Vibe Coding in VC: Custom Tools and the New Wave of Founders

#037: Build. Vibe. Sell: How Billy Turns Ideas into Apps with Replit | The Manny Bernabe Show #037

Manny sits down with Billy Howell, founder of Stupid Simple Apps, to explore how he went from a non-technical background to building over 50 apps using Replit’s AI-powered dev tools. They dive into the rise of vibe coding, rapid prototyping, and how Billy turns client problems into real products quickly. You’ll learn how he scopes projects, closes Upwork deals, and builds landing pages for local businesses in minutes. Whether you’re just getting started or already shipping, this episode is packed with insights on building fast, learning faster, and creating real value with Replit.

Vibe Coding in VC: Custom Tools and the New Wave of Founders

In this episode, I sit down with Seyon Indran from Concept Ventures, Head of Research at the UK’s largest pre-seed VC fund, to explore how AI and vibe coding are transforming the world of early-stage investing. We dive into: * How Seyon is building a founder assessment platform to identify exceptional founders earlier * Why the rise of no-code/AI coding tools like Replit is changing who gets to build (and who gets funded) * The shift from “gut feel” to data-driven founder evaluation * What vibe coding means for solo founders, consumer apps, and the future of SaaS * How VCs themselves are using AI to build internal tools and streamline workflows If you’re curious about the intersection of venture capital, AI, and product-building—this one’s for you.

Vibe Coding: AI Superpowers for Every Builder with Matt Palmer (Replit)

I sit down with Matt Palmer, Head of Developer Relations at Replit, to dive into how AI is transforming the way we build software. Matt shares how we’ve gone from basic autocomplete to fully functional apps, and how Replit’s AI agent is empowering both new and experienced developers to build faster than ever. We talk about “vibe coding,” using AI as a creative partner, how to ship software safely, and why the developer experience matters more than ever. Matt also breaks down how video content is changing the way we learn to code and shares his thoughts on where AI is making the biggest impact across industries. Whether you're a seasoned dev, a curious beginner, or just someone who wants to build cool things with AI—this episode is packed with insights, tips, and inspiration. 🔗 Connect with Matt Palmer: * Twitter/X: https://x.com/mattppal [https://x.com/mattppal] * YouTube (Replit): https://www.youtube.com/@replit [https://www.youtube.com/@replit] * YouTube (Personal): https://www.youtube.com/@mattpalmer/videos [https://www.youtube.com/@mattpalmer/videos] * Try Replit: https://replit.com/refer/mannybernabe [https://replit.com/refer/mannybernabe] ⏱️ Episode Highlights: 00:00 Intro 01:23 Replit's Evolution and AI Integration 02:43 The Power of Replit Agent 05:02 Getting Started with Vibe Coding 06:59 Advanced Tips for Vibe Coders 14:56 Empowering Non-Technical Users with AI 18:39 Deep Learning Course and Safe Shipping 24:25 AI's Impact Across Industries 25:45 Exploring AI Automation in Business 26:21 Boosting Developer Productivity with AI 27:26 AI's Impact on Different Experience Levels 28:53 Adoption of AI Tools in Traditional Organizations 30:31 Future Capabilities of AI in Development 35:45 The Role of Video in Developer Advocacy 42:48 Rapid Fire Questions and Insights

#034: The Year of CUDA Python: NVIDIA GTC 2025 Recap w/ Charles Frye

In this episode, we dive into NVIDIA's bold push to make Python a first-class citizen in its GPU ecosystem—what guest Charles Frye calls "The Year of CUDA Python." Charles, a developer advocate at Modal, recaps key takeaways from the 2025 NVIDIA GTC conference, spotlighting the growing centrality of Python across CUDA tooling, including the debut of Python-first libraries like cuTile and a fully reworked Python interface for CUTLASS. We explore why NVIDIA is embracing Python for performance-critical development, how they’re addressing the challenges of Tensor Core programming, and what this all means for AI builders. Charles also breaks down NVIDIA’s hardware strategy shift—favoring scale-up over scale-out—and covers powerful new profiling tools like NSight Systems and Torch Profiler. Plus, we look at distributed inference innovations like Dynamo and how they intersect with platforms like Modal. Whether you're GPU-curious or deep into LLM infrastructure, this conversation offers insight into how NVIDIA’s ecosystem is evolving—and why Python is at the center of it all. Connect with Charles Frye 🧠 X (Twitter): @charles_irl [https://x.com/charles_irl] 💻 Try Modal: https://modal.com [https://modal.com] [CHAPTERS] 00:00 Start 01:35 The Year of CUDA Python 01:56 NVIDIA's Software Stack Evolution 03:01 Python's Growing Role in GPU Programming 06:11 CUTLASS and Python Integration 08:30 Tensor Cores and CUDA Complexity 12:02 Scaling Up vs. Scaling Out 18:01 AI Factory Concept 20:42 Hopper GPUs and New Generations 23:44 Memory-Bound Challenges in GPU Scaling 24:49 Performance and Tooling Insights 28:36 GPU Debugging Tools: Torch Profiler and NSight Systems 33:43 Dynamo: Distributed Inference for Language Models 39:37 Introducing the Modal Platform 43:10 How to Connect and Get Started with Moda

#033 Jeff Croft: GenAI at Palantir, Enterprise Impact & The Power of Relationships

This is a conversation with Jeff Croft, a seasoned expert in AI and its applications in business, covering his experiences and perspectives on leveraging AI for enterprise transformations. Jeff shares insights on the pitfalls of prolonged deliberation over AI adoption, the critical role of relationship selling in the era of infinite choices, and the proven strategies for integrating AI to achieve tangible business outcomes. He highlights the impactful use of AI in solving expensive and mundane problems within organizations and emphasizes the importance of a direct, action-driven approach towards technology adoption. Through examples from his tenure at Palantir and his advisory roles, Jeff paints a broad picture of the digital transformation landscape, offering valuable lessons on navigating the challenges and seizing the opportunities presented by generational AI technologies in modern enterprises.