First, a reminder that our workshop preview is this Wednesday at NedSpace. We have a 20% discount for you if you'd like to attend.

Recently Audrey did a test to compare how different AI code tools handle the same starting prompt. In the video, Beth and Audrey discuss the tools used and how they stack up.

Join us next week on August 28 for a preview of our AI builder workshop. You'll learn how to speed up development of app prototypes and websites, getting the most from these tools. We'll cover:

• How to write prompts that will the job done fast
• Choosing the right AI tools for your needs
• The steps to take to turn your prototype into a finished product

Tickets for this preview are $120 and attendance is limited to 6 participants. We'll be incorporating feedback to offer the workshop again in September, so if you miss this one stay tuned for upcoming dates.

ChatGPT released their latest model last week: GPT-5. Beth spent a few days checking up on what has (or hasn't) improved when it comes to using it for code development.

She says:

I spent the weekend testing out GPT-5 with Cursor. The long and short, I was not impressed.

Previous versions were able to parse images more efficiently. I provided a new colour palette for my app but the tool could not identify if it was or was not using the right colour at least 40% of the time. I finally asked it if the icon colours were consistent and it found the issue. When its fix didn’t work, it provided me with the new code so I could provide a more precise prompt.

Audrey and Beth used a combination of AI code tools and old-school HTML/CSS knowledge to redesign the 3Mór website. Here's a look at the iterations it went through.

Make sure you watch the whole thing to see some strange interpretations of how to draw a bird. 🐦‍⬛

Beth's voyage from AI novice to app builder has stretched the capabilities of these tools in all sorts of ways, and revealed some truths about how software programming works. Watch her discuss the process of creating a garden planning app from scratch with Loveable, Firebase Studio, Gemini, Cursor, and Windsurf (yes, all of them 😯).

Top tips:

We’ve spent the last three years (across two startups!) working on tools to help teams understand their stack, mitigate risks, and create effective guardrails. The rise of AI code tools creates new challenges. We realized that there’s a real need to teach people how these tools work, their strengths and gaps, and how AI fits into the overall software development lifecycle. Whether you’re an enthusiast or a hater, AI is transforming the technology industry and the way we get things done.

In this next phase for 3Mór, our focus is on helping people cultivate curiosity about how AI tools can work for them. For enthusiasts, we know that AI gives you a visual and interactive process for creating apps you’re excited about, but getting past the initial build can be rough. At the same time, experienced programmers need support to integrate AI into their work in a way that doesn’t erase hard-earned knowledge and best practices. Our team has extensive experience on both ends of that spectrum.

Our initial offerings will be focused on workshops, coaching, and development services. We’ll have a pair of intro courses, one for AI builders and one for programmers. We’re also doing one-on-one coaching to help people get unstuck fast and take the next step toward their goals. For those of you who just need someone to take that 70% done project and get it ready to ship, our team can finish developing it for you.

It’s important to us that we meet people where they are in their journey and not sideline anyone for their concerns or having different skills or a less technical background. We want to take the enthusiasm that’s out there and help you build the guardrails that are needed for these tools to provide the best result. We’ve seen how much frustration, disappointment, and conflict can happen when we get it wrong.