Derek Ross and Heather Larson of Soapbox Technology sit down to chat about what’s buzzing in the decentralized social space of Nostr and AI for a fresh edition of Soapbox Sessions. They break down their new podcast platform, Podstr, which they vibe coded using Soapbox tools, and why giving power back to the community matters.
They riff on the headaches of mobile ecosystems, the crazy‑fast rise of Nostr apps, and how AI tools like Gemini (hello, Nano Banana!) are opening up wild creative possibilities.
Heather and Derek also dive into the spirit of collaboration that fuels the Nostr community, the ups and downs of micro‑payments, and why we still need smarter ways to discover cool content.
Oh, and they give us the lowdown on the upcoming Nostr Valley event—don’t miss it!
Chapters
00:00 - Introduction
03:40 - The Launch of Podstr
06:35 - Dogfooding and Community Empowerment
09:34 - Decentralization in Podcasting
12:42 - Mobile Tech and Ecosystem Lock-in
15:32 - Nostr News and App Development
18:41 - The Digital Spaghetti Age
21:31 - Nostr's Growth and Future Prospects
23:46 - Exploring Nostr Search Tools
25:11 - DDoS Attacks and Infrastructure Challenges
26:36 - Testing New Apps: RUNSTR and Its Features
28:10 - The Role of Community in App Development
32:04 - AI Innovations: Gemini and Nano Banana
38:43 - Nostr's Place in the Social Media Landscape
47:20 - Building Community Through Consistency
48:12 - The Demand for Micro Payments on Bluesky
48:27 - Understanding Bitcoin and Its Stigma
49:57 - The Role of Micro Payments in Engagement
52:16 - Algorithms: The Good, The Bad, and The Future
54:04 - The Concept of Algorithm Marketplaces
55:51 - Content Discovery and User Engagement
56:58 - The Future of Nostr and Upcoming Events
01:01:35 - Listener Engagement and Boosts
01:03:27 - Teasing Future Content and Community Growth
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