ai
Learn how the smartest people in the world are using AI to think, create, and relate. Each week I interview founders, filmmakers, writers, investors, and others about how they use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney in their work and in their lives. We screen-share through their historical chats and then experiment with AI live on the show. Join us to discover how AI is changing how we think about our world—and ourselves. For more essays, interviews, and experiments at the forefront of AI: https://every.to/chain-of-thought?sort=newest.
Katie Parrott, a staff writer at Every, shares her journey from AI skepticism to leveraging AI tools like ChatGPT and Codex to enhance her writing process and career. Initially turning to ChatGPT as a career coach after being laid off, she discovered its potential as a 'tool for thought' to externalize her thinking and gain perspective.
Katie Parrott describes how she transformed into a 'content agency of one' by leveraging AI to manage an overwhelming freelance workload. By focusing on 'context engineering' and providing detailed foundational information, she was able to generate a high volume of content, including blog posts, ebooks, and social media updates, in a short period.
Katie Parrott discusses how AI has become a powerful supportive technology, helping her manage bipolar disorder and anxiety. She shares how AI tools have reduced friction in her daily life, from making medical appointments to managing her inbox, allowing her to focus on more impactful work.
Katie Parrott's initial AI career coach, a ChatGPT instance, has evolved into a sophisticated Codix project. This project now includes a dossier on her role, context about Every's brand positioning, and manages her priorities, project management, and Kanban board, acting as a 'chief of staff'.
Katie Parrott discusses the launch of her Compound Writing plugin, inspired by Kieran Klassen's Compound Engineering. The plugin aims to improve writing by treating feedback as cumulative, offering a structured 'workout system' that incorporates elements from esteemed writers like Kurt Vonnegut and Alfred Hitchcock to enhance the writing process.
Katie Parrott presents her thesis that education and access are paramount for the equitable distribution of AI's benefits. She advocates for making AI tools accessible to a broader range of people, regardless of their location or economic background, to prevent value from concentrating among a select few.
Sarah emphasizes a historical pattern in consumer technology, noting that early successful companies like Google were led by deeply technical founders. As the technology matured, product thinkers and experience innovators like those at Snap and Instagram took the lead. She predicts a similar trajectory for AI products.
Sarah believes that despite ChatGPT's advanced capabilities, its current 'single player mode' limits its potential. She suggests that the next major consumer win in AI will come from a user-generated content (UGC) community where skilled users make the technology more accessible for others.
The host highlights OpenAI's unique position of a research lab accidentally creating a massive consumer product, drawing parallels to Google's origins. Sarah notes that venture capital typically doesn't favor long-term, uncertain research bets, but such bets can pay off significantly with new technology paradigms.
Sarah predicts that the future of AI product development will be dominated by 'product geniuses' rather than solely technical founders. She observes a shift in hiring trends, with companies increasingly seeking individuals who can effectively leverage and conceptualize AI tools.
A key debate in AI is whether it will lead to more product commoditization or specialization. Sarah argues for the latter, suggesting that companies excelling at building highly specialized AI products will thrive, creating opportunities for platforms built on top of AI models.
Kevin Kelly shared his early experiences with virtual reality in 1987, noting its significant cost difference compared to today. He expressed surprise at how slowly VR technology has progressed, suggesting it's still waiting for its 'LM moment.'
Kevin Kelly discussed his profound admiration for Annie Dillard's writing, particularly 'Pilgrim at Tinker Creek,' which he discovered in a library in Sri Lanka. He credits her unique blend of detailed observation, scientific trivia, and profound introspection as a key influence on his own writing.
The conversation highlighted Annie Dillard's ability to balance descriptions of beauty with explorations of the world's 'worst' aspects, such as her chapter on insects. Kelly noted that this capacity for both the sublime and the stark makes her writing particularly compelling.
Chris, co-founder and CEO of Granola, suggests that the initial hype around AI meeting notes is just the beginning of a larger computing revolution. He believes the current state of AI applications will pale in comparison to what's coming next, focusing on how work interfaces will evolve in an AI-native world.
Granola CEO Chris shared his perspective on the inherent difficulty of startups, stating that they are 'knife fights' regardless of whether they are succeeding or failing. He admitted he was unprepared for the intensity of managing a successful startup, likening it to desperately trying not to fall off a surfboard during a big wave.
Dan, CEO of Every, highlighted the rapid pace of change in the AI industry, mentioning the recent release of Claude's Slack agent. He emphasized the need for companies to be prepared for quick shifts and to build on foundational elements that will be important for the future.
Chris, CEO of Granola, addressed the issue of competitors copying their AI meeting notes feature, including Notion, OpenAI, and Zoom. He takes a long-term view, stating that current competition is less important than capturing future opportunities in the evolving AI landscape. He also noted that they were inspired by earlier meeting note-taking AI.
Chris, CEO of Granola, identified a significant challenge in scaling the 'soul' or consistent, coherent feel of their product as the team grows. He finds it difficult to maintain this quality while also benefiting from a larger team working on complex problems.
Dan, CEO of Every, shared a mental model for structuring early-stage product teams, dividing roles into 'pirate' and 'architect.' The pirate focuses on rapid development to find value, while the architect pairs with them to ensure sustainability and scalability.
Chris, CEO of Granola, discussed the significant challenge of scaling his team from a previous startup of 12 people to their current size of between 16 and 70. He highlighted organizing humans and maintaining product coherence as key difficulties in this growth phase.