Overview
Chris Ashworth, CEO of theater automation software QLab, shares his experience using Claude to rapidly build a custom lighting design application. After being skeptical of AI for two years, he discovered that AI can enable experienced programmers to build useful tools for tiny niche audiences that would never justify traditional development time.
The Breakdown
- AI programming tools amplify existing programming skills rather than creating them - bad programmers make bad programs faster, while good programmers can make good programs faster
- Quality control and code understanding remain essential - Ashworth emphasizes the danger of shipping code you haven’t reviewed and don’t understand
- AI enables economically viable development for ultra-niche applications - Ashworth built a polished app for just 3 users in a few days, something that would never have been worth traditional development time
- Career-changing potential for experienced developers - AI acts like a room full of power tools that can dramatically accelerate work when used by someone who understands the fundamentals
- Overcoming rational skepticism through hands-on testing - Ashworth moved from two years of dismissing AI as garbage to recognizing its transformative potential after actually using Claude