Description:
In this milestone solo episode, Matt Levenhagen pulls back the curtain on how he now builds — with AI employees as part of his core team.
After scaling down his agency and returning to hands-on development, Matt discovered a new rhythm: collaborating daily with Claude, Composer, Codex, ChatGPT (Atlas), and Grok. These digital teammates help plan, code, debug, research, and even design. Through real examples, Matt shows how each one contributes to his workflow and how this collaboration has reignited his passion for creating and problem-solving.
Far from replacing people, these AI employees extend what’s possible for both Unified Web Design and UnifiedLabs.ai. Matt reflects on the practical lessons, the creative breakthroughs, and how this shift will influence future hiring — where developers are expected to partner with AI rather than avoid it. It’s an inside look at how one builder is redefining what it means to have a team in 2025.
🔑 Key Takeaways
- AI employees are part of Matt’s real core team — daily collaborators, not replacements.
- Real-world examples show how each model adds value to the creative process.
- Future hires will be empowered by AI fluency and collaboration skills.
- Efficiency meets creativity: faster builds, deeper experimentation.
- UnifiedLabs.ai stands as the proving ground for this new hybrid model.
- The Builders’ spirit endures: revealing how things are truly built — by people, process, and now, AI.
THE MEAT OF IT!
- Opening & Season Transition
• Celebrating Episode 250 and the close of Season 2
• Introducing the shift: shorter, sharper episodes with focused themes
• Why “building” still sits at the heart of every story - Rediscovering the Builder Within
• Facing change and rebuilding lean
• Returning to hands-on work and experimentation
• How necessity and curiosity led to bringing AI into the workflow - Meet My AI Employees – Real Examples from My Core Team
• Claude – the planner and strategist mapping every project
• Composer – the tireless junior dev in Cursor writing and testing code
• Codex – the problem-solver cleaning up tough logic
• ChatGPT (Atlas) – the browser agent fixing live production issues
• Grok – the creative visual partner for imagery and concepts
• How they collaborate like a digital studio under one lead developer - Impact on Future Hiring & Team Structure
• AI augments human capability — it doesn’t replace it
• Future hires will need to work with AI, not compete against it
• Building a hybrid culture where people and models co-create - Unified Web Design & UnifiedLabs Today
• Running a leaner, smarter agency through AI augmentation
• Launching UnifiedLabs.ai — the home for chatbots, automation & experiments
• Building in public and sharing lessons across projects - Reflection & Season 3 Outlook
• The “Builders Helping Builders” ethos in an AI-driven world
• Redefining teamwork through curiosity and adaptation
• Teasing the next season: focused stories of real builders, human and digital
Check out these related Episodes:
- Episode 242 – Define Success on Your Terms: Setting the Baseline and Choosing Gratitude
- Episode 235 – The Builder’s Dilemma: Scale Big and Chase Growth or Be the Craftsman?
- Episode 229 – Building in the Age of AI: How I’m Positioning My Agency for What Comes Next
