Ep. #26, The Economics of AI Coding with Quinn Slack

In episode 26 of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride sit down with Quinn Slack. They explore how Sourcegraph built Amp, why unconstrained coding agents represent a major shift, and why AI economics make traditional SaaS pricing impossible. Quinn also breaks down the rise of open source models, the future of developer tooling, and why ads might be the key to making AI accessible to everyone.

In this debut episode of Data Renegades, CL Kao and Dori Wilson dive into the unconventional paths that led them into developer tools, civic tech, and machine learning systems. CL recounts his experience building early open source infrastructure, mobilizing communities through data transparency projects, and now shaping how we design software around LLMs. This episode sets the tone for the show’s mission: celebrating builders who redefine the boundaries of what tools can do.

In episode 25 of Open Source Ready, Brian and John sit down with Rachel-Lee Nabors. They explore how AI agents are reshaping the web, from the decline of traditional browsers to the rise of agentic experiences powered by small language models and MCPs. Rachel-Lee explains why advertising models are collapsing and why the next web may depend on direct payments and open source innovation.

In episode 47 of Generationship, Rachel Chalmers chats with Dr. Milette Gillow and Sedinam Simpson, co-founders of The Tech Bros, about their mission to make tech more inclusive and inventive. They unpack lessons from their first accelerator cohort, debate the future of AI, and share what it takes to build confidence and community in an evolving industry.

In episode 46 of Generationship, Rachel Chalmers and Don Marti trace a thoughtful arc from the open source protests of the 1990s to today’s AI-driven world. They explore how large language models blur truth and plausibility, debate ethics in benchmarking and market-based definitions of intelligence, and mourn the loss of the web’s early democratizing promise. Don discusses sustainable open source ecosystems, AI tooling, and practical advice for new graduates navigating an AI-saturated job market.

In episode 24 of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride sit down with Ivan Burazin, CEO of Daytona, to explore how his company is building runtime infrastructure for AI agents. Ivan shares how Daytona pivoted from developer environments to powering the next wave of autonomous AI systems, and what it takes to make agents fast, secure, and scalable. They also discuss open source licensing, enterprise adoption, and dopamine-driven development.

In episode 86 of o11ycast, Ken Rimple and Jessica Kerr sit down with Amarilis Campos from Nubank. They explore how Brazil’s largest digital bank uses observability to build resilience and autonomy at scale. Amarilis shares how Nubank’s culture of “acting like owners, not renters” and its journey from metrics and logs to tracing with Honeycomb helped the company grow to over 100 million customers.

In episode 45 of Generationship, Rachel Chalmers speaks with Allegra Guinan of Lumiera about the trust dynamics and design ethics of voice-based AI. Together they explore how human tendencies to anthropomorphize voice systems can both build and erode trust, underscoring the need for responsible design and diverse perspectives.

In episode 23 of Open Source Ready, Brian Douglas and John McBride sit down with Davanum “Dims” Srinivas to discuss the health and future of the Kubernetes community. They explore how corporate changes impact open source contributions, the importance of onboarding programs, and the challenge of sustaining long-term contributors. Dims also shares insights into Kubernetes’ evolving role in AI and GPU workloads. The discussion is equal parts career advice, technical insight, and open source storytelling.

On episode 15 of Platform Builders, Christine Spang and Isaac Nassimi sit down with Amrit Dhangal. Together, they explore his journey building Acquire from a scrappy live chat tool to a venture-backed customer service platform. Amrit reflects on scaling challenges, personal sacrifices as an immigrant founder, and the lessons he’s carrying into his new company, Aero.