The Startup Ideas Podcast

I welcome Ryan Carson back to the show to turn anyone into a world-class agent operator. Ryan spent 25 years founding companies, scaled Treehouse to around 110 employees and a million learners, and now runs Untangle, an AI divorce agent for family law firms, as a team of one while his revenue tracks toward 4x this month. He walks me through his full stack: running cloud agents in parallel, building automations that watch production and improve themselves, and shipping 22 to 40 PRs a day, often from his phone. We also get into keeping token costs sane through model routing and building a durable reputation by sharing your work on X. By the end, listeners hold a clear playbook to run agents, automate the busywork, and ship faster.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

01:43 – The New Agent Paradigm

04:24 – Inside Ryan’s eight-screen desk setup

07:23 – Why Devin and cloud agents

10:00 – Everyone Is Now a Manager of Agents

13:15 – Local vs Virtual Development

14:50 – Agent Management System

24:22 – 3 Automations to build

32:54 – Self-improvement loop with Grace

34:38 – Token costs and model routing

40:33 – Building reputation on X

44:03 – Closing thoughts

Key Points

Ryan frames every knowledge worker as a manager of agents, and mastering that role is the new edge.

Cloud VMs let Ryan run five to ten agents at once and ship 22 to 40 PRs a day.

Roughly half of Ryan's work happens on his phone, which keeps his agents moving in real time.

Automations like a production watchdog and a daily self-improvement loop hand Ryan a running summary of what matters.

Model routing keeps costs in check: budget around $5k a month per employee and lean on cheaper fine-tuned models.

Sharing your work publicly on X compounds into relationships and opportunities over time.

Numbered Section Summaries

Meet Ryan and Untangle Ryan Carson returns to walk me through his stack. He spent 25 years founding companies, scaled Treehouse to about 110 employees and a million learners, and now runs Untangle, an AI divorce agent for family law firms, solo, with revenue on track to 4x this month.

The World-Class Agent Manager Ryan's core premise: everyone is now a manager of agents, and becoming the best in the world at it is the goal. He argues that managing agents makes you more technical over time, much like a skilled engineering manager.

The Desk Setup and Key Security Ryan lays out eight screens, a 52-inch monitor, a UG Monk paper to-do system, a vertical mouse, and Whisperflow for voice. He stores all prod write keys in 1Password and hands them to agents only when a task truly calls for it, keeping production safe.

Cloud Agents Over Local Machines Ryan explains cloud VMs: click a button, spin up a fresh environment, and run many agents in parallel while the code stays cleanly separated. He credits this shift for his 50x jump in output and urges builders to move work into the cloud as fast as they can.

Staying Sane at 50x With 22 to 40 PRs a day, Ryan treats his job as making 10 to 20 high stakes decisions before lunch. He pins his most important threads, checks them on a roughly 25-minute cadence, and works from his phone so his agents keep moving.

Automations That Run the Business Ryan shares three automations: an end-to-end signup test that browser-tests three times a week for about $60 in tokens, a 9am production watchdog that summarizes customer activity and links to real UI, and a daily self-improvement loop where an agent named Grace grades chats on a rubric and ships roughly three fixes a day.

Token Costs and Model Routing After a $20k token month, Ryan settled on roughly $5k per employee plus heavy model routing, using cheaper fine-tuned models like SWE 1.7 for loop work. He favors independent agent labs such as Devin, AMP, Factory, and Cursor for affordable long-term engineering, while enjoying the subsidized Codex Mac app for everyday tasks.

Reputation and the Long Game Ryan closes on building a software factory where agents write, review, and ship 100% of your code, plus building credibility by sharing your learning on X. He points to Sahel Bloom's rise from private equity to a million-plus followers and a New York Times bestseller as proof that publishing what you learn opens doors.

The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND RYAN ON SOCIAL

Ryan’s Website: https://www.ryancarson.com

X/Twitter: https://x.com/ryancarson

Untangle: https://untangle.us

I sit down with Vas from Varick Agents to map out exactly how to break into AI forward deployed engineering — and how to grow into a sharper FDE — in thirty days. We start from a single premise: every company can now buy the same frontier intelligence, so the real advantage moves to deployment. Vas traces the role back to Palantir, explains the judgment that decides where AI belongs, and lays out the audit → evals → deployment loop that turns raw models into measurable business value. He then hands over a full 30-day plan to build, harden, measure, and defend a production-grade agent, so you can do the job before you hold the title. The whole conversation stays tactical and grounded, with clear examples I can apply today.

The FDE Blueprint: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/fde-starter

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

02:03 – What is an FDE

04:09 – How Palantir Popularized FDEs

06:16 – Deciding Where Intelligence Belongs 

11:26 – What FDEs Earn

14:59 – Two Kinds of Judgment: Communication and Engineering

17:38 – How the Work Really Gets Done

20:40 – Audit, Evaluation, Deployment

22:56 – Which LLM to Choose

27:36 – Audit: Finding the Workflow Worth Rebuilding

31:47 – Evals: Turn non-determinism into evidence

32:57 – Deployment: Build on Existing Systems

38:59 – The 30-Day Plan Begins

49:13 – Final Thoughts

Key Points

Intelligence is now commoditized, so the real edge lives in deployment — the job of the AI forward deployed engineer.

Vas traces the FDE role to Palantir, where engineers embed on-site, learn workflows, and customize the ontology per client.

The strongest FDEs blend deep technical skill with consulting-grade communication — the rare "art plus science" combination worth up to a million dollars a year.

The FDE loop runs audit → evals → deployment, and each improved workflow makes the next one clearer.

Vas condenses a year of learning into a 30-day plan: build an agent, harden it, make it measurable, then defend it like an FDE

The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND VAS ON SOCIAL

Varick Agents: https://www.varickagents.com/#hero-section

X/Twitter: https://x.com/vasuman

AI Forward Deployed Engineers: https://learn.varickagents.com/fde-in-30-days

In this episode I sit down with Corey Ganim to unpack what he calls the simplest way to earn money with AI in 2026: a $999 AI Tools Assessment for small business owners. Corey lays out his entire four-phase system, from a probing discovery call through an AI-assisted analysis in Claude, a stupid-simple client report, and a review call that turns roughly half of clients into implementation buyers. We walk through his full upsell menu, seven client-acquisition methods that run on zero capital and zero audience, and his AI Concierge retainer that earns him about $1,000 an hour. Anyone listening leaves with a copy-and-paste playbook they can adapt to their own city or industry.

Checkout Corey’s AI Audit Template: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/ai_audit

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro and the episode promise

03:48 – The full playbook preview

06:39 – Phase 1: the discovery call

08:27 – Phase 2: AI Analysis

12:11 – Phase 3: The Report

22:24 – Tool and Model Selection

23:39 – Phase 4: The Review Call

26:15 – The Upsell Services

35:52 – Finding Customers

49:16 – The AI Concierge retainer

58:46 – Final Thoughts

Key Points

The core offer is a $999, 45-minute AI Tools Assessment that prescribes 3–7 off-the-shelf tools, backed by a full-refund guarantee tied to finding at least five reclaimed hours per week.

Fulfillment runs in four phases: discovery call, AI analysis in Claude, a templatized report, and a review call that converts about half of clients into implementation work.

The report stays deliberately simple, with an executive summary, an effort-versus-impact matrix, quick wins, a four-day quick-start plan, and a clear ROI slide.

The upsell menu spans process redesign, automation builds, knowledge systems, custom workflows, and full implementation, with lifetime value reaching $3K–$10K or more.

Seven client-acquisition methods run on zero capital and zero audience, from local meetups and door knocking to agency partnerships and office hours.

The AI Concierge retainer ($1,200–$2,000/month for two calls) creates recurring revenue at roughly a $1,000 hourly rate.

The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com

LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/

The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/

FIND ME ON SOCIAL

X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg

Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

FIND COREY ON SOCIAL

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@coreyganim

X/Twitter: https://x.com/coreyganim

I sit down with Elie Steinbock to unpack loop engineering and how to run a business on loops. We start with the roots of the idea in the lean startup and Toyota's manufacturing, then move into practical, copy-ready workflows for SEO, Facebook ads, and product feedback. Elie walks through a live Google Search Console example on Draft Fantasy and shows how to set up an SEO loop that runs once a month for years. The core promise for listeners: hand repeatable business work to an AI agent that measures an objective metric and improves over time. By the end, you know how loops work and how to launch your first one today.
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro and episode promise
02:54 – What is Loop Engineering
06:51 – Loops with AI agents: build and verify
11:17 – Example of Loop: SEO as an objective-metric loop
15:29 – Setting up the SEO loop and tools
25:27 – Cost and token economics
29:05 – The Paid ads loop
33:10 – The product feedback loop
36:25 – A minimal viable loop for every channel
39:21 – Closing Thoughts
Key Points
Loop engineering means giving an agent a task, an objective metric, and a stop condition so it improves on a schedule.
The lean startup and Toyota's build-measure-learn cycle map directly onto AI agents.
An SEO loop connects to Google Search Console and Data for SEO, then pushes rankings up month over month.
These loops run cheaply — often a few dollars per monthly run — which beats the cost of an agency.
The same pattern extends to Facebook ads, and a product feedback loop stands as the ultimate version.
Start small with a minimal viable loop tied to a clear metric like impressions or ten likes.
Numbered Section Summaries
The Promise of Running a Business on Loops I open by asking Elie what listeners will walk away with, and he frames the whole episode: use loops to automate SEO, ads, and more. We agree the aim is clear, copyable workflows people can launch today.
Where Loop Engineering Comes From Elie traces the recent buzz to Boris from Claude Code and Peter Steinberger, plus a joking tweet from his friend Dimitro about software that builds itself. He grounds it in the lean startup's build-measure-learn cycle, which itself grew from Toyota's lean manufacturing.
Loops With AI Agents: Build and Verify Elie explains the agent version: a build step paired with a verify step and a clear stop condition. He uses Inbox Zero's evals as an example, where the agent keeps adjusting the prompt or model until accuracy passes 90%.
The SEO Loop We dig into SEO as the flagship example, where Google ranking serves as a clean, objective metric. Elie describes a loop that runs once a month, learns from the last run via a markdown memory file, and steadily climbs the rankings.
Setting It Up on Real Data Elie shows his Draft Fantasy Search Console, connects the agent to Google Search Console and Data for SEO, and runs the loop live in Codex. He shares the Atom Eve prompt as a deeper template people can copy.
Cost and Token Economics I raise Ross Mike's skepticism about loop buzz and token spend, and Elie makes the case that an SEO loop stays cheap — often under five dollars per monthly run. He adds that Max-plan users have plenty of headroom, while tight budgets suit cheaper open models like GLM 5.2.
Ads, Product Feedback, and the Ultimate Loop We move to a Facebook ads loop that tests copy and creative variants, favoring a mix of human hooks and AI optimization. Then Elie describes the product feedback loop — reading customer feedback, analytics, and logs to prioritize and ship — as the closest thing to a business that builds itself.
Starting Small We close on the minimal viable loop: begin with one channel and a modest, verifiable metric like impressions or ten likes, then let it compound. Elie and I agree that every part of a business could sit on a loop, and starting one today makes for a low-risk experiment.
The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com
LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/
The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/
FIND ME ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
FIND ELIE ON SOCIAL
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/elie2222
X/Twitter: https://x.com/elie2222

In this episode I bring Nick Vasilescu, co-founder of Orgo, back on the show to unpack the buzz around Grok 4.5. Nick makes the case for treating Grok 4.5 as a genuine AI co-founder inside harnesses like Hermes and OpenClaw, and he proves it live: spinning up cloud computers, wiring in tools, and building a full startup from idea to landing page to outreach. We race Grok 4.5 against GPT 5.6 Sol, tour Nick's agent stack, and talk through the cost paradox of a model this fast and cheap. Listeners walk away with a concrete playbook for standing up their own always-on agent today.
Get Nick’s Agent Template Stack: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/nicks-stack
Timestamps
00:00 – Intro
01:40 – Why Grok 4.5 release matters
03:39 – Automation versus a co-founder
05:16 – Setting up Hermes and Grok 4.5 on Orgo
09:01 – Why Orgo to manage Agents
11:23 – Grok 4.5 Cost discussion
14:02 – Grok 4.5 Fast Execution and Unlock
16:20 – The Agent tool belt
19:13 – X MCP for trends
20:37 – vidIQ for outliers and thumbnails
22:11 – Finding new startup ideas
26:15 – Grok 4.5 versus GPT 5.6 Sol
30:56 – Ranking and Reviewing the startup ideas
34:06 – The AI agency opportunity
38:46 – Thumbnails over Telegram
40:10 – Reviewing AI Agency Landing Page
41:58 – Vertical MCPs and agent startups
43:36 – Skill graph and the offer
45:25 – Reviewing the Thumbnail Generated
46:42 – Email Outreach Campaign
48:07 – Reviewing Market Insight 1-Pager
50:45 – From a Camry to a Ferrari
52:12 – Reviewing Cold Email Outreach Sequence
53:22 – Closing thoughts
Key Points
Grok 4.5 delivers Opus 4.8-level intelligence at a fraction of the cost and roughly 10-15x the speed of Fable.
I learn to treat the model as a co-founder by handing it email, a phone number, a debit card, memory, and every connector that matters.
Nick runs agents on Orgo cloud computers so they stay online, textable, and ready around the clock.
Live, Grok 4.5 builds a landing page in about 40 seconds and wins on design and copy for me over GPT 5.6 Sol.
The stack ships from idea to website, offer, thumbnail, and cold-email sequence in a single session.
Nick's take: costs keep dropping while speed and intelligence keep climbing, so building your agent now compounds overnight.
The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com
LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/
The Vibe Marketer - Resources for people into vibe marketing/marketing with AI: https://www.thevibemarketer.com/
FIND ME ON SOCIAL
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg
Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/
FIND NICK ON SOCIAL
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nickvasiles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickvasilescu/
Personal Website: https://www.nickvasilescu.com/