Is software engineering already dead?

In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy & Serge sit down with Nik Wakelin the co-founder of Sterling.

They unpack what AI is actually doing to engineering, startups, and how work gets done.

This isn’t the usual “AI will replace everyone” narrative.

Nik breaks down why we’re not seeing job collapse — we’re seeing something far more important: task collapse.

We get into:

• why software engineering is already changing
• what “task collapse” actually means
• why highly capable people are still doing low-value work
• how AI creates massive leverage for builders
• why the best operators will get exponentially better
• what founders and engineers should be doing right now

If you’re in tech, building a startup, or thinking about how AI impacts your role, this episode will change how you think about the future of work.

Startup Theatre explores the real shifts happening in startups, technology, and how companies are being built today.

Checkout Sterling 👉🏻 https://histerling.com/

Building a startup isn’t what most people think.

In this episode of Startup Theatre, Adrienne & Serge sit down with Martyn Bain to talk about the reality of building a global company from New Zealand — and the moments that nearly break you.

From leaving corporate after a defining moment at home, to chasing international deals, to being days away from signing something that could have changed everything… only for it to fall apart.

We get into:

• the moment that pushed Martyn to leave corporate
• why early customers say yes… but don’t commit
• the brutal reality of enterprise sales
• why “signed contracts” don’t mean what you think
• how deals fall over at the last minute
• what it actually takes to build and scale globally from NZ

This is a raw look at the pressure, setbacks, and persistence behind building a real company.

If you’re a founder, operator, or thinking about starting something, this episode will give you a far more honest picture of the journey.

Startup Theatre explores the real stories behind startups — not just the wins, but everything in between.

AI is changing how startups are built.

In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy Hammond sits down with Toby Cox, founder of Geodde and former Partner & CTO of Paloma (Dovetail), to talk about why he walked away from leading large engineering teams to build an AI startup completely solo.

After years scaling companies and managing teams of more than 100 engineers, Toby is now running an experiment: building a company with almost no team and using AI agents to do much of the work.

We discuss:

• Why experienced CTOs are leaving leadership roles to build with AI
• How AI coding agents are replacing the work of junior engineers
• Whether “solo unicorn” companies are now possible
• How startups can influence what ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini say about their business
• Why venture capital may not be required to start a company anymore

Toby also shares the thinking behind Geodde, a platform helping companies monitor and shape how their brand appears inside AI tools.

If you're a founder, builder, investor, or curious about where startups are heading next, this conversation explores how AI may reshape how companies are built.

Startup Theatre explores the real stories behind startups, founders, and the evolving tech ecosystem.