Podbit · Hard Fork
Dylan Field pushes back on the 'design is dead' narrative. When AI generates the average, having genuine creative voice and pushing beyond the first output is exactly how you stand out. The App Store has more apps than ever — but the same number are actually being used.
Where this was said
At 9:15 · chapter starts 6:08
Asked whether he has 'AI psychosis,' Field laughs and says it's better to front-run it than let it sneak up on you. His current obsession is what he calls 'vibemath-ing' — using AI to explore mathematical problems, not to prove theorems, but to study how AI attacks verifiable problems. [1] — Dylan Field "Dylan Field is using AI to tackle math problems — what he calls 'vibemath-ing' — because math is one of the few domains where AI correctnes…" 06:22 He contrasts this with design evaluation, where two people can look at the same thing and reach opposite conclusions; in math, the answer is right or it isn't. This love of exploration has a longer backstory: Field says he was into crypto collectibles (now NFTs) early on, and before that, WebGL, the browser graphics technology that eventually became the technical foundation for Figma. The pattern, he argues, is consistent — go deep on something before you know where it leads, and it pays off in ways you can't anticipate.
Dylan Field described 'vibemath-ing' — using AI to explore mathematical problems — as a way to test verifiable AI capabilities in contrast to the subjective nature of design evaluation.
Dylan Field is using AI to tackle math problems — what he calls 'vibemath-ing' — because math is one of the few domains where AI correctness is black and white. It's the polar opposite of design evaluation, and he thinks exploring the edges of what models can do pays off in unexpected ways.
Dylan Field said his early exploration of WebGL was a key technology that eventually led to the founding of Figma.
Kevin Roose's theory: CEOs are obsessed with vibe coding because it reminds them of when their jobs were fun. Dylan Field's take: people love making things, and AI is democratizing that for everyone — not just executives building weekend projects.
Robby Hoffman isn't fearless — she's terrified all the time. The difference is she does it anyway, because not doing it feels worse than the fear itself.
John Mulaney texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere saying he'd been a fan for a while and wanted to make a Netflix special with her. Robby called it 'shocking, horrifying, anxiety-inducing, surreal and thrilling' — and said yes.
Mulaney is buttoned-up, suit-wearing, classy. Robby is gritty, raw, and undefined. Together they made the collab nobody expected. Batman and Robin. Eminem and Dido.
Music had Pope Gregory forcing notation. Comedy has had 'magical thinking' — he's just got funny bones. But jokes work through discoverable, teachable mechanics. Writing down the rules doesn't kill the magic; it gives more people access to it.
Howard Ashman had one insight nobody else had: animated Disney films should be Broadway musicals. The third song of every great musical is the character sitting alone explaining what they want. That's 'Part of Your World.' That structure — combined with Alan Menken's compositions — generated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, and turned Disney Animation into the most profitable creative engine in entertainment history.
The Lion King musical has been running for 30 years across Broadway, London's West End, and global touring companies. It has grossed over $11 billion in total revenue — more than Avatar, more than Avengers: Endgame, more than any album, more than any video game. It generates an average of $350 million in revenue every single year. Disney owns it outright.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
New York draws thousands of young, talented performers every year chasing Broadway stardom — but the hard truth is that most of them never make it. Zelig Williams was one of the rare exceptions.
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