We built Else, a tool for PMs to prototype on top of their actual product.

I started using Else to build Else, and I now inadvertently spend all my time turning it into my ideal dev environment.

Else works similar to most cloud agent systems with some key differences that I personally think have a huge impact, but I’m worried I have tunnel vision.

WHY DO I THINK IT'S SO GOOD?

It’s equally good at the first 80% (the agent spends an hour building the feature) and the last 20% (you need to test, iterate, fix issues, and polish the UX).

  - It’s built around the app, not the code. Think Lovable, v0, etc. The app runs on a real url (no remoting into localhost).
  - When building a feature, the agent also creates an overview page with videos and buttons that load the correct db and frontend state. Saves tons of time when you manually verify.
  - If a tool or state snapshot is universally useful, save it. Over time, you build an extensive development dashboard.
  - Else can also run locally using Docker containers instead of VMs.
  - Else can edit Else. If you want something to work differently in the dev tool itself, just tell the agent to change it.

WHY AM I WORRIED IT'S HUBRIS?

Isn’t this what Devin, Cursor cloud agents, etc, etc, etc are trying to solve? These are my pain points, but maybe I'm just not using them right?

  - Getting the full stack running is a major PITA, and it’s just as much of a PITA to maintain
  - I personally hate the “remote desktop into a browser so you can use localhost” approach. It’s clunky and limiting, and it makes the last 20% painful. I usually end up switching back to local development, which has its own issues.
  - They feel rigid. I want to tweak things to my preferences, but I don’t want to spend time figuring out how.

What about working locally with Conductor, Superset, or just Claude/Codex?

  - I don’t want to live in the terminal.
  - I still need to figure out how to run five instances of my app concurrently.
  - Once I’ve solved that, it’s still a headache to keep track of which agent is on which port.

SO TELL ME HONESTLY:

  - Am I high on my own supply? Have I just not spent enough time figuring out the best way to use the tools already on the market?
  - I’m considering open-sourcing and releasing the local version as a Conductor/Superset alternative for people who don’t want to live in the terminal. Would you be interested in trying it?

user:	jakobwilkenson
created:	March 9, 2018
karma:	1
about:	CEO at Else (https://somethingelse.ai), started out of a16z Speedrun. I run product and write the code. Previously: first engineer -> VPE/VPP at OpenFeint, VPP -> GM at Parsec. Originally from Sweden, I also build and ride motorcycles.

1.	Ask HN: I think I accidentally built a better cloud agent solution. Hubris? 2 points by jakobwilkenson 15 days ago \| 1 comment
2.	15 days ago \| discuss