Scott D. Witt
@scottdwitt.bsky.social
Serial Cofounder, CXO, adviser, IC.
Helping startups to succeed by doing what most don't.
"Start with the customer, and work back"
#SoCalVenturePipeline
(same '@' on X)
Helping startups to succeed by doing what most don't.
"Start with the customer, and work back"
#SoCalVenturePipeline
(same '@' on X)
@nigella.bsky.social
I bike toured across England (Lake District to Portsmouth) and consumed 'STP' at least twice a day in a variety of pubs and cafes.
It gave us the strength & motivation to brave the storms and hills and whatever else the country could throw at us.
We missed it in Brittany!
I bike toured across England (Lake District to Portsmouth) and consumed 'STP' at least twice a day in a variety of pubs and cafes.
It gave us the strength & motivation to brave the storms and hills and whatever else the country could throw at us.
We missed it in Brittany!
January 22, 2026 at 3:22 AM
@nigella.bsky.social
I bike toured across England (Lake District to Portsmouth) and consumed 'STP' at least twice a day in a variety of pubs and cafes.
It gave us the strength & motivation to brave the storms and hills and whatever else the country could throw at us.
We missed it in Brittany!
I bike toured across England (Lake District to Portsmouth) and consumed 'STP' at least twice a day in a variety of pubs and cafes.
It gave us the strength & motivation to brave the storms and hills and whatever else the country could throw at us.
We missed it in Brittany!
Ah, they're expected to be able to communicate with other humans!
Agree on the incongruous assembly of the document.
I wonder if the AI was a last minute bolt-on, perhaps by another party? (who didn't know better)
Agree on the incongruous assembly of the document.
I wonder if the AI was a last minute bolt-on, perhaps by another party? (who didn't know better)
January 22, 2026 at 3:17 AM
Ah, they're expected to be able to communicate with other humans!
Agree on the incongruous assembly of the document.
I wonder if the AI was a last minute bolt-on, perhaps by another party? (who didn't know better)
Agree on the incongruous assembly of the document.
I wonder if the AI was a last minute bolt-on, perhaps by another party? (who didn't know better)
... but often rewarded!
January 21, 2026 at 10:34 PM
... but often rewarded!
Without STEaM education, technologists don't learn how to write, or understand how other people perceive and think.
So their delusion of being THE MODEL of human experience continues to deepen.
So their delusion of being THE MODEL of human experience continues to deepen.
January 21, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Without STEaM education, technologists don't learn how to write, or understand how other people perceive and think.
So their delusion of being THE MODEL of human experience continues to deepen.
So their delusion of being THE MODEL of human experience continues to deepen.
For decades I've encountered this unspoken assumption among tech folks:
"Nobody reads that stuff anyway."
But they have to put something in the bucket, and GenAI'd words look good (no typos; seems like good grammar) and are fast & easy to generate.
So there you go.
"Nobody reads that stuff anyway."
But they have to put something in the bucket, and GenAI'd words look good (no typos; seems like good grammar) and are fast & easy to generate.
So there you go.
January 21, 2026 at 10:30 PM
For decades I've encountered this unspoken assumption among tech folks:
"Nobody reads that stuff anyway."
But they have to put something in the bucket, and GenAI'd words look good (no typos; seems like good grammar) and are fast & easy to generate.
So there you go.
"Nobody reads that stuff anyway."
But they have to put something in the bucket, and GenAI'd words look good (no typos; seems like good grammar) and are fast & easy to generate.
So there you go.
Great pictures
captures the power of Warrior's bow.
excellent detail on her running rigging
captures the power of Warrior's bow.
excellent detail on her running rigging
December 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Great pictures
captures the power of Warrior's bow.
excellent detail on her running rigging
captures the power of Warrior's bow.
excellent detail on her running rigging
Great points in the thread about checking the AI.
Using AI to define your quality control process requires very serious quality control of the AI's output.
"Close enough, isn't"
Using AI to define your quality control process requires very serious quality control of the AI's output.
"Close enough, isn't"
December 21, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Great points in the thread about checking the AI.
Using AI to define your quality control process requires very serious quality control of the AI's output.
"Close enough, isn't"
Using AI to define your quality control process requires very serious quality control of the AI's output.
"Close enough, isn't"
Reposted by Scott D. Witt
At the moment I’m of the opinion that writing tests might be the worst use case for AI. Unless you’re ensuring that the tests fail for a useful reason of course! Tests that only pass are worse than no tests at all.
December 21, 2025 at 1:24 AM
At the moment I’m of the opinion that writing tests might be the worst use case for AI. Unless you’re ensuring that the tests fail for a useful reason of course! Tests that only pass are worse than no tests at all.
Reposted by Scott D. Witt
Maybe not in your case but I have a feeling that this use of AI is going to lead to some subtle production bugs in the future. It's easier to write good tests than review tests written by an AI.
December 21, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Maybe not in your case but I have a feeling that this use of AI is going to lead to some subtle production bugs in the future. It's easier to write good tests than review tests written by an AI.
How has this changed your productivity?
eg:
More output, same quality
Same output, less time
More creative output, same time
etc.
eg:
More output, same quality
Same output, less time
More creative output, same time
etc.
December 21, 2025 at 7:14 PM
How has this changed your productivity?
eg:
More output, same quality
Same output, less time
More creative output, same time
etc.
eg:
More output, same quality
Same output, less time
More creative output, same time
etc.
A powerful reminder for when you're leading teams and setting the tone!
December 21, 2025 at 7:12 PM
A powerful reminder for when you're leading teams and setting the tone!
from Doonesbury, mid 90's
I was working in Mountain View CA (Netscape was across the street) and this was a pervasive vibe/expectation, especially among the bosses (who spent *their* weekends at beach homes in Santa Cruz).
In our case, much of our lives was burned by our boss' poor management habits
I was working in Mountain View CA (Netscape was across the street) and this was a pervasive vibe/expectation, especially among the bosses (who spent *their* weekends at beach homes in Santa Cruz).
In our case, much of our lives was burned by our boss' poor management habits
December 21, 2025 at 7:11 PM
from Doonesbury, mid 90's
I was working in Mountain View CA (Netscape was across the street) and this was a pervasive vibe/expectation, especially among the bosses (who spent *their* weekends at beach homes in Santa Cruz).
In our case, much of our lives was burned by our boss' poor management habits
I was working in Mountain View CA (Netscape was across the street) and this was a pervasive vibe/expectation, especially among the bosses (who spent *their* weekends at beach homes in Santa Cruz).
In our case, much of our lives was burned by our boss' poor management habits
Bad News: they're not getting paid to just write code ("the funnest thing there is")
Because this new work is so unfamiliar, it's not surprising they feel a bit overwhelmed.
Because this new work is so unfamiliar, it's not surprising they feel a bit overwhelmed.
December 20, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Bad News: they're not getting paid to just write code ("the funnest thing there is")
Because this new work is so unfamiliar, it's not surprising they feel a bit overwhelmed.
Because this new work is so unfamiliar, it's not surprising they feel a bit overwhelmed.
An entry-level CS grad would start working on relatively easy coding tasks.
If LLMs create that code it's likely they're expected to do lots of non-coding work—potentially diverse and unfamiliar to a novice CSer—which may feel like "many jobs"
Good News: getting broad valuable experience
1/
If LLMs create that code it's likely they're expected to do lots of non-coding work—potentially diverse and unfamiliar to a novice CSer—which may feel like "many jobs"
Good News: getting broad valuable experience
1/
December 20, 2025 at 9:08 PM
An entry-level CS grad would start working on relatively easy coding tasks.
If LLMs create that code it's likely they're expected to do lots of non-coding work—potentially diverse and unfamiliar to a novice CSer—which may feel like "many jobs"
Good News: getting broad valuable experience
1/
If LLMs create that code it's likely they're expected to do lots of non-coding work—potentially diverse and unfamiliar to a novice CSer—which may feel like "many jobs"
Good News: getting broad valuable experience
1/
Indeed.
Recipes are Zero to One,
on a scale of One Hundred points!
Recipes are Zero to One,
on a scale of One Hundred points!
December 4, 2025 at 3:04 AM
Indeed.
Recipes are Zero to One,
on a scale of One Hundred points!
Recipes are Zero to One,
on a scale of One Hundred points!
The Beginner's Mind, applied to interviewing!
"Beginner’s Mind doesn’t mean negating experience;
it means keeping an open mind
on how to apply our experience to each new circumstance."
- Mary Jaksch
"Beginner’s Mind doesn’t mean negating experience;
it means keeping an open mind
on how to apply our experience to each new circumstance."
- Mary Jaksch
November 23, 2025 at 1:33 AM
The Beginner's Mind, applied to interviewing!
"Beginner’s Mind doesn’t mean negating experience;
it means keeping an open mind
on how to apply our experience to each new circumstance."
- Mary Jaksch
"Beginner’s Mind doesn’t mean negating experience;
it means keeping an open mind
on how to apply our experience to each new circumstance."
- Mary Jaksch
Infrastructure will be another challenge in the States.
Japan is much smaller physically and vastly more focused on quality food ingredients.
Hope they succeed!
Japan is much smaller physically and vastly more focused on quality food ingredients.
Hope they succeed!
September 13, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Infrastructure will be another challenge in the States.
Japan is much smaller physically and vastly more focused on quality food ingredients.
Hope they succeed!
Japan is much smaller physically and vastly more focused on quality food ingredients.
Hope they succeed!
A great example of challenging an accepted assumption!
But aligning new products with consumer tastes won't happen overnight.
How patient will parentCo be as they find/create a new convenience food market/culture?
But aligning new products with consumer tastes won't happen overnight.
How patient will parentCo be as they find/create a new convenience food market/culture?
September 13, 2025 at 8:04 PM
A great example of challenging an accepted assumption!
But aligning new products with consumer tastes won't happen overnight.
How patient will parentCo be as they find/create a new convenience food market/culture?
But aligning new products with consumer tastes won't happen overnight.
How patient will parentCo be as they find/create a new convenience food market/culture?
reminds me of:
"Reality is for people who can't handle drugs"
"Reality is for people who can't handle drugs"
September 13, 2025 at 8:00 PM
reminds me of:
"Reality is for people who can't handle drugs"
"Reality is for people who can't handle drugs"
I thought he was just using Ernie Ball Extra Chunky strings
September 12, 2025 at 3:57 AM
I thought he was just using Ernie Ball Extra Chunky strings
They're out there!
In my late teens I played with a frighteningly good 13-year old guitarist who could play anything at any speed.
"Phil, slow down" was our standard request
We had to sneak him into bar gigs, but once he plugged-in, no one asked about his age.
In my late teens I played with a frighteningly good 13-year old guitarist who could play anything at any speed.
"Phil, slow down" was our standard request
We had to sneak him into bar gigs, but once he plugged-in, no one asked about his age.
September 12, 2025 at 3:55 AM
They're out there!
In my late teens I played with a frighteningly good 13-year old guitarist who could play anything at any speed.
"Phil, slow down" was our standard request
We had to sneak him into bar gigs, but once he plugged-in, no one asked about his age.
In my late teens I played with a frighteningly good 13-year old guitarist who could play anything at any speed.
"Phil, slow down" was our standard request
We had to sneak him into bar gigs, but once he plugged-in, no one asked about his age.
Wasn't Lee Smolin writing about some of these problems, ~20 years ago?
September 12, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Wasn't Lee Smolin writing about some of these problems, ~20 years ago?