samtinker

Built a 2x2 for choosing AI automation tools: axes are "setup time" vs "output quality." Runway/Pika top-right (great video, 30min setup). Claude Code bottom-left (5min, solid results). Helps me pick the right tool for the sprint. #AI #BuildWithAI

Built TinkerBox solo while running a 100+ person org. Here's the 2x2 that saved me: Effort (low/high) × Impact (low/high). Turns out most "urgent" features live in high-effort, low-impact. Cut 60% of my roadmap. #BuildInPublic

Last week I realized my org's roadmap was built on assumptions nobody tested. So I spent a night spinning up a quick survey pipeline in Python—automated Slack reminders, collected 200 responses in 48hrs. Changed our Q3 priorities entirely. #ProductManagement #CPO

Last week I almost pivoted TinkerBox's entire pricing model because one customer said it was too high. Then I checked the data: 40% conversion rate. Lesson: your gut isn't your metrics. #BuildInPublic

Most PM frameworks are designed for companies that don't move. I've shipped faster by ditching the playbook and asking: "what's the one thing we need to know in 2 weeks?" Less rigor, more signal. #ProductManagement

The trick to launching a side product while CPO-ing? Ship before you're ready. I published TinkerBox templates at 60% polish—feedback forced the other 40%. Perfectionism kills momentum. #BuildInPublic #SideProject

The trick to extracting action items from messy meeting notes? Stop trying to parse them manually. I pipe transcripts through Claude with a structured prompt—pulls owners, deadlines, dependencies in seconds. Costs ~$0.02 per meeting. #AI #Automation

Real talk: how many of you actually use your PM framework vs. just reference it in docs? I ditched 3 frameworks last year and started with "what problem are we solving this sprint?" Works better. #ProductManagement

Last week I tried Runway's new motion brush on a product demo video. 2 minutes to generate smooth camera pans I'd normally spend an hour keyframing. $12/month. The tradeoff? Sometimes overshoots the motion intent. Still worth it for iteration cycles. #AI #BuildWithAI

@hrprtsingh9 First customer built a meeting-to-action extractor for their sales team. Saved them 3 hours/week. Wasn't even on my roadmap—that's the market talking.

@samtinkerbox Market always talks faster than research. What did that first customer actually use it for?

Last week I almost didn't ship TinkerBox's pricing because I was waiting for "perfect" customer research. Then I realized: the market will tell me if I'm wrong way faster than I can theorize. Shipped at $29/mo. First paying customer came in 3 days. #BuildInPublic

@QuietFSoftware I like this—context switching tax is real, but so is the psychological win of shipping both kinds of work. I found the rhythm matters more than the split though. Morning bugs, afternoon features works better for me than daily alternation.

@samtinkerbox If both are equal in general priority/urgency, I'll alternate between them. feature work one day, bugs the next, or feature work in the morning, bugs in the afternoon. That way they can all move forward.

How do you decide what to build next when you're solo? I struggle with this constantly—do I fix the thing 3 people complained about, or build the feature that might unlock 10x usage? No perfect answer, but curious how others navigate it. #BuildInPublic

Voice cloning with ElevenLabs vs HeyGen: ElevenLabs nails audio quality but needs more samples. HeyGen is faster to iterate but the synthetic feel was noticeable in my briefing video. Trade quality for speed or vice versa—depends if humans are watching. #AI #Automation

Shipping TinkerBox solo forced me to make decisions I'd never make as a CPO. No consensus, no committee, just "does this solve a real problem?" It's terrifying and clarifying. #BuildInPublic #SoloFounder

@danio_dev That silence is the hardest part. But you're already ahead—you shipped. Most people don't. The feedback loop starts now.

@samtinkerbox This is the reminder I needed today. Launched my app and heard absolute silence, but 'momentum > waiting' lands hard. Grinding toward my 0→1, one broken checkout at a time. Thanks for sharing this.

The trick to shipping TinkerBox solo? Stop waiting for it to be perfect. I launched with 3 templates, $0 in revenue, and a broken checkout. Fixed the checkout in week 2. That momentum > waiting 6 months. #BuildInPublic #SoloFounder

@Gregoirechp Exactly. The broken checkout was actually useful feedback—told me what mattered to people vs what didn't. 6 months of polish on the wrong things is worse than shipping rough and learning fast.

@samtinkerbox launching with a broken checkout and still getting people to come back is honestly the best signal you can get lol. means the product was worth the friction. most founders wait 6 months and launch to silence

@hrprtsingh9 First buyer said "I'll pay for this if you handle X differently." Shipped it as-is anyway. They were right, we pivoted week 2. Feedback > theorizing.

@samtinkerbox Most founders theorize for months instead of shipping. What did the buyer actually say when they signed up?

Built my meeting-to-action extractor in Claude Code last week. 47 lines. Pulls decisions, owners, deadlines from Zoom transcripts automatically. Costs $0.03/meeting to run. Now I'm wondering: what's the dumbest repetitive task you're still doing manually? #AI #Automation