Show Notes
Today’s daily: a concise look at building an AI-agent focused empire, what tools I’m testing, and why I’m pivoting my stack to TanStack over Next.js.
AI Agents and the Agent Stack
- Spotlight: a friend’s deep dive on the Agent Development Kit (3-hour video) from Crew AI. Worth watching if you’re into this stack.
- The goal: deployable agents with real, scalable workflows. I’m exploring how to turn agentic concepts into usable pipelines.
Tools, Partnerships, and News
- Apple teaming up with Enthropic could shake up the iOS dev ecosystem; big communities on both sides.
- Mentions of incentives like a reduced “30% tax” for US groups, suggesting favorable conditions for dev tooling and distribution.
Echo and the Skill Gap Playbook
- Echo is my Python-based project to map and close skill gaps.
- Key takeaways:
- Identify your skill gaps early.
- Build habits to push through gaps (practice, review, iterate).
- Don’t tool-hop: pick 1–2 tools, master them, and map each tool to a stage in the software development lifecycle.
- Choose tools based on your use case and where you are in the journey.
Cursor Context: What I Add
- I checked out Cursor’s Cursor Context article and found it thin in spots; I add my own context and critique to strengthen the takeaways.
Community and the Multi-Legged Empire
- The core idea: a multi-legged business model, not a solo one-man band.
- Three pillars:
- AI-first SAS
- AI-first marketing
- Paid community (content, updates, Discord access)
- Online element: low-ticket membership (~$50 now, moving toward $100), plus access to updated material and community discussions.
- Future legs:
- Marketplace to broker tool deals for members
- In-person events to deepen relationships
- Why this matters: long-term value from networks and relationships, not just quick profits.
Why I’m Leaving Next.js for TanStack
- Personal coding journey: started with HTML/CSS, then JavaScript, then Next.js early days.
- Core issue: Next.js’ frequent changes introduce non-transferable patterns, making long-term maintenance painful.
- The appeal of TanStack tools: faster DX, more transferable web primitives, and documented patterns that map cleanly to the web stack.
- Practical impact: DX is bananas fast; predictive building helps avoid costly infrastructure costs (e.g., server/render costs when running at scale).
- Bottom line: I’m choosing a stack that stays practical, lightweight, and consistent across projects.
Your Turn: What Are You Using?
- Curious what you’re using for AI tools, frameworks, and dev workflows. Drop a comment with your current stack and pain points.
Quick Takeaways
- Master 1–2 tools, map each to a SDLC step, and avoid tool-hopping.
- Build agentic workflows with a long-term, multi-leg business mindset.
- If you’re considering a framework shift, test TanStack (Router/Query) for DX and transferability before sticking with Next.js.