep on Collective’s roadmap and the future of the one-person business.

What we built
-Cash-Flow Forecasting from your P&L + balance sheet (with sliders for revenue, expenses, and owner salary)
-Insurance Compliance review (flags lapses like workers’ comp and gaps like cyber)
-Lending Readiness & Risk report (eligibility + risk summary)
-AI Business Insights panel (Gemini-powered analysis)
-Bonus: “Make It Rain” theme + a quick 3D game (three.js)

Guest spotlight — the solopreneur wave
-Solopreneurs are already 38% of the U.S. workforce, generating $1.4T in revenue
-27M+ Americans run solo businesses; 5.5M make $100k+
-Why so many switch to an S-Corp with Collective: average $10k/year in tax savings; plans from $349/mo; and a “CFO-in-your-pocket” vision with AI agents

Tech stack
-Front end: Vite + React, Tailwind (UI), filtering library for snappy tables
-Models: started on Grok 120B, then moved to Gemini for larger context windows
-Fun stuff: three.js for the Make-It-Rain mini-game

Chapters (tap to jump)
0:00 Cold open + theme
0:42 Hosts + guest intro (Hooman, Collective)
2:15 Why we built these features
3:00 Build #1: Cash-flow forecasting demo
8:48 Build #2: Insurance compliance check
9:36 Build #3: Lending readiness + risk report
10:17 Build #4: AI insights dashboard
10:37 Build #5: “Make It Rain” mode + 3D game
14:15 Collective deep-dive: product, pricing, and who it’s for
22:21 AI news + mega-capex talk (NVIDIA, Oracle, OpenAI)
33:50 The margin crunch + round-tripping debate
37:50 Wrap-up & subscribe

Tools & links mentioned
Collective · Gemini · Grok · Vite · React · Tailwind · three.js (plus startup/AI news items)

About us
Built This Week — Jordan Metzner & Sam Nadler build something new every week and break down the AI + startup news that matters. New episodes every Friday. Subscribe for the next build.

#BuiltThisWeek #Solopreneur #AI #Startups #Collective #CashFlow #FounderTools #SmallBusiness #Fintech

Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCz...
Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/101...
Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/100199...

Follow the Hosts:

Jordan Metzner
• LinkedIn –   / jordanmetzner 
• Instagram –  

This week on Built This Week, we go full builder mode.

Jordan uses Claude to create a live 3D simulation of a liver, showing exactly how statins like Crestor crush cholesterol inside your body. Then Sam takes the mic — and the printer — and 3D prints Built This Week keychains, proving you can literally print your podcast at home.

Finally, we break down the biggest AI + tech headlines:

• Reddit doubling down with Google
• Groq raising $750M at a $7B valuation
• Lyft teaming up with Waymo to launch robotaxis in Nashville

If you want AI, hardware, and startup news with founder energy — this is the episode.

Timestamps below 👇

⏱️ Timestamps

(0:00) Intro + what’s coming this week
 (1:11) Jordan’s Claude-powered 3D liver + cholesterol demo
 (3:22) Statins, Crestor, and real-time LDL impact
 (5:20) How doctors + patients could use this tool
 (6:23) Beyond medicine: AI visuals in other industries
 (7:23) Sam’s 3D printing showcase
 (8:19) Bambu Lab X1C + MakerWorld: keychains + builds
 (9:19) Printing tools, fidgets, and custom gifts
 (10:27) AI + 3D printing: customizing complex models
 (11:36) Favorite prints + side hustle with charms
 (13:19) AI News: Reddit extends Google deal
 (14:49) Groq raises $750M at $7B valuation
 (16:29) Lyft + Waymo bring robotaxis to Nashville
 (18:39) Closing thoughts + subscribe reminder

🛠️ Platforms / Tools Mentioned

• Claude (Anthropic)
• Bambu Lab X1C – https://bambulab.com
• MakerWorld – https://makerworld.com
• Reddit – https://reddit.com
• Groq – https://groq.com
• Waymo – https://waymo.com
• Lyft – https://lyft.com

Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

Follow the Hosts:

 Jordan Metzner
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmetzner/
 • Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mrjmetz/
 • X – https://x.com/mrjmetz?lang=bn

Sam Nadler
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nadler-1881b75/
 • X – http://x.com/Gravino05

This week on Built This Week, Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler bring a mix of practical, playful, and breaking AI news.

First, Jordan demos Ryz Chef, a tool that turns your grocery receipts (Amazon, Instacart, even fridge photos) into 11 Mediterranean-inspired recipes — complete with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert options. Then Sam shares how he and his daughter are using AI-generated imagery to launch a small e-commerce project selling 3D-printed hoodie charms, combining entrepreneurship, creativity, and social good. Finally, the hosts break down the biggest AI news: Replit’s $250M raise at a $3B valuation, Oracle’s AI-fueled surge, Vimeo’s acquisition, and Robinhood’s new “social trading” product.

Timestamps

• (0:00) Intro + what’s on the docket this week
• (1:00) Introducing Ryz Chef: turning receipts into recipes
• (2:10) How the AI extracts groceries and builds meals
• (5:30) Demo: 11 recipes generated from an Amazon cart
• (6:16) Mediterranean recipes, desserts, and Unsplash images
• (7:45) Prompting AI like a professional chef
• (8:54) Dietary restrictions, kids meals, and macros
• (9:31) Full-circle idea: recipes → shopping list → nutrition
• (11:01) Sam’s side project with his daughter
• (12:16) Building an e-commerce store for 3D-printed hoodie charms
• (13:24) Using Google AI Studio to generate lifestyle images
• (14:39) Fast, high-quality visuals with simple prompts
• (15:04) Hot AI news: Replit raises $250M at $3B valuation
• (16:15) Oracle stock surges 45% — Ellison tops the rich list
• (17:18) Bending Spoons acquires Vimeo for $1.3B
• (17:41) Robinhood launches social trading feature
• (18:42) Closing thoughts + subscribe reminder

Platforms / Tools Mentioned

• Ryz Chef (prototype) – by Ryz Labs
• Unsplash – https://unsplash.com
• Google AI Studio – https://ai.google
• Replit – https://replit.com
• Robinhood – https://robinhood.com

Listen on Your Favorite Platform

• Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
• Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
• Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
• Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

Follow the Hosts

Jordan Metzner
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• X

Sam Nadler
• LinkedIn
• X

Episode 11: Coding the Beat: Strudel, Claude Dashboards & OpenAI’s $1B Play

This week on Built This Week, Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler dive into the intersection of AI, music, and enterprise tools. Jordan shows off a new project built on Strudel, a live-coding JavaScript music library, turning it into an AI-powered DJ + Ableton-style mixer that generates new beats on the fly. Then, the hosts spotlight a daily use case of Claude that creates instant CFO-style dashboards from raw spreadsheets or PDFs, beating out other LLMs for speed and clarity. Finally, they break down OpenAI’s $1.1B acquisition of StatSig, what it means for Codex and the AI coding race, plus big moves in Figma’s IPO, Google’s antitrust settlement, and the rise of enterprise-focused AI like You.com.

Show Notes:
(0:00) Intro + Jordan discovers Strudel for live-coding music
(2:20) Demo: remixing tracks with AI-generated beats
(5:02) Building an AI-powered two-deck DJ tool inspired by Ableton
(8:14) How LLMs are lowering barriers to music production
(10:13) Claude use case: auto-generating dashboards from Google’s 10-K
(12:59) Why Claude outperforms other LLMs for financial and ops data
(14:27) Codex gains traction; Rise Labs engineers switch from Claude Code
(15:56) OpenAI acquires StatSig for $1.1B to boost Codex + experimentation
(17:14) Anthropic predicts 90% of code will be bot-written
(18:17) Figma’s IPO rollercoaster & enterprise adoption
(19:37) Google avoids selling Chrome in antitrust ruling
(20:29) You.com raises $100M pivoting to enterprise AI search
(22:08) Why back-office ops are AI’s sleeper hit in enterprises

Platforms / Tools Mentioned:
Strudel – https://strudel.cc
Claude – https://claude.ai
Codex – https://platform.openai.com
Ryz Labs – https://www.ryzlabs.com

Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCz...
Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/101...
Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/100199...

Follow the Hosts:

Jordan Metzner
• LinkedIn –   / j...

Episode 10: Future in Focus: AI Tools & Big Tech

This week on Built This Week, Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler unveil the AI image platform they’ve been building from scratch at Ryz Labs, powered by Gemini’s new “nano-banana” update and other AI models. Designed to deliver faster, cleaner, and more customizable visuals, it pushes image generation beyond today’s mainstream tools. Then, they put Gamma under the spotlight, a presentation app that reimagines how decks and docs are created with AI at the core. In the AI news rundown: Google’s Gemini image model gets a “bananas” upgrade, Will Smith faces backlash over suspiciously AI-generated tour footage, and Anthropic launches a Claude AI agent embedded directly into Chrome, raising big questions about the future of browsers.

—
 Show Notes:

(0:00) Intro + demo of new in-house AI image editing prototype

(3:03) Building a chatbot-style AI tool for small businesses & e-commerce

(8:15) Risks of deepfake-style edits and blurred lines between real vs AI

(9:10) Google Gemini’s “bananas” model upgrade explained

(10:49) Anthropic brings Claude agents directly into Chrome

(13:29) Will Smith’s tour footage is accused of using fake AI crowds

(15:17) Tool of the Week: Gamma AI presentation builder

(16:31) Live demo: generating a 3-card “Built This Week” deck in minutes

(19:22) Why Gamma beats Google Slides/PowerPoint at AI integration (for now)

(21:24) The future of consultants, schools & pitch decks in an AI-driven world

—
 Platforms / Tools Mentioned:
• Claude – https://claude.ai
• Gamma – www.gamma.app
• Ryz Labs – https://www.ryzlabs.com

—
 Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
 • Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
• Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
• Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
• Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

—
 Follow the Hosts:

 Jordan Metzner
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmetzner/
• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mrjmetz/
• X – https://x.com/mrjmetz?lang=bn

Sam Nadler
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nadler-1881b75/
• X – http://x.com/Gravino05

Episode 9: Hiring Tools, Built from Scratch

This week, Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler unveil Ryz ATS, a fully functioning applicant tracking system built in-house using Claude AI. From job templates and smart matching to drag-and-drop pipelines and sourcing CRM, this tool streamlines the entire hiring process with AI as a co-pilot. Then, they explore Envato’s new AI image generation features, built for non-designers and creators alike. In the AI news rundown: xAI leaks Grok chats into Google search results, Meta re-orgs its AI division under Scale AI’s founder, and OpenAI brings back the ChatGPT model picker, confusing UX and all.

—
 Show Notes:
(0:00) Intro 

(2:10) Building an ATS from scratch with Claude Code

(3:15) Prototypes & using multiple AI agents in parallel

(5:12) Walkthrough: jobs page, candidate pipelines, offers & feedback forms

(13:43) Choosing the right prototyping tool: Bolt vs Claude Code vs Replit

(14:05) Tool of the week: Envato AI for stock content & image generation

(15:17) Testing Envato’s AI-generated podcast ads (and why text fails)

(18:22) Why stock libraries like Envato still matter

(19:01) AI News: Meta’s AI re-org & Scale AI acquisition fallout

(20:37) Cultural tensions inside Meta around AI talent pay

(21:06) AI Grok leaks chats into Google search results

(22:07) Wrap-up & subscribe call-to-action

—
 Platforms / Tools Mentioned:
• Claude – https://claude.ai
• Envato AI – https://envato.com/
• Ryz Labs – https://www.ryzlabs.com
• ChatGPT – https://chat.openai.com
• xAI / Grok – https://x.ai

—
 Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
 • Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
• Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
• Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
• Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

—
 Follow the Hosts:

 Jordan Metzner
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmetzner/
• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mrjmetz/
• X – https://x.com/mrjmetz?lang=bn

Sam Nadler
 • LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nadler-1881b75/
• X – http://x.com/Gravino05

Episode 8: Can Public Make You a Better Investor?

This week, Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler go deep on Public.com, the modern investing platform opening its trading infrastructure to developers. They demo a new tool built live on Public’s API, explore the real potential of programmable investing, and sit down with Emily Kurtz (Head of Product at Public) and Jake Trefethen (Director of AI) to unpack what’s coming next. Plus, in the news: Shopify now wants PMs who code, GPT-5 Pro hints at research-grade intelligence, and OpenAI’s model picker is back, and messier than ever.

—
 Show Notes:
(0:00) Intro + guests from Public
 (1:30) What is Public.com and how does the API work?
 (3:30) Demo: Jordan’s trading bot built on Public’s API
 (13:00) Comparing LLMs for financial reasoning
 (17:30) Public’s broader vision + AI research features
 (20:30) Generated assets and AI-assisted portfolio tools
 (22:55) GPT-5 Pro release: early impressions
 (24:30) The return of model picker + emotional attachment to AI UX
 (26:30) Shopify now requires PMs to vibe-code
 (29:00) What “vibe-coding” means and where it fits in product hiring
 (31:00) Wrap-up and thanks to the Public.com team

—
 Platforms / Tools Mentioned:
 • Public – https://www.public.com
• Ryz Labs – https://www.ryzlabs.com
• ChatGPT – https://chat.openai.com
• Shopify – https://www.shopify.com

—
 Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
• Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
• Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
• Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
• Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

—
 Follow the Hosts:

 Jordan Metzner
• LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmetzner/
• Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/mrjmetz/
• X – https://x.com/mrjmetz?lang=bn

Sam Nadler
• LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nadler-1881b75/
• X – http://x.com/Gravino05

Episode 7: How Daily Check-Ins Fix Remote Work

Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler share a simple but powerful internal tool: a Slack-integrated daily check-in system that’s helped their remote team stay accountable, async, and aligned. It’s lightweight, fast, and has changed how their team shares progress. Then they revisit Clay, a thoughtfully designed relationship management tool that helps founders and operators stay in touch without the CRM bloat. In the news, they break down the latest on GPT-5 Pro, OpenAI’s rumored “research-grade” AI, and what the new product tiers might mean for the future of AI.

—

 Show Notes:
(0:00) Intro

(1:21) Why we built a daily check-in tool for remote teams

(3:22) How the system works + Slack + AI summaries

(6:44) What it’s built with and what it unlocked for us

(9:15) What teammates actually do + future features

(10:30) Real example: AI blocker spotted and solved

(11:17) Tool of the Week: Clay for personalized outreach

(16:04) AI News: OpenAI’s new open-source models + Groq demo

(21:14) GPT-5 leaks and what’s coming next

(22:34) Final thoughts + wrap-up

—
 Platforms / Tools Mentioned:
 • Ryz Labs – https://www.ryzlabs.com
• Clay – https://www.clay.com

—
 Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
 • Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
• Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
• Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
• Deezer - https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

—
 Follow the Hosts:

 Jordan Metzner
 • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmetzner/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrjmetz/
• X - https://x.com/mrjmetz?lang=bn

Sam Nadler
 • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nadler-1881b75/
• X - http://x.com/Gravino05

Episode 6: From Avatar to AI Hire: Building NTRVSTA

Jordan Metzner and Sam Nadler dive into NTRVSTA, a new AI-powered interview automation platform Jordan built to help teams move faster and smarter in the hiring process. The tool uses avatars to conduct adaptive, friendly interviews 24/7 across technical and non-technical roles. They break down how it works, why it saves time, and what they’ve learned from early users. Plus, in the news: Microsoft hits a $4 trillion valuation, Figma’s IPO surges over 250%.

—
 Show Notes:

(0:00) Intro

(1:17) Why we built NTRVSTA — solving interview inefficiency

(2:51) How AI avatars help scale top-of-funnel interviews

(9:22) Product demo: scoring, transcripts, highlights, and whiteboard

(16:36) How it was built: avatars, scoring, and translation tech

(20:05) News: Microsoft hits $4 trillion valuation

(22:03) News: Figma IPO surges over 250%

(24:34) Wrap-up and final thoughts

—
 Platforms / Tools Mentioned:
 • Ryz Labs – https://www.ryzlabs.com
• NTRVSTA – https://www.ntrvsta.com/
• Microsoft – https://www.microsoft.com
• Figma – https://www.figma.com

—
 Listen on Your Favorite Platform:
 • Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/show/0ahiOCzYxhhkEgbtz9kkeC
• Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/built-this-week/id1823270832
• Amazon Music – https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/1017d387-fbb0-4bbf-9488-817cee38e058
• Deezer – https://www.deezer.com/us/show/1001995001

—
 Follow the Hosts:
 Jordan Metzner
 • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordanmetzner/
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/mrjmetz/
• X - https://x.com/mrjmetz?lang=bn

Sam Nadler
 • LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-nadler-1881b75/
• X - http://x.com/Gravino05