RS338:  Balancing Your Use of AI with Aaron Francis

RS338: Balancing Your Use of AI with Aaron Francis

Author: RogueStartups February 26, 2025 Duration: 52:12
Ever wonder what's happening behind the scenes when your dev team says they're "leveraging AI"? As a non-technical founder, you don't need to understand every line of code, but knowing how AI is actually being used in your business is becoming essential. Today I'm sitting down with Aaron Francis, who pulls back the curtain on AI in development work. We'll explore the surprising differences between how veterans and newcomers in the field are using these tools, the common pitfalls teams fall into, and the unexpected ways AI is transforming how products get built. Whether you're trying to speak your developer's language or just want to ensure your company is using AI effectively, this conversation will give you the insights you need.   Highlights from this Episode: Are junior developers utilizing AI too much? Creating a balance between overusing AI and being a Luddite How Aaron uses Claude for “discrete” tasks Developers aren’t going away anytime soon Balancing the use of AI without depending too much on it Harnessing the power of AI for your business AI tools are both calming and scary for founders Aaron’s different uses for 01 Pro What AI can do versus what AI should do and undeniably human tasks Where to go to educate yourself about AI The importance of testing and checking AI work   Resources and Links from this Episode: Try Hard Studios: https://tryhardstudios.com/ Aaron Francis: https://x.com/aarondfrancis Reforge: https://www.reforge.com/profiles/brian-balfour SWYX: https://x.com/swyx https://www.youtube.com/@JeffSu https://www.youtube.com/@SkillLeapAI https://www.youtube.com/@MATGpod Email me: podcast@roguestartups.com Find me on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/TheCraigHewitt

Behind every new company is a story, and Rogue Startups digs into the real ones-the messy, uncertain, and exhilarating paths founders actually walk. This isn't about polished success tales; it's a candid look at the day-to-day grind of building a business from the ground up. You'll hear directly from entrepreneurs in the thick of it, along with seasoned experts who specialize in the crucial engines of growth: sales, marketing, and product development. Conversations focus on practical tactics, particularly around scaling productized services and SaaS offerings, exploring the real "how" behind their growth hacking strategies. The value of this podcast lies in that shared experience-hearing how others navigate the very obstacles you might be staring down, and learning what moves actually led to a win. It’s for anyone who prefers the unvarnished truth of entrepreneurship over theory, offering a sense of camaraderie and a toolbox of ideas drawn from the front lines. Tune in for authentic dialogue that skips the fluff and gets straight to the challenges and victories of building something new.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Rogue Startups
Podcast Episodes
RS358: Your Design Sucks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:07
In this episode, Craig sits down with Francois Brill, Head of Product at Castos and longtime design collaborator, for an honest and entertaining conversation about what it really takes to build great-looking products in…
RS357: I Got Hacked [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:26
This week on the Rogue Startups, Craig gets roasted. He brought in experienced software engineer Brandon Hancock after building the AI-powered SaaS app Outlier largely through “vibe coding,” so Brandon could audit the en…
RS356: When to Pivot, When to Push w/ Jesse Hanley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:06
In this episode of Rogue Startups, Craig sits down with Jesse Hanley, founder of Bento, for a wide-ranging conversation about building and growing SaaS businesses in the age of AI. From vibe coding and AI-assisted develo…
RS355: Code Velocity and the Future of SaaS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:05
What does it mean to be a SaaS founder in a world where AI can build features faster than we ever could? In this conversation, Craig sits down with Arvid Kahl to unpack the shifting reality of software, competition, and…
RS354: The State Of Podcasting Heading Into 2026 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:22
Craig is back! Today, he welcomes fellow podcaster Colin Gray back to the podcast. They dive into the ever-evolving world of podcasting, reflecting on how much the landscape has shifted over the last decade and what peop…
RS353: Is This the Last Organic Marketing Channel [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:57
In today’s episode, Craig sits down with SaaS founder and entrepreneur Brian Casel to talk about the future of software and AI. With years of experience building and growing SaaS companies, Brian shares his perspective o…
RS352: AI Killed Traditional Marketing – Here's What's Next [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:33
Ross Simmonds, founder of Foundation Marketing, has built a reputation for helping ambitious SaaS and B2B brands stand out online with data-driven growth strategies. In this episode, Craig sits down with Ross to dive int…
RS351: Why Brands Fail on Reddit [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:05
Today on the podcast, Craig sits down with Reddit marketing expert Paul Xue to explore how brands can tap into one of the internet’s most engaged and skeptical communities. Reddit can be a tough nut to crack, but when ap…
RS349: Ranking In ChatGPT with Devesh Khanal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:42
Today on Rogue Startups, Craig sits with Devesh Khanal from Grow and Convert to talk about how to get your brand showing up at the top of search results in LLMs. They dive deep into the world of AI SEO—covering everythin…