Vibing In The Code

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Happy Tuesday, TFP. How’s this for ironic: during a screening of Final Destination: Bloodlines in Argentina, a chunk of the theater’s ceiling fell on a woman. She’s hurt but all right, sustaining minor but extensive injuries. Who knew poor infrastructure could lead to an unintentional 4DX screening?

Many non-tech people are starting to use AI’s coding capabilities to build their own bespoke apps… all without any programming knowledge.

Why It Hits: For as long as coding has been around, software engineering has only been doable by… well… software engineers. With AI giving that capability to anyone who doesn’t have technical knowledge, becoming a developer (granted, a basic one) is now only limited by ideas. That could have a profound impact on Silicon Valley.

Behind the Code: The use of AI chatbots like ChatGPT and Claude and no-code AI like Replit and Lovable have led to the rise of “vibe coding.”

The Future: So, what kind of apps are vibe coders making? WSJ highlighted Priya Rose and Irena Wang, who created “BabyTime” — an app that allows young kids to tap on the faces of their family members to call them — using a free version of Claude to build it in an afternoon. There’s also Xavier Maier, who collaborated with a friend to track all the 15,000 trees he’s planted in Canada… an app made in just “a few hours.”

Prediction: Vibe coding could branch off into two equally fascinating directions — the ability for one person to build a billion-dollar startup (although more coding expertise will need to scale the app properly) or the ability for everyday people to have their own apps that help run their unique lives.

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As the US officially phases out the penny, both retailers and consumers will need to prepare for purchasing and pricing changes that will create ripple effects across the economy.

The Little Picture: President Donald Trump ordered the Treasury Department to stop producing pennies in February, resulting in the US Mint making its final purchase of blank copper penny templates this month. That gives the Mint enough blanks to make pennies until the beginning of next year… and only about eight months for people to prepare.

Behind the Coins: Some big changes are about to happen from the US dropping its smallest currency.

Checkout: The US is actually late to the getting-rid-of-the-penny bandwagon — Canada ditched theirs in 2012, and Australia and New Zealand did so decades ago. That’s because producing such a low-denomination coin takes more money than it’s worth. It currently costs 3.69 cents to make something worth only a cent (especially when most end up in piggy banks instead of circulating in the economy). That math doesn’t add up — penny production led to a loss of $85.3 million last year. Woof.

So, what will we be throwing in wishing wells next year? Nickels are the next coin up… but even those cost 14.68 cents to make. So, maybe quarters. But in this economy, that feels like a stretch.

Prediction: The concept of the 99-cent store is likely a thing of the past.

76.5% of you voted Movies and TV shows on streaming services in yesterday’s poll: What do you watch more of?

“It feels more familiar to me. I like to be able to anticipate SOME of what is going to occur. Maybe I need to broaden my horizons.”

“I personally watch more movies/TV series. But once you have children, it’s all YouTube creators.”

“I don’t even bother with streaming services.”

Let’s keep the conversation going. Join our Poll Of The Day newsletter, so your opinions can shine. Discover how your views line up with your peers’, check out cool insights, and have some fun. It’s data with personality.

🏆 The Cannes Palme d’Or was awarded to It Was Just an Accident — a thriller from once-imprisoned, dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi.

🏀 Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark could drive a billion-dollar impact on the WNBA.

🎤 Kesha is launching a platform called “Smash” — a LinkedIn for musical artists.

👓 AllFocal Optics developed a breakthrough in AR/VR tech that allows people with prescriptions to see things clearly without needing to wear their glasses or contacts.

🤖 Intempus, a startup founded by 19-year-old Teddy Warner, is developing a way for humanoid robots to have “human-like emotional expressions.”

📸 It turns out that taking a picture of Lidar scanners with your phone is a great way to break your phone.

🎓 Kai Cenat’s Streamer University is officially in session… and may be the first and last time the creator school happens.

🫰 Twitch creators are not happy about the platform seemingly “double-taxing” them when trying to help out other streamers.

📱 As Hollywood contracts, the creator economy welcomes displaced workers with open arms.