Hallway Chat

Regular jam sessions with Nabeel, Fraser, and some occasional special friends on what it means to build great products in the age of AI.

Most recent episode:

The two types of Agentic Engineering, and their teams
Hallway Chat
The two types of Agentic Engineering, and their teams
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The two types of Agentic Engineering, and their teams
40
March 25, 2026

The two types of Agentic Engineering, and their teams

We return from a break to discuss the effects of an avalanche of app making due to Claude and Codex, including “Camp,” an experiment by Nabeel in native multiplayer AI-assisted group work beyond shareable outputs. We cover: In order to be a founder leading AI transformation do you need to lead by example? Conductor’s viral “prompt feature requests” workflow, reality of one-shot apps versus iterative prompting, how teams may use less open-source, Gemini's comparative strengths, and what does it m
Personality, humanism, poke, and raising the ceiling
39
Nov. 3, 2025

Personality, humanism, poke, and raising the ceiling

Why are dentists so into vibe coding? Where's the Steve Jobs of this era? In this episode of Hallway Chat, Fraser and Nabeel discuss the viral AI assistant Poke, within the broader context of the rise of niche AI applications. They also talk about the importance of specialization in AI applications, AI’s role in advancing scientific discovery and societal progress, and the future of AI in creative fields like music and art. Plus, a compelling use case for AI-enabled accessibility. (00:00) - Col
Be Water, Ubiquity over Ownership
38
Oct. 27, 2025

Be Water, Ubiquity over Ownership

In this episode of Hallway Chat, Nabeel and Fraser unpack the emerging power of tool use, reasoning traces, and code execution in modern models. They reflect on how startups can stay ahead in a market that feels like it changes every 90 days, and what product choices separate the winners from the also-rans. The conversation spans Conductor’s clever planning/execution design, Notion’s everywhere-at-once API strategy, and the subtle ways models persuade us—sometimes too effectively. Along the way,
Building Open World AI w/Andrew Mason
37
Sept. 27, 2025

Building Open World AI w/Andrew Mason

Nabeel and Fraser sit down with Andrew Mason, founder of Descript, for a deep dive into evolution "open world agents" in AI products. The trio uses the recent Airtable re-founding as a lens to look at open world agent architecture, what makes a great AI-enhanced user experience, and how Descript is embracing agent-first workflows as well. From the positioning of chat windows to the philosophy of “rewiring” users for AI, this conversation explores the strategic decisions shaping the next generati
Making the perfect backpack. Craft in the age of AI.
36
June 28, 2025

Making the perfect backpack. Craft in the age of AI.

Craft in the age of AI. Nabeel and Fraser start with a dive into what makes the Boundary backpack so great. They explore how AI is changing the way we do customer research, the importance of obsessive attention to detail, and why great founders still need great taste. Along the way, they debate what it takes to recreate the creative magic of “1930s Paris” for modern product builders. (00:00) - Opening (00:27) - Backpacks and Craft (05:36) - AI's potential role in product refinement and customer
AI Severance: One Memory or Many?
35
June 4, 2025

AI Severance: One Memory or Many?

In this episode of Hallway Chat, Nabeel and Fraser explore the future of AI through the lenses of memory, context, and product design. They debate whether users will maintain separate AIs for work and home, why visually verifiable output is critical to product success, and how startups should behave in a world where the best models become commodities. From the case for uneconomical AI to the trade-off between 500 average agents and one brilliant one, they unpack what it takes to build great AI p
State of AI and Games
34
April 15, 2025

State of AI and Games

Nabeel and Fraser debrief on GDC and the opportunities for innovation beyond the conservative approaches in an industry going through a funk. They touch on the experiences at the recent GDC, including the growth of AI in gaming and the recurring challenges faced by developers. The discussion also covers the competitive landscape of AI startups, the importance of stacking wins, and the nuanced differences between building games and software products. Notably, they highlight the intriguing possibi
Building an Interestingness Leaderboard
33
March 28, 2025

Building an Interestingness Leaderboard

We have evals for AI models, what about AI products? Today, Nabeel and Fraser talk about building computer games through vibe coding, and just when we might see a breakout success of an AI-built game. Through this discussion, they also explore what building a platform that curates weird AI experiments might look like, particularly one that builders could use for discovery and inspiration. (00:00) - Ep. 33 - Do we need a leaderboard for AI products (01:32) - Exploring Vibe Coding and Community Bu