What's up, everybody? Today you are gonna help me. Uh, I am trying to figure out what the future of Laracasts looks like. Uh, considering AI, obviously. So as you can imagine, um, like any educational platform, I would imagine, I'm trying to figure out where we fit, um, in the future. Um, does do things like chatGPT dramatically affect the way we learn,

Um, does do things like chat, GPT dramatically affect the way we learn, and I think obviously the answer is yes and for good reason. So, um, where does that leave traditional video based education? Like, um, does that go out the door? Is it unaffected? Um, do we need to tweak it? I am, I'm not entirely sure. And yeah, like I said, again, I would've imagine any owner of an educational platform is thinking about this exact thing, uh,

of an educational platform is thinking about this exact thing, uh, more than they might admit. Uh, where do we go from here? Is is sort of the, um, maybe that's the title of this episode. Where do we go from here? Where does Laas go from here? So, all right, let's set the scene. Okay. Currently, um, things are good. Like I, I'm not noticing any, uh,

Currently, um, things are good. Like I, I'm not noticing any, uh, significant decline in revenue. Um, Maybe slight, but like nothing, nothing that would indicate this revolutionary new, um, milestone, uh, in the programming world. Uh, it's mostly, mostly flat. I wouldn't say there's a huge amount of growth, but consistent and good.

I wouldn't say there's a huge amount of growth, but consistent and good. Uh, it allows me to pay a bunch of people to keep producing good content. So from that perspective, we're okay. But having said that, um, I don't know, I, I just, I'll just have a feeling about this. So I'm trying to figure out like what I, I wanna avoid the blockbuster, uh, outcome as much as possible.

I wanna avoid the blockbuster, uh, outcome as much as possible. Uh, granted we're a very tiny business, but it's the, it feels the same to my business as, uh, the owners of Blockbuster might have felt. Uh, how do we, how do we prevent this? How do we delay it as long as possible? How do we, um, move with the tides? So I just wanna go over this with you. Uh, I would love for some of you,

So I just wanna go over this with you. Uh, I would love for some of you, obviously this is a one way street, uh, but if this is something you think about too, or you have specific ideas here, please reach out to me. Uh, I'm on Twitter or x uh, Jeffrey Way. You can email me at jeffrey@laracast.com. Um, that's about it. I'm on Telegram. I don't know what I am on Telegram. Is it phone number based? Is it username? I can't remember.

I don't know what I am on Telegram. Is it phone number based? Is it username? I can't remember. Uh, if it's username, it would just be Jeffrey. Way, one word. Anyways, if, uh, you're so inclined, reach out. So here's what I'm thinking. Um, option one, just stay the course. And you know what? I think, I think stay, I, I think people underestimate the value of stay the course to the extent that Lyric has,

This is just a simple explanation with no code.

I consider that a success by any stretch. Anyways, to the extent that we've been successful, I would attribute a lot of that to just showing up. Uh, there's so much value in just showing up and doing the thing every single day. Um, over the years, I've, I've, I've seen people where it's like, they come onto the scene and they do something amazing, and I think, oh, this is gonna be a significant competition for us.

and I think, oh, this is gonna be a significant competition for us. And almost like clockwork, they just fizzle out. Uh, they lose interest, they move on to other things. Uh, so there, there is a lot to be said for just picking your thing, and then you're just gonna chip away at it every single day. You're gonna get a tiny bit better every day. And I think you'll, you'll see that with Aircast compared to when we launched in 2013.

And I think you'll, you'll see that with Aircast compared to when we launched in 2013. It's like, it's, there was never some dramatic improvement where it's like, now we got $30 million in funding, and suddenly the site has, you know, 10 XD or something like that. It never happened, but it did get just a tiny bit better. You know, every year it got 10, 15% better. To the point that now I think we, we produce really cool content,

This is just a simple explanation with no code.

Um, this is common investment advice, right? Uh, so often when the market takes a huge dip or something, people freak out and they sell, and then they screw themselves over. And there's a lot to be said for just sitting tight. Just, just hold onto it and just, just ride the wave once again. Uh, so that's an option. Uh, what do we have here? I've made some notes. Um, um, what else could we do? So just as an aside, I think text-based courses, I think

I've made some notes. Um, um, what else could we do? So just as an aside, I think text-based courses, I think that is probably dead in the water. Um, these would be courses that are not video-based. A lot of people do this where it's almost like a book, but as a website, right? Uh, maybe, maybe they've created chapters, maybe they have examples and things like that. But it is all text-based. And traditionally, the value of this is,

But it is all text-based. And traditionally, the value of this is, again, in the curation. Uh, these are curated text-based courses that you can, you can trust more, it's easier to follow, especially if you're not really a, a visual learner, it's easier to follow, uh, especially if somebody has lined it up for you, here, do this first, then do this. Here's an example. Here's a little

do this first, then do this. Here's an example. Here's a little project you should work on. But again, at the end of the day, it's all tech space. I feel like that's probably dead in the water because, um, I can just have AI do that for me. I, I can tell it to create a perfectly curated, uh, syllabus for me, considering where I currently am in my learning. Uh, it's dynamic. So we are now at a point where curation, I think is no longer a selling point.

Uh, it's dynamic. So we are now at a point where curation, I think is no longer a selling point. When it used to be very much a selling point. Often you were paying for the curation. I think, um, you were paying for education that you could probably get for free around the web, but you had to search the web, you had to piece the puzzle together. The curation provided the value of like, no, the puzzles already put together.

The curation provided the value of like, no, the puzzles already put together. And now I have divided it into do this piece and then this piece, and then this piece, and then you'll have a complete puzzle when you're done. Uh, I just don't, I, I'm not sure there's much value, huh? Am I wrong here? See, I'm, I'm working this out as I talk to you. I don't think I'm wrong. Uh, I, I, I think the value is starting to go away.

I don't think I'm wrong. Uh, I, I, I think the value is starting to go away. Maybe just as I'm saying this, I'm just not sure. But, um, I'm gonna go with my gut. I, I think if it's not gone away entirely, uh, it has diminished dramatically to use 2D words. Um, so that's something to think about. Uh, areas we have embraced AI for, LAR cast is in all the areas you would naturally expect, right?

LAR cast is in all the areas you would naturally expect, right? Uh, we use AI for transcriptions. We use AI for, um, audio translation. So now you can, if you want, uh, I'll do it for this video. In fact, uh, you can hear me and Spanish, you can hear me in French. And it's actually shockingly good in many cases. So we use AI for that. We use AI to take the AI generated transcript,

So we use AI for that. We use AI to take the AI generated transcript, and then once again, generates basically like an article or a summary article based upon that transcript. And AI does that as well. Um, there's other areas, um, I'm working on right now where we can use it more for like, uh, suggestions. Here's, here's what AI thinks you should watch next based upon, or dependent upon what you have already watched. Um, that can be more beneficial than you

upon, or dependent upon what you have already watched. Um, that can be more beneficial than you just searching for the next thing. Or us giving you a pre, a pre-prepared, a pre-prepared, a prepared, uh, path, which we offer on the site at lyas.com/path. Uh, but it might be more beneficial where it's like, alright, you seem to be into this and this and this and this. Uh, I'm gonna feed that to ai

and this and this and this. Uh, I'm gonna feed that to ai and it's gonna say, you should probably watch this course or this course next. That's probably the next step in your learning. Um, so that's interesting. We are leveraging it, but it's still, you know, a traditional video-based education platform. And what I'm trying to figure out with you is like,

a traditional video-based education platform. And what I'm trying to figure out with you is like, do we need to adapt? Do we need to change? Are we dead in the water? And you know what? Depending upon the day, I, uh, say yes to each of those questions, are we dead in the water on Monday? Yes. On Tuesday? Do we just need to adapt and improve? Yes. Wednesday, stay the course. People still wanna learn from humans. Yes.

Wednesday, stay the course. People still wanna learn from humans. Yes. And what that means is they're all partially correct. Uh, which is why I just kind of keep spinning my gears here. Um, so one option is like, we, we stay the course of a course. We stay the course, of course, of course. Uh, but we, we expand in certain areas. So you can imagine things we could do is of course, leveraging AI quite a bit more.

So you can imagine things we could do is of course, leveraging AI quite a bit more. Um, we could lean into our exams feature more, the exams that LAR has. We only offer for more of the like, introductory, uh, courses. We could expand that. But also I do that. 'cause I feel like that is the stage when you're most likely to work through these little interactive exercises where a code editor pops up, you have a little challenge.

to work through these little interactive exercises where a code editor pops up, you have a little challenge and you have to do it in the browser, and then you submit your question, we evaluate it, we run a bunch of tests to see if you solved the challenge. And if not, we, we say try again. So one thing we could do is like, expand that and create an AI character. Uh, maybe we use the mascot, Larry, uh, from ES for this. And he can actually evaluate the question, what your

Uh, maybe we use the mascot, Larry, uh, from ES for this. And he can actually evaluate the question, what your provided, uh, solution was. And if you're wrong, he can actually give you some feedback, almost like a little text bubble, like, Hey, uh, we can make it kind of cute and animated where he's talking to you. Uh, maybe you should, uh, research php variables more because it seems like you're having trouble properly formatting a variable.

because it seems like you're having trouble properly formatting a variable. You know, things like that, that could be fun. Um, and a afternoon, that's, that's entirely doable. I could do that right now. Um, another option is go all in on the human element. So, um, the Idea that we will be able to compete with ai, that can just generate on the fly lesson on anything you wanna learn. And again, not just a lesson,

lesson on anything you wanna learn. And again, not just a lesson, but a lesson tailored to your needs and your situation is, is nobody can compete with that. But where you can compete is just, again, in the human element. Um, I look at magazines sometimes, not because I can't get the information elsewhere, or I can't ask AI to summarize it, but because sometimes it's just fun

This is just a simple explanation with no code.

but we are focusing more on just the, the joy of being a programmer, the entertainment of being a programmer, the lifestyle and the workflow of being a programmer. Uh, we could lean into that more if we did that, though. I wonder, are you willing to pay for that? I mean, a lot of that you just get for free on YouTube. Um, our differentiator was always in the courses. So maybe that's just an add-on. Maybe it's something we do, again, to,

So maybe that's just an add-on. Maybe it's something we do, again, to, to focus on the humanity of being a programmer a bit more. Uh, so yeah, we could focus on interactivity more. We could focus on the human element more. Um, I've had this idea in my head for the last several months of almost like a traditional class-based structure, minus the group class. Um, actually in our, um, what do I call it?

minus the group class. Um, actually in our, um, what do I call it? The milestones Trello board, where it's just like, here's the milestones for the year. The, the big, the big tent pole things we're gonna work on. I keep delaying it by a month and a month and a month. 'cause I'm, I'm just not sure if it's worth the effort. But there are, you get this with universities sometimes where they have like these online free programs where you get to work through the class,

where they have like these online free programs where you get to work through the class, and it is a little more traditional where it's like, here's what you're doing this week, and you have your assignment and your homework, and you submit the homework and it actually gets graded. Now, I think in real life, these, these places aren't grading your crap at all. It's automated. Um, and there actually is no human element whatsoever,

It's automated. Um, and there actually is no human element whatsoever, even though they make you feel like that. Um, in our case, we would actually put the human element in there, but it would be a little more class-based. You would, you would vo you would, you would vo a video, you would watch a video from me, uh, illustrating how to do something. And then there would be like a, a group forum specifically for that class.

And then there would be like a, a group forum specifically for that class. You could talk with others, you would have homework that you have to submit, and if you don't submit it, you get a zero. Like, it would be very much class-based. And I'm deciding like, is that interesting or is that like, only why, like, we've moved beyond that. You know, like that's the old way. And I'm just not sure what I think about that yet.

You know, like that's the old way. And I'm just not sure what I think about that yet because I, I have to admit there is, there is an appeal to it for me. I love the idea of like, no, I'm committing to this and I have a responsibility to do this, and if I don't do the homework, then I'm gonna get a zero. Now, granted, and the context of lowerca a zero doesn't mean anything other than the fact that you're trying to improve yourself.

of lowerca a zero doesn't mean anything other than the fact that you're trying to improve yourself and it means something to you. But does it give you that extra, um, oomph that, that you need to, you need to do the work, you need to show up, you need to sit down, you gotta watch the video, you need to do the assignment, you need to submit the assignment, and then an actual human is gonna go over it. Um, so from that perspective, we wouldn't be able

and then an actual human is gonna go over it. Um, so from that perspective, we wouldn't be able to offer it as like the standard layer cast subscription, because I can't go over hundreds and hundreds of assignment submissions. But maybe if we had a higher tier that just by definition not as many people would sign up for, then we would be able to handle that. It's just a big project though. It's, it's a whole new branch of laas.

It's just a big project though. It's, it's a whole new branch of laas. It would not replace what we do at all currently. It would just be an additional branch, um, uh, a traditional branch. And I'm, I'm not sure, uh, I, I like it myself, but my instinct as young people do not like it and aren't interested, um, maybe it'll just appeal to, to older folks and how many older folks are going to be getting into programming.

to older folks and how many older folks are going to be getting into programming. I just dunno. See, these are the questions that spin around in my head. What else do I have here? Um, and yeah, then there's just the idea of like, a lot of people believe traditional websites are going away. You know, the idea of the traditional prepared UI is done and everything's going to happen through a chat prompt. Uh, maybe that's true. I think, again, going back

and everything's going to happen through a chat prompt. Uh, maybe that's true. I think, again, going back to the magazine idea, though, I, it's not all gonna go through a prompt because I like flipping through magazines, and maybe this is a horrible example because magazines are kind of dead, but I just like the act of flipping through a magazine and browsing websites is kind of the same thing for me. Uh, what I think will change is, uh, imagine this, um, the idea of a

Uh, what I think will change is, uh, imagine this, um, the idea of a quote unquote static UI becoming irrelevant. The idea of like, we design the ui@larcast.com and what you see is what you're gonna get. What if instead the UI could be dynamic based upon what you want. So maybe you, like, you want to see beautiful things. So you could have a UI that is just gorgeous to look at full of animations and you can

So you could have a UI that is just gorgeous to look at full of animations and you can browse through the site in that way. Or maybe you're, you're, you're data heavy, you're like, I don't, I don't wanna see this like huge CNN website. I just wanna see the, the relevant links. Give me a text only interface or give me the, you know, the Idea of like, you getting to pick what your interface is to the, uh, website I think is actually really cool.

to pick what your interface is to the, uh, website I think is actually really cool. Um, if I could say like, um, on the homepage of Lyrica, here's what I wanna see. I wanna see the most recent video. I wanna see my, my bookmarks and my watch later list. And I also wanna see them, uh, you know, stuff like that. Um, there's no reason why AI can't just do that for you and give you a curated UI. Curated UI that's kind of ridiculous. Um, but cool.

and give you a curated ui. Curated UI that's kind of ridiculous. Um, but cool. And, um, I don't know what that means for Layer Cast. Maybe that's, maybe that's a way off, ways off. Who knows if we'll be around that long. But again, I don't even think that's far off now actually. I feel like within the year we could figure that out. And maybe that's the tricky thing right now, as things are moving at such a lightning fast pace that it's hard to keep up a little bit.

as things are moving at such a lightning fast pace that it's hard to keep up a little bit. Lemme tell you just browsing X in that for you, tab is probably responsible for 95% of the AI anxiety. I feel like I saw something from, um, the head of open AI and he is like, I just, I did a little coding project for our next model and it was, um, wildly good. And I'm not sure how I feel about that. The fact that he wrote, I'm not sure

And I'm not sure how I feel about that. The fact that he wrote, I'm not sure how I feel about that at the end. It's like partially that is marketing speak and then maybe some of that is true and we don't know as, as regular folks. Which one is he referring to? Is this marketing for your product or is this you experiencing something that actually freaked you out a little bit?

or is this you experiencing something that actually freaked you out a little bit? We never know and we see that same equivalent tweet every single day. Um, maybe we should all get off X, I'm not sure. Uh, okay, that's it. So think about this. Help me if you're in a similar field. Let's brainstorm. Let's think about it. Uh, what do we do? Do we stay the course? Do we adapt? Do we create something entirely new out of this?

Do we stay the course? Do we adapt? Do we create something entirely new out of this? Do we fold up shop? Uh, everyone who works at recast is like, no, don't. And we're not. We're doing good. We're doing good for a while. Um, when it starts to dip, when revenue starts to dip, I will get more worried and I will become more aggressive and possibly tweaking things. But for now, things are good, which means it's a good time.

and possibly tweaking things. But for now, things are good, which means it's a good time. Um, think about where we go from here. I'm Jeffrey Way. This is a snippet. I'll see you next time.