Where this was said
Intro: The Time Capsule Episode
At 1:29 · chapter starts 0:00
The episode opens with a candid meta-explanation: Theo and Ben recorded this episode in a burst of excitement during early access to GPT-5.6 Sol, only to sit on it waiting for OpenAI's green light to publish. Theo films the intro alone on a Saturday evening, two days after the public release, visibly annoyed at the delay. Ben drops the key paradox: this may be the first ever model release where the number of people with access actually shrank at launch, since every early tester lost their privileged access simultaneously when it went live [1] — Theo "I think this is the first ever model release where by being released, the number of people who have access is less than before it was relea…" 01:29 . They describe holding a 'memorial' for the model when access was cut mid-testing, with Ben watching a countdown timer at a concert. Despite the frustration, they're effusive in their appreciation for OpenAI's generosity in providing early access, and frame the episode as an honest time capsule of organic first impressions.
GPT-5.6 Sol is likely the first ever model release where going public actually reduced the number of people with access, since early testers all lost their privileged access simultaneously. Theo and Ben held what they describe as a 'memorial' when their access was cut mid-testing.
