Bytes by Eight Bit Studios — Posts, Notes, Logs, and Stories on Building Apps

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Steve Polacek with a mechanical crab claw in a comic pop-art illustration
Mar 1, 2026 AI

M y F i r s t W e e k e n d R u n n i n g N a n o C l a w o n a M a c M i n i

I spent a weekend connecting an AI agent to our portal, repos, and Slack. By Sunday night, I had a 24/7 assistant up and running. Here's how it went down.

Feb 27, 2026 AI

W h e n t h e D e m o I s t h e S p e c

Your AI prototype isn't throwaway work. It's the most detailed spec document you'll ever write.

Feb 25, 2026 Startups

T h e C h e a p e s t M V P I s a P h o n e C a l l

Before you build anything, call 20 people. The answers will change what you build.

Close-up of programming code on a computer screen. Photo by Digital Buggu on Pexels.
Feb 24, 2026 Coding

R a i l s a n d F l u t t e r : W h y W e U s e B o t h

Rails for the backend, Flutter for the frontend. Why we chose this stack and how it gives startups the fastest path to production.

Frustrated person working at laptop. Photo by Tim Gouw on Pexels.
Feb 24, 2026 AI

W h e n Y o u r A I - B u i l t A p p H i t s a W a l l

Built with Cursor, Bolt, or Lovable and it's falling apart? Why AI-generated apps fail and how to move forward without starting over.

Abstract technology visualization representing artificial intelligence. Photo by Solen Feyissa on Pexels.
Feb 24, 2026 AI

A d d i n g A I t o Y o u r E x i s t i n g A p p

How to add AI features to your existing app without rebuilding. A practical guide covering APIs, costs, timelines, and common mistakes.

Startup team discussing ideas around a table. Photo by RDNE Stock project on Pexels.
Feb 24, 2026 Startups

W h a t F o u n d e r s G e t W r o n g A b o u t M V P s

After 100+ MVPs, here are the mistakes non-technical founders make most often and how to avoid them to ship something that works.

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