Fired By Robots

Aivars Meijers & Paweł Karniej
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Two indie devs, no corporate playbook. Aivars Meijers and Pawel Karniej talk through building apps in public, scaling products, and staying useful while software keeps changing.

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 21: Aivars Won $10K at Shipathon. A Habit Tracker Took the Grand Prize

    Aivars took third place in RevenueCat's Shipathon 2026 – #BuildInPublic, $10,000 – with FeedbackThread, the feedback tool he built live on stream. The grand prize went to Mio, a self-care habit tracker from a team that already had a similar app. Is that cheating, or the best lesson of the whole hackathon? We go through what actually won: apps with proven ideas and distribution behind them, teams beating solo developers, a water tracker and a food journal in the most viral category. Then why building an app now takes 40 minutes, but App Store Connect still slows you down. Also in this episode: - Anthropic's Claude Duet, a proactive agent app, and why we can't try it (or Meta's Muse) from Europe and Thailand - Muse passed 10 million users with weaker models – why the best applied model beats the best model - how I use Grok Bot to prepare our episode outlines - will 99% of compute move to space by 2040? - cheap computer use, and why testing is the new bottleneck Shipathon 2026 winners: https://www.revenuecat.com/blog/company/shipaton-2026-winners Claude Duet: https://claude.com/resources/articles/claude-duet Chapters: 00:00 Aivars placed at Shipathon 00:43 What is RevenueCat's Shipathon? 02:13 FeedbackThread and the Build in Public category 05:52 What third place wins 07:11 26,000 participants and why Aivars expected to lose 08:28 Using FeedbackThread in my app 09:51 The grand prize: a twist on an app that already worked 13:36 Teams beat solo developers 14:32 Will a habit tracker last? 15:43 What Build in Public winners should share 19:43 Game, Peace Prize and design winners 22:34 Learn to win hackathons or to make money? 25:19 Most viral: water and food trackers 28:42 No new ideas, only new twists 29:41 An app in 40 minutes, App Store Connect is the bottleneck 33:02 Claude Duet and proactive agents 35:04 Grok Bot preps our episode outlines 37:54 Muse has 10M users with weaker models 39:09 Where does this leave Siri? 42:59 Keeping up with AI is impossible 44:54 The best applied model wins 49:09 Agents on a VM in the cloud 50:34 99% of compute in space by 2040? 52:31 Cheaper computer use for testing 54:30 Testing is the new bottleneck 56:20 Wrap-up New episode every week – subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

  2. Oct 22

    Episode 20: AI Is Killing Coding Courses and Boilerplates

    Sean Allen is shutting down his iOS course business because AI wiped out his sales – and I think the boilerplate market I sat on for years is drying up the same way. In episode 20 of Fired by Robots, Aivars and I talk about who still pays for developer courses and templates when an agent can teach you, or build the app from your own projects. I'm now releasing my React Native boilerplate for free. Also in this episode: - iPhone Duo pre-orders sold out in minutes, and Apple is reviewing iPhone Duo apps fast – Aivars' quickest took three minutes - why I'm keeping VidNotes native while still using Expo for some apps, and why Aivars skips cross-platform tools entirely - Amazon, Delta, Yelp, JPMorgan and Schwab blocking outside AI agents - why we're not testing every new model ("we are old people, we have to be pragmatic") - Aivars' simple setup with Codex Dots - the "SaaS is dead" debate: Aivars thinks both sides are wrong, I think agents from the big companies will replace a lot of software Sean Allen's courses (closing November 24): https://seanallen.teachable.com/ Michael Tsai on the shutdown: https://mjtsai.com/blog/2026/10/21/ios-dev-course-going-out-of-business/ Sites blocking AI agents: https://officechai.com/ai/amazon-jpmorgan-schwab-and-delta-are-all-blocking-ai-agents-heres-why/ VidNotes: https://vidnotes.app Chapters: 00:00 Back after a two-week break 01:08 Apple's fast iPhone Duo reviews 02:36 iPhone Duo sold out in minutes 05:08 Building for foldables: my teleprompter app 07:04 Four apps approved, one in 3 minutes 09:00 Moving an app from Swift to React Native 10:44 Rebuilding my idle game with Opus 5.5 11:43 Is React Native dying? 14:41 Expo vs native for my apps 15:37 Second thoughts on the VidNotes rewrite 19:22 Indie devs: start native 20:36 Are we testing the new models? 24:16 "We are old people" 24:43 Grok Bot and my agent systems 26:36 How Aivars uses Codex Dots 29:03 Too much system building 31:03 Websites are blocking AI agents 33:12 Is SaaS dead? 37:30 Are we outsourcing our thinking? 39:50 Why agents will replace SaaS 42:11 Sean Allen shuts down his courses 44:03 AI tutoring and learning apps 48:15 The boilerplate market dried up 50:23 Aivars: you don't need a boilerplate 52:11 How fast our approach changed this year 53:10 Wrap-up New episode every week – subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

  3. Sep 30

    Episode 19: Is Your App Ready for AI Agents? MCP and Sign in with ChatGPT

    After about three months as "the Codex guy", I went back to Claude this week. I threw everything at Opus 5.5 – demo videos for my mobile app, UI fixes for my teleprompter app, a new version of my beat-making app – and didn't hit the five-hour limit once. Aivars had the same experience after months of rationing Fable, and we talk about why that changes how we work. Then the part that matters if you build apps: OpenAI's DevDay. Sign in with ChatGPT lets Plus and Pro users spend their plan inside partner tools like Notion, and Dots are always-on agents with their own cloud computer that connect to 4,000+ apps. If agents start choosing tools for people, will they pick your app? We talk about MCP, agent catalogs, and what I'm already seeing with VidNotes. Also in this episode: - Aivars had Claude Code cut a moto vlog from 360, DJI and iPhone footage while burning very few tokens - why AI demo videos are a commodity now - I turned my SaaS into a skills package that runs inside Claude, Codex and Hermes - too many token resets and the pressure to burn them - iPhone Duo support: size classes, iPad layouts, and a teleprompter on the rear camera - why we stopped chasing every new model - Aivars is back on Windows after a week on Linux Claude Opus 5.5: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-opus-5-5 Claude Sonnet 5.5: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-sonnet-5-5 OpenAI DevDay 2026 recap: https://openai.com/index/devday-2026-recap/ VidNotes: https://vidnotes.app Chapters: 00:00 Bangkok floods 02:51 Why I went back to Claude 06:34 Aivars on Opus 5.5 and the five-hour limits 09:22 Claude Code edits a moto vlog 11:06 Demo videos are a commodity now 14:01 My SaaS became a skills package 17:16 Staying model-agnostic 19:59 Too many token resets 21:43 iPhone Duo support in practice 24:12 A teleprompter for iPhone Duo 27:58 Why we stopped chasing new models 37:13 Back to Windows after a week on Linux 40:54 Codex computer use and dropping a VPS 43:56 DevDay: Sign in with ChatGPT 48:22 Make your app available to AI agents 50:29 VidNotes: MCP, web and credits 54:46 OpenAI Dots: always-on agents 56:41 One chatbot for everything? 58:52 My biggest enemy is focus 1:00:17 Wrap-up New episode every week – subscribe so you don't miss the next one.

  4. Sep 23

    Fired By Robots Podcast - Episode 18: GPT-6 Sol & Claude Opus 5.5: Will Cheaper AI Fix Our Limits?

    One video edit used about 10% of Aivars's AI plan. With GPT-6 Sol and Claude Opus 5.5 newly released, we ask whether cheaper models will let us do more before we hit usage limits. We discuss the reported model improvements, our subscription limits, and the video editing work that uses our allowance. Neither of us had fully tested the new models when we recorded this episode, so this is a discussion of the releases and our existing workflows, not a head-to-head test. We also share how we use AI to monitor flight prices and manage Google Ads. Then we discuss Jev, a model for structured decisions, and why a structured answer can still be wrong. Finally, we cover Expo SDK 58 beta, the VidNotes move to Expo, and Aivars's work to adapt his apps for iPhone Duo. GPT-6 Sol: https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/models/gpt-6-sol Claude Opus 5.5: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-opus-5-5 Jev: https://typesafe.ai/blog/introducing-system-one-models-and-jev Expo SDK 58 beta: https://expo.dev/changelog/sdk-58-beta iPhone Duo developer resources: https://developer.apple.com/iphone-duo/ What task uses the most of your AI allowance? Tell us in the comments. Chapters: 00:00 Opening 00:15 GPT-6 Sol and Claude Opus 5.5 02:31 Codex, Xcode, and model access 05:21 Model efficiency and automation costs 10:07 AI video editing and usage costs 13:48 Claude, Codex, and subscription limits 19:12 ChatGPT and Claude interface changes 25:24 Using AI to monitor flight prices 28:59 Launching Google Ads with AI 32:28 Jev and structured AI decisions 43:48 Expo SDK 58 and the VidNotes rewrite 49:07 Adapting apps for iPhone Duo 58:13 Your questions and future episodes Subscribe to Fired by Robots for more conversations about AI and app development.

  5. Sep 16

    Fired By Robots Podcast - Episode 17: Shopify Dropped React Native Because of AI. Should You?

    Shopify is moving its mobile apps from React Native to Swift and Kotlin after AI changed the cost of native development. Does that mean indie app developers should follow? Aivars thinks beginners should start with native development. I still think React Native and Expo suit many cross-platform products. We compare native development, React Native, Flutter, and Dart Native. We also discuss performance, complexity, over-the-air updates, and iPhone Duo support. Shopify’s native development announcement: https://shopify.engineering/back-to-native Shopify’s Shop app migration: https://shopify.engineering/shop-app-migration Apple’s iPhone Duo developer resources: https://developer.apple.com/iphone-duo/ Chapters: 00:00 Paweł’s new development contract 02:11 Apple announces iPhone Duo 08:09 Preparing VidNotes for iPhone Duo 19:32 Android foldables versus iPhone Duo 23:08 Apple’s new Siri and AI 29:02 Apple’s localization problem 33:24 Does Apple still innovate? 39:13 macOS 27 Golden Gate 43:02 Shopify drops React Native 50:17 Native versus cross-platform for beginners 01:06:10 Flutter, Dart Native, and HabitKit 01:19:04 Listener feedback and final thoughts Subscribe for weekly discussions about building, shipping, and growing mobile applications.

  6. Sep 11

    Fired By Robots Podcast - Episode 16: Is Astra The Best Model Right Now?

    Is GPT-6 Astra truly the best AI model for indie app builders? We do not agree. Paweł sees a major improvement in reasoning, automation, coding, and subscription value. Aivars sees a better model, but not a revolution. Claude still produced better iOS designs during his direct comparison. We discuss real work from the past week: • Astra fixed an iOS keyboard bug that other models could not solve. • Astra created an interactive 3D avatar using Blender. • Claude defeated Astra during an app design comparison. • Our apps reached approximately $4,600 and $2,600 in MRR. • Paweł spent about $200 sending more than 40 Upwork proposals. • One unexpected Upwork message produced a $500 weekend project. • Hermes agents could become a reusable team of digital workers. Fired by Robots follows two indie developers building products without a corporate playbook. Website: https://firedbyrobots.com Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/033k2vKCq4wYBIdzX2whcZ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fired-by-robots/id1896779874 CHAPTERS 00:00 Introducing GPT-6 Astra 02:52 Is Astra really better? 07:03 Astra fixes a week-long iOS bug 08:10 Claude still wins at app design 09:13 Building a 3D avatar with Astra 13:05 Astra and Claude subscription value 20:04 Where Astra still needs supervision 23:06 Weekly shipping commitments 28:00 August app revenue and hard paywalls 30:46 Upwork is now pay-to-compete 33:11 A $500 weekend automation project 41:21 Freelancing, pressure, and focus 46:40 Switching from Windows to Omarchy 49:37 Building a team of Hermes agents 59:39 Apple event and iOS 27 #IndieDev #AICoding #GPT6Astra

  7. Sep 3

    Fired By Robots Podcast - Episode 15: Are We Just Big Children ?

    The conversation covers a range of topics including personal commitments, software development, AI models, and the future of software and technology. It delves into the challenges and opportunities in the software development industry, the impact of AI models on coding and design, and the evolving landscape of software and technology. The conversation covers a range of topics including UI development, streaming, Linux usage, cloud-based development, Grogbot, marketing strategies, Apple's surprise event, and the behavior of software developers. The discussion also delves into the challenges of AI projects and the dynamics of the developer community. Takeaways Personal commitments and focus are essential for project completion.AI models like Fable and Codex are changing the landscape of coding and design.The future of software development may involve a shift towards AI-powered tools and a reimagining of the software industry. UI development and streamingLinux usage and cloud-based developmentGrogbot and marketing strategiesApple's surprise event and developer community dynamics Chapters 00:00 Personal Commitments and Project Completion03:21 The Impact of AI Models on Coding and Design10:17 The Future of Software Development and Technology21:00 Challenges and Opportunities in the Software Development Industry27:55 The Role of AI Models in Software Development37:02 UI Development and Streaming38:00 Linux Usage and Cloud-Based Development39:29 Grogbot and Marketing Strategies01:00:07 Apple's Surprise Event and Developer Community Dynamics

  8. Aug 26

    Fired By Robots Podcast - Episode 14: Testing Omarchy & GrokBot

    The conversation delves into the exploration of Omachi and Linux, discussing the features, integration, and considerations for hardware and operating systems. It also covers the use of Grogbot and AI agents for various tasks and applications. The conversation covers a range of topics including email marketing, AI model comparison, Grogbot use case, AI subscriptions, gaming and AI automation, reflections on the Apple ecosystem and development, focus on specific app development and marketing, and accountability and future plans. Takeaways Exploring the features and integration of Omachi on Linux.Considerations for hardware and operating systems when evaluating new machines.The use of Grogbot and AI agents for various tasks and applications. AI model comparison is essential for understanding the quality of AI-generated content.Grogbot's use case and functionality provide valuable insights into AI automation and content analysis. Chapters 00:00 Exploring Omachi and Linux02:47 Omachi Features and Integration07:00 Considerations for Hardware and OS26:13 Grogbot and AI Agents43:55 Email Marketing and AI Writing45:12 Comparison of AI Models46:33 Grogbot Use Case and Functionality47:18 Discussion on AI Subscriptions and Usage01:01:16 Gaming and AI Automation01:11:16 Reflections on Apple Ecosystem and Development01:16:34 Focus on Specific App Development and Marketing01:20:09 Accountability and Future Plans

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About

Two indie devs, no corporate playbook. Aivars Meijers and Pawel Karniej talk through building apps in public, scaling products, and staying useful while software keeps changing.

Information

  • Creator
    Aivars Meijers & Paweł Karniej
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Aivars Meijers & Paweł Karniej
  • Show Website
    Fired By Robots