The rise of AI-powered developers, automation wars, and the JD Vance speech - Episode 17

In this episode of WORK IN PROGRESS, we go deep on:The software developer job collapse – AI is eating junior developer roles. Is the middle-class engineer disappearing?AI-powered coding in Webflow and beyond – How Webflow Apps, GSAP, and AI-driven coding tools are changing the game.Make vs. Zapier and the automation gap – Why most businesses aren't even ready for AI workflows.Escaping Amsterdam – Why Ian is ditching city life, exploring Starlink internet, and avoiding overpriced restaurants.Europe’s economic mess and JD Vance’s speech – Is EU leadership completely disconnected from reality?CRO, efficiency, and scaling Noco – The latest on Noco’s CRO push, customer insights, and why simple beats complex.Chapters (0:00) Intro and chaotic energy (1:00) Hiring struggles and scaling challenges (4:20) The reality of running an agency vs. a product business (6:45) Software developer job market is down 70% – what’s happening? (10:30) AI is replacing junior devs, but senior devs are thriving (14:15) No-code, low-code, and AI automation in development (17:40) Automating workflows with Make and Zapier (21:00) The gap between efficient and inefficient businesses (25:30) The move to the countryside – Ian’s house project (30:00) Ditching restaurants and cooking at home (32:50) Hospitality industry complaints and cultural contrasts (34:45) Amsterdam bans dancing in restaurants? (36:10) JD Vance’s speech and European politics (40:30) The shift in political alignments on war and peace (43:15) Regulation, censorship, and the loss of common sense (47:00) Noco’s CRO service and standardization(49:30) Wrapping up – recruiter culture and closing thoughtsThe WORK IN PROGRESS podcast hosted by Ian Piepenbrock and Wes Botman, two founders who are scaling and refining their businesses every day.Wes Botman is founder and CEO at ⁠⁠Eli5⁠⁠ (https://eli5.io), a software studio making complex ideas simple and accessible.Ian Piepenbrock is CEO at ⁠⁠Noco⁠⁠ (https://noco.agency), an agency dedicated to helping B2B SaaS and tech companies grow through strategic web design and branding.Watch/listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cOqBRMjjgcXKSDDIboKrt?si=6990da66e09e4ef2Follow us on X for more raw insights, thoughts, and a good dose of founder reality:Wes: ⁠⁠@wesbotman⁠⁠ (https://x.com/wesbotman)Ian: ⁠⁠@lamswolprins (https://x.com/lamswolprins)