Hacker News: johnrob

New comment by johnrob in "Two kinds of AI users are emerging"

johnrob — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 02:24:39 +0000

I’ve done this in pure Python for a long time. Single file prototype that can mostly function from the command line. The process helps me understand all the sub problems and how they relate to each other. Best example is when you realize behaviors X, Y, and Z have so much in common that it makes sense to have a single component that takes a parameter to specify which behavior to perform. It’s possible that already practicing this is why I feel slightly “meh” compared to others regarding GenAI.

New comment by johnrob in "Anthropic Economic Index report: economic primitives"

johnrob — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:54:44 +0000

Until AI is used to generate new revenue streams (i.e. acquire new customers), I don’t think the economic impact is going to impress. My two cents.

New comment by johnrob in "Useful patterns for building HTML tools"

johnrob — Sat, 13 Dec 2025 23:23:35 +0000

Next evolution: UX should allow end users to build the prompt, and then the tool is generated and deployed at a random URL. Tool also keeps original prompt, so any user can customize into a new (random URL) tool page.

New comment by johnrob in "IBM CEO says there is 'no way' spending on AI data centers will pay off"

johnrob — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:32:38 +0000

Cheap depends on how we define the cost. In relative terms, food is more expensive than ever:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumol_effect

New comment by johnrob in "IBM CEO says there is 'no way' spending on AI data centers will pay off"

johnrob — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 19:15:45 +0000

Invest in making food/shelter cheaper?

New comment by johnrob in "Ticker: Don't die of heart disease"

johnrob — Sat, 08 Nov 2025 17:14:40 +0000

If you start exercising in your 20s, and never stop, it will be so much easier to maintain fitness in 40s 50s etc. The challenge is that the benefits are not yet visible in your 20s (when you’ll probably be healthy and at a proper weight regardless). Gotta lay that foundation for older age though!

EDIT - I misread the comment. It’s never too late to start, just be careful for injuries as that will block your ability to exercise.

New comment by johnrob in "Optimism associated with exceptional longevity (2019)"

johnrob — Wed, 05 Nov 2025 15:35:31 +0000

Research focuses on trends. You are a sample of 1, however, so anything is possible. Create your own path!

New comment by johnrob in "How I use every Claude Code feature"

johnrob — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 03:08:40 +0000

As fascinating as these tools can be - are we (the industry) once again finding something other than our “customer” to focus our brains on (see Paul Graham’s “Top idea in your mind” essay)?

New comment by johnrob in "Show HN: Why write code if the LLM can just do the thing? (web app experiment)"

johnrob — Sun, 02 Nov 2025 02:12:34 +0000

This definitely has that “toy” feel to it that a lot of eventually mainstream ideas have. It can’t work! But… could it?

New comment by johnrob in "OpenAI’s promise to stay in California helped clear the path for its IPO"

johnrob — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 22:56:58 +0000

If I am understanding things correctly, OpenAI could leave in the future - but CA can’t retroactively block the conversion in that case.

New comment by johnrob in "Simplify your code: Functional core, imperative shell"

johnrob — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 22:34:05 +0000

Functions can have complexity or side effects, but not both.

New comment by johnrob in "How America got hooked on ultraprocessed foods"

johnrob — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 16:01:05 +0000

If you don’t have one, try an Instant Pot which can pressure cook (in addition to rice cooker features). Dry beans can be ready to eat in an hour.

New comment by johnrob in "Tau² benchmark: How a prompt rewrite boosted GPT-5-mini by 22%"

johnrob — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 17:28:48 +0000

Isn’t programming the clearest form of writing? Perhaps it’s the non programmers that need to “catch up”.

New comment by johnrob in "Generative AI as Seniority-Biased Technological Change"

johnrob — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 15:01:17 +0000

LLMs are good at creating single use documents, like a pitch deck used for one prospective customer (never to be used again). But for long lived documents, on which future work builds atop, the bar is higher and the value of LLMs is more grey.

New comment by johnrob in "Interview with Geoffrey Hinton"

johnrob — Tue, 09 Sep 2025 03:30:54 +0000

Businesses fall into 2 categories:

B2C (sell to people)

B2B (sell to B2C companies)

If the “C” is broke, it seems like there won’t by any rich people. In other words, if the masses are poor and jobless, who is sending money to the rich?

New comment by johnrob in "Tao on “blue team” vs. “red team” LLMs"

johnrob — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:59:51 +0000

Humans are good at sifting valid feedback from bad feedback. But we are bad at spotting subtle bugs in PRs.

New comment by johnrob in "Show HN: Ten years of running every day, visualized"

johnrob — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 14:36:53 +0000

Have you tried non-running (indoor) cardio as a regular replacement? Jumping jacks, squats, jump squats, mountain climbers, even jogging in place. I do cardio everyday but running is only every 4th day. Of course, if you have access to equipment there’s always stationary bike and other machines like an elliptical.

New comment by johnrob in "Show HN: I AI-coded a tower defense game and documented the whole process"

johnrob — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 18:04:02 +0000

I see 100x used quite a bit related to LLM productivity. It seems extreme because it implies one could generate a year’s worth of value in a few days. I would think delivering features involves too much non coding work for this to be possible.

New comment by johnrob in "The last six months in LLMs, illustrated by pelicans on bicycles"

johnrob — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 15:41:01 +0000

Well, the most likely single random sample would be a “representative” one :)

New comment by johnrob in "Being fat is a trap"

johnrob — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 14:26:35 +0000

Societal norms are the problem. We’ve normalized unhealthy food. Big business has figured hit that if they make processed/refined foods easily accessible, you will buy them. Nobody wins here except shareholders, and only those shareholders in good health who don’t have to compete to get access from doctors who are overbooked with patients who have manifested a chronic illness that is statistically correlated with the aforementioned food.