Welcome to 2026! The new year kicks off with shocking news from the web development world as industry darlings Tailwind Labs and Laracasts announce massive layoffs, citing the disruptive force of AI. Brad and Bennett dive deep into the drama, analyzing the GitHub comments and tweets that sent shockwaves through the community. They discuss the harsh reality for businesses built on selling code or educational content in an era where advanced AI can generate both in seconds, connecting the dots between these high-profile stumbles and the broader economic shifts happening across the tech landscape.

The conversation then pivots from industry analysis to personal workflows and the tools defining the new era of development. Brad shares his recent, surprising switch from the much-loved Claude Code to OpenAI's Codex, detailing the specific prompts and settings that are unlocking new levels of productivity. The brothers explore the rise of Agent SDKs, the power of community-created 'Skills,' and the emerging, sometimes wild, use cases for AI, from analyzing personal DNA data to automating tax preparation. This episode is a crucial look at the tangible impacts of AI, offering both a warning and a guide for navigating the rapidly changing world of technology in 2026.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome to the First Episode of 2026
01:09 AI's Toll on Tailwind and Laracasts
11:19 Why 2026 Is the Year of Agents
14:47 Building Practical AI Agent Workflows
22:30 AI's Role in Accounting and Taxes
27:16 Creative Uses for Personal AI Agents
36:15 Codex vs. Claude Code for Development

Links:
- Tailwind CSS `llms.txt` Pull Request
- Adam Wathan on X (Twitter)
- Laracasts
- TaxDome
- Peter Steinberger: Shipping at Inference Speed
- Boris Cherny's Tweet on the Future of Engineering
- Levelsio on X (Twitter)

#AI #TechPodcast #SoftwareDevelopment #TailwindCSS #FutureOfWork #ClaudeCode #OpenAICodex #Laracasts #DeveloperTools #AgenticWorkflows

Creators & Guests