Summary

In this episode of The Acceleration, Avi Burra talks with open-source trailblazer Alex Gleason. Alex recounts his journey from tinkering with early PHP forums to shipping Soapbox, the engine that later powered Truth Social, and why he quit that high-profile gig to double-down on “freedom tech.”

The chat focuses on Get Stacks, his new “AI-first” platform that teams an integrated coding agent with community-shared templates so developers can spin up full apps in minutes. Alex describes how the And Other Stuff collective used Stacks to build Chorus—a Nostr-based group-chat app with e-cash—in just five days, illustrating how AI is compressing dev cycles. They dive into bridging protocols (Mostr, Ditto), open-source LLMs, ethical AI, and how decentralization plus AI might keep the internet open, weird, and wonderfully creative.

Links

Get Stacks: https://getstacks.dev/

MKStack: https://mkstack.xyz/

Soapbox: https://soapbox.pub/

Alex's Personal Site: https://alexgleason.me/

Chapters

00:40 Introduction to Alex Gleason and His Work

05:02 The Experience at Truth Social

08:09 Perceptions of Alternative Platforms

11:55 Understanding Soapbox and Its Impact

16:08 Interoperability in Decentralized Networks

20:22 Introducing Stacks: An AI-First Development Platform

29:39 The Evolution of Software Development

33:01 Distinguishing Between Stacks and MKStack

35:32 The Rise of AI Companies

37:11 Understanding NOSTA and Its Pillars

40:18 Building with MKStack

46:31 Future of Stacks and MKStack

50:43 NOSTER's Unique Position

52:21 Concerns About AI Development

58:41 The State of Open Source LLMs

01:01:21 The Future of AI and Human Creativity

01:04:00 Advice for Developers and Enthusiasts

Summary

In this episode, Avi Burra interviews Shroominic, the architect of Routstr, a decentralized LLM routing marketplace. They discuss the inception of Routstr, its target users, and the implications of KYC processes. The conversation delves into the concept of Data Vending Machines (DVMs), the advantages of using cashu ecash for payments, and the requirements for becoming a Routstr provider. They also explore the user experience of Routstr, potential future integrations with other providers, and the significance of Routser Improvement Proposals (RIPs) in community engagement. Finally, they touch on LangChain, a framework that simplifies working with language models.

Links

Routstr Website

Routstr GitHub

Shroominic Github

Chapters

00:30 Introduction to Routstr and Its Vision

02:42 The Birth of Routstr: Solving Unmet Needs

06:18 Target Users and KYC Dynamics

09:16 Decentralized Marketplace and Trust Mechanisms

15:03 Understanding Data Vending Machines (DVMs)

17:03 Cashu vs. Lightning: Simplifying Payments

19:01 Becoming a Provider: Minimum Viable Setup

21:14 User Experience: Getting Started with Routstr

25:56 Exploring Other Providers and Future Integrations

27:33 Routstr Improvement Proposals (RIPs) and Community Engagement

30:46 LangChain: A Framework for Language Models

35:49 Memory Management in AI Models

39:45 Innovations in Code Interpretation and Development

43:56 Lessons from LangChain to Routstr

47:08 Decentralization in AI: A Critical Perspective

50:18 Future Plans for Routstr

01:03:33 Reflections on AI Models and Future Prospects

Summary

In this episode of The Acceleration, host Avi Burra sits down with “Dr. Neural MD,” an anonymous engineer who builds AI systems in health-tech by day and experiments with AI-driven music by night. They discuss how AI can cut waste and streamline workflows in healthcare, unpack core concepts like tokens and attention mechanisms, and explore whether transformer-based models can ever grasp the patterns that make art and music truly timeless. Along the way they tackle the philosophical, ethical, and economic implications of AI in both clinical and creative domains.

Chapters

00:30 Introduction to AI's Impact on Healthcare and Music

02:11 Exploring AI's Role in Healthcare

07:03 The Intersection of AI and Music

08:25 AI's Understanding of Art and Music

11:57 Limitations of Transformer-Based AI in Art

13:57 Understanding Tokens in AI

16:14 Attention Mechanisms in AI Music Generation

22:01 The Quest for Masterpieces in AI Music

30:00 The Challenge of Defining Success in Art

37:56 Generative AI Music Projects

38:34 Exploring Programmatic Music and AI

40:00 The Healthcare Expenditure Crisis

43:00 Understanding Healthcare Costs and Services

50:34 AI's Role in Reducing Healthcare Waste

55:31 The Future of Open Source AI

01:02:10 AGI: Glimpses of the Future