The story behind the product, one week at a time
1 July 2026
Over the past few months I have been working hard to build an AI coach that will help everyone – particularly those whose jobs are being impacted by AI – deal with the current turmoil. MAICE is the AI coach that guides you every step of the way.
The one AI theme that is constantly in the news lately is that AI will take all our jobs. Most of the influential thinkers in the space disagree with this outcome, however they struggle to explain where all the new jobs will come from.
A 2024 article from Kogan, Papanikolaou, Schmidt and Seegmiller argues that there are two groups in every technology transition: those that benefit from the new technology, and those that are replaced by it. They found that where technology complements the skills of a worker, it generally leads to higher pay and employment. Where technology replaces the worker, the situation is more dire. The transition to AI will be no different. There will be winners and losers. For most of us, however:
“Your job won’t be taken by AI. It will be taken by someone who can use AI.”
That is exactly why I built Maice. Maice is the AI coach that helps you make sure that someone who can use AI is you. Maice helps you learn faster, work smarter and keep pace with AI. Maice is a coaching product. Maice works with you – asking the right questions, teaching you proven techniques, and helping you apply new skills directly to your work. It is not a system that automates things for you. Think of it as having an expert sitting beside you, guiding you through every step of the way.
Over the coming months I will share my journey to creating Maice. How I learnt to vibe code like a pro, the mistakes I made and the successes that I had. My recommendations on how you can create your own AI tool, and if you learn from my mistakes, how you will save a lot of time and a great deal of heartache. It was a fun journey and I learnt a lot. I look forward to sharing it here.
8 July 2026
Like many of you, I listen to a ton of podcasts about AI. On each and every one of them there is an expert who proclaims that AI will change the way that everyone works. No one will be able to escape the impact.
Unlike the tabloids, not everyone is full of doom and gloom. Many experts also say a version of “Your job won’t be taken by AI. It will be taken by someone who can use AI.” This is a common theme from the optimists. I wholeheartedly agree.
Driving home from the gym one morning, I was stuck in traffic and thinking about how most of my friends keep saying that they have no idea how to start with AI. Most people use AI as a search engine. Few really try to learn new skills or use AI to improve the way that they work. I hit upon the idea that I could use AI to teach people how to use AI. I could develop an AI coach – and the idea for Maice was born.
If you use Maice or any other AI system, make sure that you use it to learn new skills, to improve the way that you work, and to stay in touch with how AI is affecting your profession. The world is changing, and quickly. AI, properly used, is the best way to keep pace with AI.
15 July 2026
Once I decided to create an AI coaching tool I had to work out how on earth I was going to create such a tool. I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to create. I had invested time thinking deeply about what had worked for me in the past when I had to learn new skills, adapt to new technology and deal with rapid change.
At the time Claude had the best reputation for writing code so I signed up for a Claude Pro account. I sat down with my new friend Claude and told them that I was going to build an AI coaching product that would teach users how to use AI. Claude told me that was a magnificent idea. Claude then produced a training program for how to teach users to use AI. It was quite a well structured training program however it was nothing like what I wanted to create.
I told Claude that I am someone that thinks by talking (I am actually). I said “I will describe exactly what I wanted to create and that I want to use them (Claude) as a sounding board or expert advisor”. Claude obliged however it took some time to convince Claude not to jump to solution but to listen and understand what it was that I wanted to create.
If you ask an AI to build or create something for you, it will. Really quickly. However it will build what it thinks you want. It is unlikely that it will be what you actually want. That is not a fault with the AI, it is a fault with how you prompt the AI. You do not need to take an AI prompting course. Just take the time to think deeply about what you want to create, you are the subject expert.
Talk with your AI partner and exchange ideas and hold off from development for as long as you need. I spent a month of 4 plus hours a day working through exactly what I wanted to develop and the sort of features that I would like to create. Over time Claude became a wonderful development partner. It not only helps you develop a better product, it helps with development once you start vibe coding.
22 July 2026
LThe most important thing that you need prior to getting started on building your vibe coded product is knowing what you want to build. You know your subject area, probably too well. You can see the forest and you know the name of every tree. It is likely, particularly if you are anything like me, that you will try and boil the ocean. You will want to build an everything app that can remove all the pain from the work that you have undertaken over the years.
It can be overwhelming to have so much choice in how you approach this task. When I was thinking of building an app of any type based upon my experience and knowledge it was difficult to decide where I could add value that others couldn’t. Where I could find a niche that others had either overlooked or was too small for the major tech companies to care much about?
Focus is the only cure. You must relentlessly focus. Start as small as possible. You can expand your thinking later if it makes sense. Even with a narrow focus area there is a lot more to create than initially meets the eye.
Start with one work flow or idea. Spend time working on fleshing out that workflow or idea. Write down every step. Do as I did and use an AI as a sounding board. Be careful with their suggestions though. Many suggestions will be good but it will take the AI time to learn your true intent with your product. You will understand the idea better than the AI and the AI will generally reply with what it has learnt in training. This will change as the AI gains experience and knowledge via working with you. When the AI truly understands the intent behind what you are trying to create, they will become much more than an expert coder, they will be an invaluable development partner.