Bolt’s Eric Simons on Enabling Everyone to Generate Websites with AI
No Priors: Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Startups
Deep Dive
Why did StackBlitz decide to open-source Bolt's system prompts and code?
StackBlitz believed that open-sourcing their system prompts and code would foster innovation and community engagement. They reasoned that if someone else could replicate their AI model, it wouldn't undermine their business, as the cohesive end-to-end product experience is what truly matters.
How has the community contributed to Bolt's development?
The community has been instrumental in educating users on how to best use Bolt, reducing churn rates. Power users have become experts in using the tool, often knowing more than the developers themselves, and their insights are being integrated into the product.
What are some real-world applications built using Bolt?
Examples include ViralHooks.ai, a tool for creating viral hooks for TikTok videos, and Chilled CRM, a fully featured CRM with calendar, contacts, and an AI chatbot. These applications were built by non-technical users in a fraction of the time and cost compared to traditional development methods.
Why are engineers embracing no-code tools like Bolt?
Engineers are using Bolt to focus on high-value work rather than mundane tasks like UI development. Bolt allows them to rapidly iterate on UIs and pull in data, making the development process more efficient.
What challenges did StackBlitz face before the launch of Bolt?
Before Bolt, StackBlitz was in a tough place, with unclear growth-oriented revenue-generating products. The company was running experiments and facing uncertainty about its future direction.
How has AI code generation evolved, and what does the future hold?
AI code generation has evolved from simple line completion to more complex agentic workflows. Bolt is a prime example of this advancement. The future will likely see continued improvements in AI models' ability to generate accurate and functional code, driven by the deterministic nature of software development.
- Bolt.new allows users to build full-stack web applications with prompts.
- It's used by almost 200,000 users, and aims to reach 100 million.
- It runs full dev environments in the browser, offering speed and cost advantages over server-based solutions.
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