Think it, Build it, Use it! - This Is Not Advice #9

Hey friends,

Saturday 7am: I wished something existed.
Saturday midday: It did.

Welcome to the "Think It, Build It, Use It" philosophy.

Think It

I was listening to this incredible 20VC podcast with Larry Aschebrook, the Founder and MP of the VC firm GSquared. It was ridiculous, full of incredible stories. Garry's openness to talk about the numbers, the role of luck and where he has gone horribly wrong made for a fascinating episode. It's a crazy story and well worth a listen.

I went to share it with my brother. But, he wouldn't understand half the terms. Carry rates, LPs, liquidation preferences, MVPs. The content was brilliant, but the language was a barrier.

That's when I thought: "I wish there was a way to simplify any podcast so anyone could understand it."

7am shower thought. Nothing more.

Build It

By noon, the app existed.
Here's what it does in simple terms: You give it a podcast rss feed, it pulls up the episodes, you pick the one you want, it rewrites the episode adding in 'The Big Short' style explanations of terms. Then it turn the new transcript back into a podcast with Ai voices. Keeping the flow of the story but interrupting where necessary and providing context to what the hell they are actually talking about. Think Margo Robbie in a bubble bath or Selena Gomez at a Blackjack table.

All you do is input a podcast and you get a easier to understand podcast back.

The build was surprisingly straightforward on Lovable:

• Input an RSS feed
• Whisper API transcribes the audio
• ChatGPT API identifies complex terms and simplifies the transcript.
• ElevenLabs API converts it back to speech with two different voices
• Output: A podcast anyone can follow

Five hours. One Saturday morning.

Use It

The app works. I've already shared that simplified VC podcast with my brother.
That's the magic right there.

Who's This Really For?

Started for me and my brother, but who knows if it could be useful for others?

• Schools: Imagine assigning students any business podcast or academic talk, knowing they'll actually understand it.
• Parents: Share your favorite podcasts with your kids without them getting lost in jargon.
• Anyone learning: Break into new industries without drowning in terminology.

How It Could Get Even Better

The current version is just the beginning. Imagine if you could:

• Toggle age settings: Adjust simplification level based on whether you're sharing with a 12-year-old or a university student.
• Use original voices: Clone the actual podcast hosts' voices for the simplified version using AI voice recreation.
• Build personal glossaries: Input definitions you already know so they aren't repeated in future episodes.

I haven't shared a link as to be honest I'm not totally sure about the copyright laws around this. I wouldn't want to be stopping podcasters from getting the listen credit.

The Bigger Picture

How unbelievably cool is it that we can do this in a single morning?
We're living in an era where shower thoughts can become functional software before lunch. Yet most people don't realize this is possible.

This should be taught in schools. It should be weekend activities for kids. "What problem annoyed you this week? Let's build a solution."

The tools are there. The APIs are accessible. The only barrier is knowing you can actually do it.

A Wild Idea

All this makes me want to run a build competition, but exclusively for people who can't code.

Picture this: 12 hours in London. Non-coders only. Everyone trying to build the coolest app using no-code tools and AI APIs. Small prize, big bragging rights.

Anyone interested? Hit reply if this sounds like your kind of Saturday.

Your Turn

What did you wish existed this morning?

Jonny

P.S. Seriously though, non-coder build competition in London. If enough people reply, I'm making this happen. Who's in?