We're looking back at what our thoughts were about 2025, and scheming ideas and plans for 2026. How do you hand over decision making in your business in an AI world? How does remote work first affect junior developers? And do you panic when sales slow down? Adjust? Rethink everything?

Timestamps:

• (00:06) - Does Transistor get quiet around the Xmas holidays?
• (02:08) - Dealing with insecurity in business
• (05:34) - The Panel in 2026
• (07:09) - Looking back on 2025
• (12:54) - What kind of person is going to do well in 2026?
• (20:51) - Figuring out how to hand over decision making to junior developers
• (28:10) - Remote work vs local work
• (32:35) - Every business is a people business, every problem is a people problem, every solution is a people solution
• (41:03) - We can make requests and we can have boundaries
• (45:08) - What do I want?
• (48:29) - Should Brian diversify his marketing funnel away from YouTube?
• (01:05:06) - Building a cloud service for my products
• (01:24:04) - Building Inbox Summaries
• (01:28:27) - Rewriting for Marketing for Developers for AI

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Links mentioned in this episode:

• Bootstrapped Web | 2025 recap & 2026 outlook
• Design OS
• Adam Wathan
• Chris Enns / 🍋
• Tuple
• Taylor Otwell
• Obsidian
• Every
• ONCE
• Lars Lofgren
• Marketing for Developers

Justin shares his thoughts on competition crushing his business, Brian contemplates open sourcing an idea for front end AI tooling, and when should you run with a new idea vs knowing when to drop it.

Timestamps:

• (00:00) - Get into it!
• (00:47) - A founder has to worry about threats and opportunities
• (17:55) - What got us here won't get us there
• (28:42) - Why are trials increasing in 2025?
• (34:20) - An update on Builder Methods
• (40:11) - Deciding when to drop or maintain a project
• (51:07) - People want AI on rails
• (01:12:28) - 37Signals new product Fizzy
• (01:15:52) - What's the benefit to open sourcing a project?
• (01:32:59) - Leaving some value on the table

• 🎤 Send us an audio or video message
• 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com
• 📺 Leave a comment on YouTube
  
• 🦋 Reply on Bluesky
  

Links mentioned in this episode

• Adam’s morning walk podcast
• Brian’s personal site
• Brian’s DesignOS announcement
• 37signals Fizzy
• Nathan Barry “Leave some value on the table”
• Tailwind CSS Insiders
• Rework podcast “picking a price”

Brian and Justin discuss the recent launch of Filterhawk, which Brian built to replace Gmail's built-in filters. They also talk about SaaS marketing strategies (which channels still work?). Justin shares some initial numbers from the Black Friday sale.

Timestamps:

• (00:06) - Follow up on last week's Justin mystery
• (02:51) - Brian launching Filterhawk
• (13:29) - How did Brian build Filterhawk in a week?
• (26:32) - The refinement phase
• (34:59) - Transistor's Black Friday sales
• (44:34) - BuilderMethodsPro Black Friday deal
• (49:34) - Brian's entering phase 2 of Builder Methods
• (01:06:28) - Thinking about where we have gaps in knowledge of our customers
• (01:09:45) - Thinking about marketing to teams and larger companies

• 🎤 Send us an audio or video message
• 📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com
• 📺 Leave a comment on YouTube
  
• 🦋 Reply on Bluesky
  

Links mentioned in this episode

• FilterHawk – Take Control of Your Gmail Inbox
• Inertia.js
• shadcn/ui
• Claude
• Cursor
• Google Gemini
• superwhisper
• Wispr Flow
• Improving frontend design through Skills | Claude
• Hatchbox.io
• Forge
• Rewardful
• Stripe Sigma
• Panic – Nova
• Google Antigravity
• From AI skeptic to UNFAIR advantage – YouTube
• How remote work changed my life
• Podscan.fm