Ctrl Alt Dev

MonkeyPants Productions
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Ctrl Alt Dev is a podcast for software founders, digital leaders and curious builders navigating the fast-changing world of tech, AI, and business. Hosted by two veteran tech founders, Paul Rhodes & Sean Sale. each episode cuts through the hype with honest conversations, sharp war stories, and frameworks that actually work. Expect real talk on pricing, project chaos, automation, and scaling, all designed to help you build smarter, lead better, and stay sane.

  1. 1h ago

    Episode #32: Vibe Coding at Scale: Mind Studio Remy, Ponytail, and the $75 App vs. the £3,000 Bill

    Hosts: Sean Sale and Paul Rhodes Guest: Peter Lowe (Marketer, Non-Coder, and AI Builder) Welcome back to CTRL-ALT-DEV! Ten months ago, our very first guest predicted that AI would eventually take a written specification and autonomously build functional software within 18 months. It took just six. Today, Peter Lowe is back in the studio to discuss what he got right, what he missed, and how the bottleneck has officially shifted from writing code to writing clear, unambiguous requirements. We dive deep into the world of "vibe coding" and explore how Peter built a highly sophisticated, end-to-end studio management tool on Mind Studio for just $75 in API tokens—while others in his peer groups are racking up astronomical bills of £3,000 to £30,000 on the exact same platform by making a critical mistake: failing to write a Product Requirements Document (PRD). Key Topics & Highlights: The Rapid Pace of Model Capability: Peter explains how the exponential growth of frontier models (like Fable and Sol) caught him off guard, turning what seemed like a futuristic 18-month software building prediction into a 6-month reality. What is a PRD & Why Does a "Vibe Coder" Need One? Peter defines the Product Requirements Document (PRD) as the ultimate tool for non-technical builders to ensure "no stone is left unturned". By using Claude to brutally interrogate his logic before writing a single line of code, Peter eliminated expensive trial-and-error prompting. The $75 App vs. The £3,000 Code Bill: How do two people build on the same platform and end up with wildly different costs? Peter reveals that "riffing and freestyling" with premier models without a PRD forces the AI to constantly guess your intent, building massive token overhead. By contrast, uploading a highly structured PRD tells the AI exactly what "done" looks like from the start. Saving Tokens with the "Ponytail" & "Caveman" Principles: YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It) & Ponytail: Named after the experienced, Windows 95-era developers who sit in basements, this prompting style forces the AI to stop bloating the codebase, reuse existing functions, and avoid duplicate effort. Peter notes this technique has been shown to cut token burn by roughly 60%. Caveman: A technique that strips away the polite verbosity of AI models ("Please let me help you with that...") to deliver monosyllabic, direct instructions (e.g., "button now red"), saving thousands of billable conversation tokens. The Rise of Remy (Mind Studio): Peter introduces Remy, Mind Studio's new platform-agnostic business operating layer designed for compliance, corporate governance, and structured documentation. Remy helps businesses rein in the security risk of "40 untracked AI projects" happening in silos by giving user-builders access to an on-brand, fully visible company ecosystem. Alex Hormozi, Leverage, and the Illusion of Productivity: Paul shares an insight from entrepreneur Alex Hormozi: just because AI makes a task incredibly easy and fast to execute doesn't mean the task actually needs to be done in the first place. We discuss how to maintain focus on high-impact business bottlenecks. This Week's Key Takeaways: The timeline has broken: Everything is accelerating faster than we realize. Plan accordingly. Clarity is the job: Coding is no longer the scarce skill—writing unambiguous, structured briefs is the real superpower. Governance over chaos: 40 invisible, rogue AI apps inside a company represents a risk register, not a digital strategy. Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode Mind Studio & Remy: https://www.mindstudio.ai/ (The AI platform discussed throughout the episode, specifically their business platform, Remy). Claude (by Anthropic): https://claude.ai/ (The AI model Peter uses to brainstorm, interrogate, and draft his PRDs). Alex Hormozi & Acquisition.com: https://www.acquisition.com/ (Paul references Hormozi's podcast on AI productivity, leverage, and qualifying tasks). YAGNI (You Aren't Gonna Need It): Learn more about this core software development design principle. Ponytail & Caveman Prompts: (Peter references discovering these token-saving developer philosophies on YouTube and GitHub to reduce conversation verbosity). Send in Your Questions: Email Sean and Paul at podcast@ggapps.co.uk to get Peter's custom PRD generator skill or GGA's Episode 8 discovery template!

    Episode #32: Vibe Coding at Scale: Mind Studio Remy, Ponytail, and the $75 App vs. the £3,000 Bill

  2. Jul 17

    Episode #31: The "Monzo of Wills": Taking an AI Prototype to Production (Part 2)

    Hosts: Sean Sale and Paul Rhodes Guest: Matthew Turner (Founder and CEO of NovaWIL) Welcome back to Episode 31 of CTRL-ALT-DEV, and Part 2 of our incredible conversation with Matthew Turner, the human rights barrister turned "vibe coder" who is disrupting the 200-year-old will-writing industry! Following up on Episode 29, we explore the critical transition from having a working AI prototype built in Lovable, to launching a secure, commercial software product. Matthew opens up about the dangers of "blissful ignorance" in AI coding, why true validation requires cold paying customers, and his ultimate vision to build the "Monzo of Wills". Key Topics & Highlights: The "Blissful Ignorance" of Vibe Coding: Matthew admits that while Lovable got him far, he was in a state of blissful ignorance regarding actual software security. It took his wife Gabby, who works in the US tech startup space, to point out the vital need for external security validation before rolling out to real customers. Why Every Vibe Coder Needs a Glenn: Matthew brought in his friend Glenn as CTO to review the AI-generated code. Glenn immediately jumped into the codebase via VS Code and GitHub to fix critical password and authentication issues that AI builders like Lovable simply aren't designed to manage across the full Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The Lean Startup & "The Mom Test": We discuss why your friends and family are the absolute worst people to ask for feedback, as they will naturally lie to protect your feelings. We break down lean methodologies, including Steve Blank's customer discovery and Rob Fitzpatrick's "The Mom Test," proving that a product is only truly validated when a cold customer pays for it. Going All In: Unlike many founders who build on the side, Matthew hasn't taken a legal case since February, going "all in" on NovaWIL. The hosts discuss how this creates a healthy pressure to make rapid, decisive business choices. The North Star – "The Monzo of Wills": Matthew shares his ultimate vision for the platform: dragging a traditional B2C industry into the 21st century by offering a modern, digital-first, self-service application with a beautifully crafted user experience. Traction & The Beta Launch: NovaWIL has officially moved from Alpha to Beta, bringing in completely cold customers without manual outreach. The platform already boasts 60+ accounts, 50+ completed wills, early revenue, and their first B2B distribution partnership with a local mortgage broker. Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode NovaWIL Website: https://www.novawill.co.uk/  NovaWIL Socials: Instagram @NovaWillUK and @MatthewTurnerBarrister. Tools & AI Platforms Discussed: Lovable: https://lovable.dev/ (The AI builder platform Matthew used for the MVP). PostHog: https://posthog.com/ (The platform Matthew uses for product analytics and tracking user flows). VS Code (VSC) & GitHub: https://code.visualstudio.com/ & https://github.com/ (The developer environments CTO Glenn used to fix the AI prototype's code). Monzo: https://monzo.com/ (The digital bank Matthew cites as his "North Star" model for user experience). Books & Frameworks: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries: https://theleanstartup.com/ (The foundational methodology Matthew and Paul discuss regarding rapid iteration and MVPs). The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick: https://www.momtestbook.com/ (Paul's recommendation for learning how to conduct cold customer interviews without bias). Steve Blank's Customer Discovery: https://steveblank.com/tag/customer-discovery/ (Referenced by Paul regarding the mantra to "get out of the building" for real market feedback). How I Built This Podcast by Guy Raz: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNSfrxNEmCruNtjIzxCBHjg (Mentioned by Matthew as a major inspiration from hearing other entrepreneurs navigate the ugly MVP phase).

    Episode #31: The "Monzo of Wills": Taking an AI Prototype to Production (Part 2)

  3. Jul 10

    Episode #30: Behind the Mic: The Reality of Podcasting, AI Editing, and Authenticity

    Hosts: Sean Sale and Paul Rhodes Guest: Pete Morgan (Founder, Monkey Pants Productions) Welcome to Episode 30 of CTRL-ALT-DEV! It is a massive milestone for us as we officially celebrate over a year of the podcast. To mark the occasion, we are flipping the script. Every week, someone makes us sound like we actually know what we're doing, and today, we're putting him on the other side of the microphone. We are joined by our own podcast editor, producer, and mentor, Pete Morgan from Monkey Pants Productions. With over 30 years in BBC radio and a decade running his own production company, Pete shares his frontline experience on how the podcasting industry has exploded, why DIY editing is a trap for founders, the genuine limitations of AI editors, and the absolute importance of authenticity. Key Topics & Highlights: The Origin of "Monkey Pants": Pete shares his transition from three decades in BBC radio to starting his own business, and the hilarious story behind his memorable company name. The Podcasting Boom & The 75% Rule: Is the podcast market too noisy? Pete explains that while over 3,000 new podcasts were launched daily during the pandemic, 75% of them don't last longer than a month. Podcasting remains a beautifully democratic space for niche interests. AI Editing vs. Human Judgment: Sean shares his own painful attempts at DIY video editing. Pete breaks down why AI editing tools can only get you 80% of the way there. AI makes binary decisions based on waveforms, which means it blindly cuts out the "human moments" (like Paul's cat interrupting the recording) because it lacks the subjective, emotional ear of a human producer. Audio vs. Video (The YouTube Factor): Should your podcast be video or audio-only? Pete advises doing what you can consistently commit to. However, putting your podcast on YouTube is non-negotiable—it is the biggest discovery engine for listeners under 35. Microphones & Studio Gear: Why a £5 microphone will sound exactly like a £5 microphone. Pete gives his recommendations on studio gear and warns against ever using your built-in laptop mic. Pete's Top Advice for Beginners: Don't over-plan. Too many people spend two years planning a podcast only to abandon it after four episodes. Just get a decent microphone, start recording, and find your voice. The Parting Wisdom: Listeners can subconsciously sniff out inauthenticity. If you aren't being genuine, they will leave and find someone who is. Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode Guest Links: Monkey Pants Productions: https://monkeypantsproductions.co.uk/ (Pete Morgan's production company). Pete Morgan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/podcasts/ (Look for the "gurning moon face with a goatee!"). Podcasting Tools & Hardware Discussed: Headliner: https://www.headliner.app/ (The web app Pete partners with to create audiograms with sound waves for YouTube and social media). Podcasts Mentioned: Scale Up Radio: Hosted by Kevin Brent (Mentioned as one of Pete's longest-running clients, currently approaching 630 episodes). The Puppy Podcast: (Pete's very first journal-style podcast from 2017).

    Episode #30: Behind the Mic: The Reality of Podcasting, AI Editing, and Authenticity

  4. Jul 3

    Episode #29: From Barrister to Vibe Coder: Disrupting a 200-Year-Old Industry with AI

    Hosts: Sean Sale and Paul Rhodes Guest: Matthew Turner (Practicing human rights barrister, Founder and CEO of NovaWIL) Welcome to Episode 29 of CTRL-ALT-DEV! In today's "Guest Interview" format, Sean and Paul sit down with Matthew Turner, a practicing human rights barrister who built and launched an AI-powered legal platform with absolutely zero coding experience. Matthew shares his journey from handling intense wrongful death inquests to realizing the UK is facing a massive "will crisis". We dive into how he used AI tools like Lovable to build his MVP, why having a clear plan saved him from building "spaghetti code," and why every non-technical founder eventually needs a technical CTO to handle security. Plus, Paul has to temporarily pause the recording to find his missing cat! Key Topics & Highlights: The Heavy Reality of Law: Matthew shares his background working in human rights law, specifically representing families in wrongful death cases involving prisons, police custody, and social care. This close proximity to unexpected mortality heavily influenced his decision to build NovaWIL. The 200-Year-Old Problem: The primary legislation for wills is the Wills Act 1837, making it a market centuries ripe for disruption. Currently, an estimated 60% of the UK adult population does not have a will, leaving millions of families unprotected. What a Will Actually Does: Matthew breaks down the core functions of a simple will: naming executors to manage the process, appointing guardians for children under 18, distributing assets, and setting out funeral wishes. NovaWIL vs. Traditional Solicitors: The traditional market locks out working parents who don't have time for weekday solicitor appointments or filling out 8-page Word document forms. NovaWIL solves this with an intuitive, AI-guided chat flow (featuring an avatar named Nova, after Matthew's daughter) that gathers your data via natural conversation to instantly generate a legally sound simple will. The "Vibe Coder" Journey: Matthew is a self-proclaimed vibe coder who hasn't looked at a single line of code. He initially looked at no-code tools but landed on Lovable to build his MVP. His secret to success? He didn't just prompt blindly; he brought a complete package of legal architecture to the AI, functioning essentially as a Product Requirements Document (PRD). The Dual-Screen AI Trick: Paul shares a massive tip for vibe coders: use an LLM like Claude as your "senior developer" on one screen to plan your prompts before pasting them into a paid builder like Lovable on the other, saving expensive tokens and avoiding bad code. Matthew confirms he used this exact method with ChatGPT and Claude. Why You Eventually Need a CTO: Matthew's wife Gabby (who has an electrical engineering background) urged him to bring in a technical co-founder to ensure the personal data was completely locked down. Matthew brought on Glenn, a technical CTO, to take the platform from a rudimentary MVP to a stable, safe, and secure product. Part 2 Teaser: We ran out of time, so Matthew and Glenn will be returning for Part 2 to discuss the future of the product, scaling, and the impact of AI on the legal profession!   Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode Guest Links: NovaWIL Website: https://www.novawill.co.uk/  Matthew's Instagram: @MatthewTurnerBarrister (Where Matthew posts educational videos on wills). NovaWIL Instagram: @NovaWillUK. Tools & AI Platforms Discussed: Lovable: https://lovable.dev/  Claude (Anthropic): https://claude.ai/  ChatGPT (OpenAI): https://chatgpt.com/  CoCounsel (by Thomson Reuters): https://legal.thomsonreuters.com/en/counsel  Concepts & Additional Resources: Alex Hormozi: https://www.acquisition.com/  Submit Your Questions: podcast@ggapps.co.uk

    Episode #29: From Barrister to Vibe Coder: Disrupting a 200-Year-Old Industry with AI

  5. Jun 26

    Episode #28: The AI Code Audit: From Prototype to Production

    Welcome to Episode 28 of CTRL-ALT-DEV! Today, Sean and Paul strip back the format for a fireside "Deep Dive" into the reality of AI-assisted software development. With tools like Replit, Lovable, and Bolt, founders are building working software faster than ever. But there is a massive hidden gap between a shiny prototype and a production-ready application. Because AI sounds incredibly confident and presents everything as correct, builders often don't realize the risks hiding beneath the surface. I n this episode, we unpack why every piece of "vibe-coded" software needs a comprehensive Code Audit before it goes anywhere near real users. Key Topics & Highlights: The Vibe Coder Dilemma: Vibe coders are often shrewd business owners trying to replace expensive SaaS subscriptions with their own AI-built tools. While they understand their market and price points perfectly, they often lack knowledge of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). The Iceberg Analogy: Users see the visible 20% (beautiful dashboards and UI), but the invisible 80% below the surface holds all the risk. Paul explains the doomsday scenario: an unsupervised AI fixing a bug at 3 AM that inadvertently locks out 100 site workers the next morning. The 11 Pillars of Great Software: Inspired by a pre-AI developer conference, Paul details the foundational pillars of software that AI often ignores. These include security (zero-day vulnerabilities), performance bottlenecks, code maintainability, accessibility, automated testing, and proper database schemas. End-of-Life Compliance: When you roll an app out, it relies on hundreds of thousands of underlying packages and node modules. Paul explains how these frameworks often reach "end of life" for security updates within two years, requiring constant active maintenance. The £3,000/Month AI Trap: The hidden costs of auto-scaling AI apps are huge. Paul shares a story of a client spending £3,000 a month on Replit due to spaghetti code and auto-scaling. They dropped their costs to under £200 a month by exporting the code, moving to Railway for hosting, and using Claude Code. The True Value of AI Builders: Vibe coding is the ultimate prototyping tool. It allows founders to build an MVP, prove market demand, and even secure investment (like one user who successfully deployed a native app to TestFlight with 40-60 users). Once the prototype proves the concept, you hand the blueprint over to a professional dev team to scale safely. Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode Replit, Lovable, & Bolt: https://replit.com/, https://lovable.dev/, https://bolt.new/ (The AI-assisted development platforms mentioned for rapid prototyping and vibe coding). Claude Code (Anthropic): https://claude.ai/ (The AI tool Paul recommends for maintaining the codebase more affordably once exported). Railway: https://railway.app/ (The hosting platform mentioned where a client moved their exported app to pay just £5 a month). Endoflife.date: https://endoflife.date/ (Paul specifically recommends this website to check when software frameworks and dependencies stop getting security updates). Submit Your Questions: mailto:podcast@ggapps.co.uk (The email address provided for listeners to submit their topics or code audit requests).

    Episode #28: The AI Code Audit: From Prototype to Production

  6. Jun 19

    Episode #27: The AI Operating Layer, Lean Methodology, and Eliminating Business Waste

    Hosts: Sean Sale and Paul Rhodes Guest: Craig Hellen (Managing Director & Co-Founder, Bex Media) Welcome to Episode 27 of CTRL-ALT-DEV! After rushing off mid-recording in Episode 25, Craig Hellen of Bex Media is back. This time, we step away from the creative outputs of AI (like voiceovers and video) and look under the hood at how Craig is using AI as a deep "operating layer" across finance, operations, and standard operating procedures (SOPs). We dive heavily into the "Cult of Lean," exploring how to apply manufacturing efficiency principles to digital workspaces, the frustration of limited software integrations (MCPs), and how to set up an "AI Brain" that interviews you to find the hidden waste in your business. Key Topics & Highlights: The World Cup Intro: A quick catch-up on the World Cup kickoff, FIFA video games, and Paul's unprecedented red card streak. AI as an Operating Layer: Why standard bolt-on AI tools aren't enough. Craig explains how his technical background allows Bex Media to rapidly test and deploy AI to reduce duplication and rework across their entire project management system. The Cult of Lean: Craig breaks down his "penny drop" moment with Lean methodology. We discuss the 8 Wastes of Lean—specifically overproduction, excess processing, and the massive underutilization of talent in the AI era. The Changing Job Landscape: Paul shares his observation that AI isn't causing massive job replacements yet; instead, businesses are removing the 80% grunt work so their existing staff can pivot to human-centric roles (like sales and relationship building) to drive 20% growth. Real-World Waste Reduction: Craig shares a brilliant physical example of Lean: using AI to reorganize his physical studio space, reducing setup time for social media shoots from two hours down to just two minutes. The "AI Brain" Interview Technique: Don't just give AI a blank prompt. Paul and Craig detail a masterclass workflow: Tell Claude or Gemini that it is a Lean Consultant, give it your company context, and ask it to generate 40 interview questions to diagnose your business waste. The Frustration of Limited MCPs: Craig vents his frustrations with Monday.com's Model Context Protocol (MCP) limitations, which artificially block him from automating certain board creations. Paul explains why they have actively canceled over £5,000 in SaaS subscriptions simply because those tools refused to allow open AI connectivity. Takeaway Challenge For This Week: Spend one hour with your AI tool of choice. Tell it what your business does, explain your processes, and ask it one simple question: Where is the waste?. Promised Show Notes Extras: The 8 Wastes & Your Copy/Paste Prompt During the show, Paul promised to provide a link to the 8 Wastes of Lean and a cookie-cutter prompt for listeners to use. Article to read: The 8 Wastes of Lean Explained  Copy & Paste AI Prompt: Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode Guest Links: Bex Media: bexmedia.net. Craig Hellen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hellen-8020616/ Podcasts, Books & Methodologies: Lean Made Simple Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@leanmadesimple   Two Second Lean by Paul Akers: Mentioned by Craig as the standard popular book on Lean methodology - https://www.worldofbooks.com/en-gb/products/2-second-lean-how-to-grow-people-and-build-a-book-paul-a-akers-9781466258556?sku=GOR012042001&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=17415896148&gbraid=0AAAAADZzAIDEp7m016BaYU4vDnwJLUqK6&gclid=Cj0KCQjwi8nRBhDhARIsAHZf_pbRyDho4CfUR9-tsVJhoDZPj5BvQZq-ClReNjC06WP_njacH-Egx9AaAlRKEALw_wcB   The Lean Startup: https://theleanstartup.com/ Jason Fried / 37signals: https://37signals.com/podcast/guest/jason-fried/ Tools & Platforms: Monday.com: The work management software Craig uses as Bex Media's "home for our business online". Notion: The workspace app Paul uses heavily for SOPs, playbooks, and Kanban boards. Claude / Claude Cowork (Anthropic): The primary AI tool Paul and Craig recommend for building an "AI Brain" and connecting via MCP to sources of truth. Google Drive: Used by Paul as the version-controlled "gold master" source of truth for GGA's documents. Trello: Mentioned by Paul as a tool they completely migrated away from in just an hour using AI and Notion. Replit: Referenced by Paul regarding "vibe coders" who skip the planning phase and end up over-engineering Other Resources Submit your Admin Nightmares: mailto:podcast@ggapps.co.uk Paul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ukwebdevelopment/ Sean's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seansale/ Ctrl+Alt+Dev YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ctrlaltdevpodcast Ctrl+Alt+Dev Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NF9wHGBjqTFNowfbBbODc Ctrl+Alt+Dev Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-alt-dev/id1825374857

    Episode #27: The AI Operating Layer, Lean Methodology, and Eliminating Business Waste

  7. Jun 5

    Episode #26: The £5,000 AI Meal Planner & Reverse Food Waste

    Hosts: Sean Sale and Paul Rhodes Welcome to Episode 26 of CTRL-ALT-DEV! Today, we are stripping back the format—no guests, no slides—to discuss one of the most unexpected and life-changing AI experiments we've built to date: the AI Meal Planner. What started as a simple test to make cooking easier has morphed into a system that slashes food waste, completely eliminates duplicate supermarket purchases, and could easily save families up to £5,000 a year. We dive into the shocking reality of UK food waste, the concept of "reverse meal planning," and how Paul went from a Notion-based AI workflow to coding his own custom app in just 15 minutes. Key Topics & Highlights: The Jaw-Dropping Stats on UK Food Waste: We set the scene with data from WRAP showing that UK households throw away 6 million tons of food and drink every year (costing £17 billion globally, or roughly £1,000 per family of four). A staggering 73% of this is perfectly edible food, and 80% of waste simply comes down to cooking too much or not using food in time. Surprisingly, 18-34-year-olds are the worst offenders. The Cost of Convenience: Sean makes a painful confession: he spent £5,000 on takeaways alone last year, bringing his total food budget to a shocking £13,000 annually. Paul shares how he used the financial app Snoop to realize he was wasting massive amounts of money on daily convenience store trips. Reverse Meal Planning: Why standard meal planning fails. Instead of starting with a blank sheet of paper and buying new ingredients, "reverse meal planning" starts with an inventory of what you already have in the fridge and pantry (prioritizing items that are expiring soon) and building a gap-fill shopping list from there. The MVP AI Workflow: Paul details his 15-minute Saturday routine: he uses Whisper Flow to audio-dictate his cupboard inventory, and then Claude Cowork scans his family's calendar, cross-references 17 digital recipe books, and pushes the required ingredients straight to Notion and the Bring! shopping app. From Prompt to Custom App in 15 Minutes: Using Claude Code and a solid Product Requirements Document (PRD), Paul actually built his own local meal planner app overnight to streamline the entire process, removing the need for third-party apps like Bring! and Notion. Scanning for UPFs (Ultra-Processed Foods): Inspired by Chris van Tulleken's book Ultra-Processed People, Paul talks about trying to eliminate UPFs. Since apps like Yuka only show nutritional scores, Paul is now integrating a custom barcode scanner into his app to cross-reference ingredients for UPFs while at the supermarket. (Listener Challenge: Have you figured out a way to automate the checkout basket directly to Sainsbury's, Tesco, Aldi, or Ocado using AI? We are still experimenting with this and want to hear your workflows! Email us to share, or request our prompts!) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode Paul and Sean can be found here: Paul Rhodes - paul@ggapps.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/ukwebdevelopment/   Sean Sale - sean@justapplications.co.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/seansale/ The Apps & AI Tools: Claude Cowork / Claude Code (by Anthropic): https://claude.ai (The core AI tools Paul used for the automation and to code the custom app). Bring!: https://www.getbring.com/ (The one-click digital shopping list app Sean and Paul use). Notion: https://www.notion.so/ (The workspace tool Paul used for his MVP meal and staple planning). Snoop: https://snoop.app/ (The financial tracking app Paul used to auto-categorize his spending and identify takeaway/grocery waste). Yuka: https://yuka.io/en/ (The app Paul mentions using to scan product barcodes for nutritional scores). The Books & Recipe Inspiration: Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451/451300/ultra-processed-people/9781529195461 (The book that inspired Paul's health kick and the custom UPF scanner). John Watts Cookbooks: https://chefjonwatts.com/books/ The Hairy Dieters: https://uk.bookshop.org/p/books/the-hairy-dieters-eat-for-life-how-to-love-food-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off-for-good-hairy-bikers/3344347?ean=9780297870470&next=t Reports & Research: WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme): https://wrap.org.uk/ (The organization cited by Paul for all the staggering statistics regarding the 6 million tons of UK food waste). Resources from Sean & Paul: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fpIdgZSXXWV6pjqnxpgVmh1A4NpemILQ_ztDTI2V05Y/edit?tab=t.0 https://docs.google.com/document/d/101zXuk7RTe5t-fyhBEZX2blh2j23eJd-wBm2OGNzpjs/edit?tab=t.0 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1P_xhk67b_Xxtw9ixoUz4-I967MTSNl4vseEWp7VbaGQ/edit?tab=t.0

    Episode #26: The £5,000 AI Meal Planner & Reverse Food Waste

  8. May 29

    Episode #25: AI in the Creatives and Video Prod Agencies: Voiceovers, Legal Risks, and Lean Methodology

    Hosts: Sean Sale and Paul Rhodes Guest: Craig Hellen (Managing Director & Co-Founder, Bex Media) Welcome to Episode 25 of CTRL-ALT-DEV! Today, we are stepping away from software development and looking at AI adoption through a completely different lens: the creative agency. We are joined by Craig Hellen, Managing Director of Gloucestershire-based video production and motion graphics company, Bex Media. With nearly two decades of experience producing everything from international corporate videos to high-pressure live events, Craig shares how his technically inquisitive team is embracing AI. From the realities of on-set client control to the copyright trap of AI-generated logos, this episode explores what happens when generative tech collides with high-end creative processes. Key Topics & Highlights: The Illusion of Control in GenAI: While models like Google Omni are impressive, Craig explains why AI isn't ready to take over high-level creative production. On a live set, clients and creative directors need to make granular, real-time adjustments (like changing a specific prop's color). Currently, AI struggles with this level of specific, targeted adjustability without regenerating the entire output. The Voiceover Revolution: The biggest immediate shift in the video industry is AI voiceovers. Craig explains how Bex Media uses tools like ElevenLabs to generate "scratch tracks" so editors and clients can structure videos even if the final script isn't ready. To protect client IP and avoid generic voices, Bex Media designs and securely hosts exclusive AI voices for their clients rather than using pre-sampled platform voices. The Copyright Trap: Sean and Craig discuss a terrifying reality for marketers and agencies: under current UK/US law, copyright typically requires a human author. If you generate a brand logo entirely using AI, you might not automatically own the copyright to protect it from being stolen (though trademarking may still apply). Lean Methodology as an AI Framework: How do you stop your team from running wild with new AI tools? Craig shares how he uses "Lean" (originally the Toyota Manufacturing System) to provide a cultural framework and guardrails for continuous improvement and AI adoption. AI Companions in History: Sean shares his fascination with the "Chloe vs History" social media videos, where an AI-generated avatar interacts with historical events like the WW1 trenches or the Titanic. Links & Resources Mentioned in this Episode (Note: While some specific entities were explicitly mentioned in the recording, standard web addresses have been provided below for your editor's convenience. You may want to independently verify these external URLs before publishing.) Guest Links: Bex Media: https://bexmedia.net/ (Craig's video production company). Craig Hellen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-hellen-8020616/ (You can also find his business page under /movingimage). Tools & AI Platforms: ElevenLabs: https://elevenlabs.io/ (The AI voiceover platform heavily discussed by Craig and Paul for generating and hosting custom voices). Google Omni (Gemini): https://gemini.google.com/ (Discussed regarding how the big tech players are approaching the creative ecosystem). Podcasts & Learning Resources: Lean Made Simple Podcast: https://www.leanmadesimple.com/podcast (Hosted by Ryan Tierney - mentioned by Craig as the podcast that gave him his "penny drop" moment for applying Lean principles to his business). The Vergecast: https://www.theverge.com/the-vergecast (One of the daily tech podcasts Craig listens to). CVP (Creative Video Productions): https://cvp.com/ (Mentioned by Craig for keeping up with industry tech and lens technology). Media Referenced: Pepsi, Where's My Jet? (Netflix Documentary): Referenced by Paul to illustrate how clients make massive editorial decisions on set. Chloe vs History: The AI-generated historical social media videos discussed by Sean. Submit your Admin Nightmares: mailto:podcast@ggapps.co.uk Paul's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ukwebdevelopment/ Sean's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seansale/ Ctrl+Alt+Dev YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ctrlaltdevpodcast Ctrl+Alt+Dev Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NF9wHGBjqTFNowfbBbODc Ctrl+Alt+Dev Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ctrl-alt-dev/id1825374857

    Episode #25: AI in the Creatives and Video Prod Agencies: Voiceovers, Legal Risks, and Lean Methodology
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About

Ctrl Alt Dev is a podcast for software founders, digital leaders and curious builders navigating the fast-changing world of tech, AI, and business. Hosted by two veteran tech founders, Paul Rhodes & Sean Sale. each episode cuts through the hype with honest conversations, sharp war stories, and frameworks that actually work. Expect real talk on pricing, project chaos, automation, and scaling, all designed to help you build smarter, lead better, and stay sane.

Information

  • Creator
    MonkeyPants Productions
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    35
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Ctrl Alt Dev