I Built an AI Assistant That Works While I Sleep
All the Hacks: Money, Points & Life
Costs, Model Selection, and Budgeting
Chris warns that heavy use of expensive models ballooned costs and emphasizes tracking usage and budgets.
#265: Chris explores how modern AI tools have eliminated the barriers to building software, why planning matters more than coding skill, how anyone can turn a simple problem into a working app faster and cheaper than ever before, and how he built a personal AI assistant that's already started to run his life behind the scenes.
Link to Full Show Notes: https://chrishutchins.com/how-to-build-with-ai-tools
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Resources Mentioned
AI Models & Assistants
AI Coding & Building Tools
Productivity & Automation Tools
Developer Infrastructure
FinTech: Plaid
How to Run OpenClaw as your Virtual EA
Blogs
Credit Cards
ATH Podcast
- Ep #263: How to Earn Millions of Points and More Listener Q&A
- Chris’ Card Optimizer Tool
- Ask Chris Anything!
- Leave a review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
- Email for questions, hacks, deals, and feedback: podcast@chrishutchins.com
Full Show Notes
(00:00) Introduction
(01:41) Why This Is the Best Time Ever to Build Software
(04:14) How to Build Almost Anything with AI
(13:53) Why Context Is the Real Superpower
(15:58) Using Planning Mode Instead of Guessing
(16:41) Which AI Tool Should You Start With?
(17:53) Building a Real Credit Card Optimizer from Scratch
(28:48) What It Actually Costs to Build with AI
(32:38) The Real AI Learning Curve
(33:38) Moving from Cursor to Claude Code
(36:17) Why You Should Try Building Something (Even If You're Not a Coder)
(37:00) How OpenClaw Changes the Game
(38:57) Why Security Still Matters
(42:25) A Conversation with Ted, Chris' AI Assistant
(44:07) Letting AI Work While You Sleep
(49:41) Learning to Be Clear, Specific, and Intentional
(50:03) Start with a Real Problem
(50:39) Breaking Projects into Small, Winnable Pieces
(50:58) What Would You Build If Building Were Easy?
(51:59) Keeping Track of Cost and Budget
Connect with Chris
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