Tool Use - AI Conversations

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Sukh Saini, an exited founder and the creator of Engyne, joins Tool Use to break down the essential strategies for AI product distribution and personal branding. With a track record of 38 products, Sukh shares how he transitioned from a self-proclaimed horrible employee to a successful entrepreneur by mastering the business loop of building, selling, and scaling. This episode covers the vital shift from managing multiple low-revenue apps to focusing on exponential growth through high-conviction projects like Retail, which he sold after finding a unique distribution edge within the Stripe marketplace.

Learn why building in public is a massive advantage for establishing trust and why marketplaces like Canva, Stripe, and the ChatGPT store are the next big frontiers for indie developers. Sukh also details his practical framework for validating demand through industry research and hypothesis-driven customer calls, ensuring you solve high-value problems before writing a single line of code. Whether you are interested in B2B SaaS, AI app stores, or building a thought leadership brand on LinkedIn, this conversation provides a tactical playbook for any builder looking to win in the AI era.

Engyne: https://engyne.ai/

Sukh's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sssaini/

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:21 - How to build a winning product loop

00:04:26 - Mastering product distribution and the Stripe marketplace

00:08:12 - Why building a collection of small apps is a mistake

00:14:56 - Validating SaaS demand before writing code

00:21:56 - Tactical framework for finding customer pain points

00:27:59 - The competitive advantage of building in public

00:42:27 - Unlocking distribution through the ChatGPT app store

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Master your AI career in 2026 with this comprehensive guide on how to get a job in AI as a developer or non-technical professional. Mike Bird, AI and Engineering Lead at BoxOne Ventures, breaks down his personal journey from software developer to AI leader and shares insider secrets on the modern hiring process. Learn why traditional resumes are failing in the age of AI screeners and why you should embrace building in public, networking at AI Tinkerers events, and creating obnoxious resumes to stand out from thousands of bot-driven applications. Whether you are looking to become an AI engineer, a specialized AI consultant, or the AI champion at your current company, this episode provides actionable strategies on leveraging tools like Claude Code, Cursor, and more to proof-of-concept your way into the fastest-growing industry in human history. We dive deep into the technical skills required for 2026, including managing fleets of AI agents and mastering security audits, while also addressing career pivots for those in their 40s or 50s.

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:02 - Career Pivot Strategy: From Dev to AI Lead

00:03:35 - Beat AI Screeners: The Case for the "Obnoxious" Resume

00:10:43 - 2026 AI Engineer Interview: Technical Screens & Vibe Checks

00:16:08 - AI Consulting vs Productizing: Knowledge Arbitrage Tips

00:20:08 - Build in Public: How to Increase Your AI Luck Surface Area

00:25:30 - Non-Technical Strategy: Becoming an AI Champion

00:30:32 - Realistically how long it takes to transition into AI

00:36:26 - Is it too late to learn AI if you are 40+ or 50+?

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

In this 2025 year-end wrap-up, we dive deep into the massive shifts in the AI landscape, from the surprise release of GPT-5.2 to the rise of open source models like DeepSeek. Mike Bird and Richardson Dackam reflect on a year defined by accelerating iteration cycles, the growing energy bottleneck for data centers, and the emergence of reasoning models that have changed how we approach complex tasks. We also look ahead to 2026, predicting the evolution of browser agents, the integration of AI in physical robotics, and why the next frontier of artificial general intelligence might actually be found in biological simulation. Whether you are interested in fine-tuning open models, the future of AI-generated content, or how programmable payments through crypto will enable the agentic future, this episode covers the essential trends every AI builder needs to know.

Check out Richardson's work

https://www.nshipyard.com/

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https://x.com/RichardsonDx

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:26 - Frontier Model Race: Gemini 3 vs GPT-5.2

00:07:27 - Open Source AI and the DeepSeek Market Shock

00:12:06 - The Future of AI Interfacing: Voice & Multimodality

00:30:39 - Browser Agents and Agentic Tools for 2026

00:41:58 - Physical AI: The Humanoid Robot Revolution

00:48:20 - The Next Frontier: Why Biology is the Bottleneck for AGI

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Discover how to master your executive function and reclaim your schedule with AI. In Episode 71 of Tool Use, Sam Julien (Director of Developer Relations and Experience at Writer) joins Mike Bird to explore how AI acts as the ultimate equalizer for productivity and mental clarity. We dive deep into practical strategies for reducing the time tax of administrative drudgery, using AI voice-to-text for brain dumping, and leveraging models as rubber duck brainstorming partners. Whether you are navigating new parenthood, managing a fast-paced career, or looking to avoid burnout, this conversation covers the micro-skills that lead to massive quality-of-life improvements. From using local Whisper models for privacy to the role of AI in creative work, learn how to stop the brain rot and start using technology to find your flow.

Learn more about Sam Julien:

http://www.samjulien.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samjulien/

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:21 - Validating AI Engineering: Moving from Hype to Reality

00:02:14 - Mastering Executive Function with AI Voice Dictation

00:06:53 - AI as a Brainstorming Partner and Rubber Duck

00:15:36 - Solving the ROI Challenge: Context Engineering vs. Drudgery

00:18:43 - Leveraging AI to Prevent Burnout and Admin Fatigue

00:26:14 - Navigating AI Monoculture and Preserving Human Connection

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Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Discover the future of front-end development with Cluso, an AI-powered web inspector and browser designed for "vibe coding." In this episode, Jason Kneen returns to demonstrate how to build bespoke AI tools that go beyond simple transcription. We dive deep into implementing voice control with context-aware agents, mastering the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for tool integration, and building fast orchestration layers to route requests between local models and cloud agents like Claude and Gemini. Whether you are interested in Electron app development, context splicing, or multi-view mobile testing, this conversation covers how top builders are creating their own workflows.

Cluso: https://cluso.app/

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:07:54 - Building Voice Control for AI Agents

00:15:20 - Leveraging MCP for Better Tooling

00:19:42 - Fast Orchestration & Model Routing

00:25:06 - Multi-Model Agent Architecture

00:31:13 - Cluso Demo & Workflow

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Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Discover how non-technical founders are building valid MVPs using vibe coding and Cursor, and why you need to move beyond simple AI wrappers. We sit down with Mike Leslie, CEO of Revela, to discuss the critical strategies for de-risking your business from big AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic. Learn when to transition to in-house open-source models, how to fine-tune small language models (SLMs) for specific use cases, and the best methods for structured data collection to build a defensible IP moat.

https://revela.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-leslie-8b48a9141/

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https://x.com/MikeLeslieML

00:00:00 - Intro

00:04:14 - Advice for Non-Technical Founders: The "Vibe Coding" Revolution

00:13:07 - Hiring Strategy: Agency vs. In-House Tech Team

00:15:22 - Why You Must Move AI In-House: Small Language Models (SLMs) & Control

00:21:20 - How to Build a Data Moat: Structured Collection & Fine-Tuning

00:29:28 - The Trap of Thin Wrappers: The Cursor vs. Anthropic Cautionary Tale

Subscribe for more insights on AI tools, productivity, and AI engineering.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Building AI agents is the current trend, but are you doing it correctly? Sam Bhagwat, founder of Mastra, joins Tool Use to breakdown the principles of building reliable AI agents. We discuss why you should use a TypeScript agent framework like Mastra, how to engineer production-grade prompts, and the best patterns for tool calling. Sam explains advanced concepts like observational memory, dynamic agents, and the "lethal trifecta" of security risks. Whether you are building coding agents or enterprise workflows, this episode covers the essential primitives for success.

Mastra: https://mastra.ai/

Get the Book: https://mastra.ai/book

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:19 - When to use an AI Agent Framework

00:06:05 - Principles for designing Agent Tools

00:11:01 - Human-in-the-loop Architectures

00:17:19 - Working Memory vs Long-term Memory

00:32:03 - The "Lethal Trifecta" of Security Risks

Subscribe for more insights on AI tools, productivity, and AI Agents.

Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Turn your Obsidian vault into a fully automated operating system using Claude Code and AI agents. In this episode of Tool Use, physicist and AI explorer Artem Zhutov reveals how to leverage coding agents for non-coding workflows to optimize your productivity.

Discover how to build a dynamic "second brain" that acts as a personal coach, automates daily planning, and streamlines job searches—all while keeping your data local. Artem breaks down his unique setup where Claude Code interacts directly with his Obsidian files, running Python scripts and custom slash commands to create reliable, affordable, and powerful automations. From "just-in-time" context loading to instant voice note transcription with WhisperFlow, this conversation covers the cutting edge of personal knowledge management (PKM) and local AI assistance.

Artem:

Website: https://artemxtech.github.io/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ArtemXTech

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https://x.com/ArtemXTech

00:00:00 - Intro

00:05:25 - How to Identify & Plan AI Workflows

00:11:36 - Building a "Second Brain" Morning Routine

00:17:48 - Automating Job Searches with Claude Code

00:22:03 - Managing Context with Claude.md Helper Files

00:31:55 - Making AI Agents Reliable with Deterministic Scripts

00:43:27 - How to Start Building Coding Agent Workflows

Subscribe for more insights on AI tools, productivity, and automation.

Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

AI Agents, RAG hype, and the "Impossible Triangle" of LLM Infrastructure take center stage in this deep dive with Swyx (Shawn Wang). As the co-founder of AI Engineer and a team member at Cognition, Swyx breaks down why vertical agents are the golden opportunity for developers right now. We explore the decline of standalone vector databases, the rise of MCP vs. Computer Use, and why your prompts shouldn't live in your codebase. Whether you are building AI tools or trying to scale them, this conversation covers the essential shift from "vibe coding" to serious engineering using AI Gateways and proper evaluations.

Swyx's Website: https://www.swyx.io/

Read the Impossible Triangle of LLM Infra: https://www.swyx.io/impossible-triangle

Latent Space: https://www.latent.space/

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https://x.com/swyx

00:00:00 - Intro

00:04:03 - Why Agentic Browsers Haven't Stuck Yet

00:05:33 - Voice vs Slack: The God Interface

00:11:24 - Why MCP Won & The Reality of Integrations

00:18:27 - The Vector Database Hype Cycle

00:20:37 - Why You Should Build Vertical AI Agents

00:30:03 - Stop Putting Prompts in Your Codebase

Subscribe for more insights on AI tools, productivity, and agentic workflows.

Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.

Join the Tool Use Discord: https://discord.gg/PnEGyXpjaX

Explore AI risk mitigation, prompt injection dangers, and AI safety in this deep dive with AI engineering consultant Kyle Clark. We discuss the critical role of human-in-the-loop systems, safe AI implementation strategies for businesses, and the hidden dangers of AI web browsers and context rot. Kyle shares expert insights on leveraging AI tools like Claude Code, managing subagents, the pitfalls of MCP servers, and the build vs. buy debate for AI models. Learn how to use AI safely in your personal life and what companies must do to prepare for an AI transformation, including data governance and permissions management.

Keep up with Kyle Clark

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-clark-tech/

Simon Willison's "The Lethal Trifecta"

https://simonwillison.net/2025/Jun/16/the-lethal-trifecta/

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00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:49 - The New Plane of AI Risk & Prompt Injection

00:10:30 - How Businesses Can Implement AI Safely

00:13:21 - Human in the Loop & Claude Code

00:17:18 - Using Subagents as a Mitigation

00:31:03 - The Build vs. Buy Debate for AI Models

00:36:06 - What is Context Rot (And Why It Matters)

Subscribe for more insights on AI tools, productivity, and AI safety.

Tool Use is a weekly conversation with the top AI experts.