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The Panel

The Panel

By: Justin Jackson Brian Casel Jordan Gal
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When it comes to bootstrapping and building software, there's rarely one right answer. We want to dive into the nuance. In every episode, veteran founders Justin Jackson, Brian Casel and Jordan Gal tackle thorny topics – from pricing and product strategy to work-life balance. No gurus, no easy answers – just real conversations we'd normally have behind closed doors.© 2026 The Panel Podcast Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Vibe coding is not a real business model
    May 22 2026

    How is multiplayer being addressed in AI, should we scale humans or agents, and is every small business going to vibe code their own apps? With special guest Henry Poydar.

    Timestamps:
    00:00 Welcome to The Panel
    03:06 Business Updates
    05:53 Coordination Challenges in Teams with AI
    11:48 Trust and Accountability in Team Dynamics
    17:45 The Future of Team Structures
    20:30 Scaling with Agents vs. Traditional Teams
    25:48 The Future of Company Organization
    27:58 The Intersection of AI and Creativity
    36:02 Challenges in the Music Industry with AI
    40:32 Navigating the VC Landscape
    45:45 The Indie Entrepreneur Path
    48:20 Vertical Saas and tool building
    01:01:17 Weeknd plans and talking politics

    YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️

    🎤 Send us an audio or video message

    📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com

    📺 Leave a comment on YouTube

    🦋 Reply on Bluesky

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    • Steady
    • Henry Poydar
    • TinaFey on what it's really like to have a teenage daughter
    • Charlie AI
    • Devin
    • How I build agents that work the night shift
    • Granola
    • Vibe-Coded AI 'Slop' Is Flooding the World With Potentially Dangerous Code—'Eventually It Will Catch Up to Us'
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Burning Out Doing Lines of Code
    May 15 2026

    Are you feeling a mixture of excitement and burnout at the pace AI coding seems to be pushing you? Is it sustainable in the long run or do you worry about what you'll be like in 6 months time?

    Timestamps:
    00:00 Introduction
    03:22 Advertising Strategies and Funnels
    08:12 Jordan experiments with Partnership Ads and Organic Content Ads
    12:03 Transistor's Video Podcasting Platform Launch
    21:32 Brian's YouTube Channel Growth
    30:27 Understanding Customer Engagement and Sales Dynamics
    35:56 Navigating Pricing Changes in AI Tools
    01:02:36 The Impact of AI on Work Intensity and Burnout
    01:06:19 The Evolution of Product Development and Market Dynamics
    01:13:48 The New Normal: Speed, Pressure, and Success in Business

    YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️

    🎤 Send us an audio or video message

    📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com

    📺 Leave a comment on YouTube

    🦋 Reply on Bluesky

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    • Claude changes its pricing
    • Wrappers vs steamrollers (and who owns the customer)
    • Hire creators to do your ads
    • Post to all social platforms
    • AI brain exhaustion + burnout
    • Matt Wensing: "Burnout happens when the reward no longer justifies the effort / perceived risk."
    • Brian's new course: "Become the builder"
    • The meme that took over Twitter this week
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 24 mins
  • A series of miracles (with Jason Cohen)
    May 8 2026

    Jason Cohen (founder of WP Engine) joined as a surprise guest. We got into his writing process, why "distribution is the new moat" is either not new or not true, what actually counts as a moat (Basecamp, Linear, Lemon Squeezy), and his framework for funnels: the quality of who enters the top matters more than every other step combined.

    Jason's new book Hidden Multipliers is available for preorder.


    Timestamps:
    00:00 Introduction
    01:28 Jason Cohen's Journey and Insights
    04:18 Writing Process and Content Creation
    10:24 Distribution as a Business Strategy
    13:15 Debate on Distribution as a Moat
    25:20 The Concept of Moats in Business
    26:31 Social Media vs. AdWords: The Distribution Debate
    32:09 Basecamp's Unique Positioning and Brand Identity
    38:32 The Role of Brand in Modern Business
    48:46 Understanding Customer Behavior Through Data
    51:08 The Importance of Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)
    57:35 The Challenge of End-to-End Funnel Visibility
    01:07:00 Metrics and Their Role in Business Strategy

    YOU ARE THE PANEL – send us your thoughts 🗣️

    🎤 Send us an audio or video message

    📧 Email us: panelpodcastshow@gmail.com

    📺 Leave a comment on YouTube

    🦋 Reply on Bluesky

    Links mentioned in this episode:

    • Jason's new book: Hidden Multipliers
    • Jason's blog
    • "Elephant in the room: the myth of exponential hypergrowth"
    • Lenny's tweet: "Distribution is the new moat"
    • JR Farr's tweet: practical distribution framework
    • Jason's post: "Things mostly “fail” even at the best companies. It's weird, if you think about it."
    • "Selecting the right product KPIS"
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 19 mins
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