Hi, I'm Nicu.
I like to build products.
Weekly Updates Directly to Your Inbox
No spam, ever. By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Weekly Activities
2026What i've been up to each week.
Latest
Saying no to the things you love and are important to you is the hardest part of midlife.
I'm in my mid-30s, starting the midlife squeeze, and it has been humbling. **My mind is constantly running between** - Being a good and reliable husband - Raising 2 kids, and being a present parent - Taking care of my own health - Helping my aging parents
Why did I feel some shame and guilt when listening to music created by AI?
Nothing like starting the day with a bit of shame and guilt after realizing how much you were vibing to AI music, then questioning AI’s role in that feeling.
POV of the C-suite after Learning About AI agents
CFO: "What exactly is it that you do around here?"
SaaS: “I turn your complex workflow into a managed service so you don't have to worry about compliance and maintenance; you can focus on your business problem.”
CEO: "Well then, I just have to ask, why couldn't I just take our requirements directly to an AI agent, build a custom version for the price of an API call?
SaaS: “Because when you find out that a custom app is a security nightmare, leaking customer data, the AI will just tell you, 'You're right! I apologize for the oversight!' I handle the 'unfun' maintenance and the 3 AM edge cases so you don't have to.”
SaaS: “I have ‘accountability' skills! If I fuck up, you get to blame me. Can't you understand that?” What is wrong with you people?!?!
Price is a major factor in the "build vs. buy" conversation, as is risk.
AI agents are great at building features, but they are terrible at taking the blame.
And yes, you can absolutely do a build-it-yourself if you have the right team. You just have to be aware that a $10,000/yr in savings now can become a $1,000,000 liability and 1,000 hours of debugging later.
Well, is it time to rebrand SaaS as Scapegoat-as-a-Service? lol
Anyway, time to rewatch Office Space this weekend.
Cost to Show Up
"If you made it to this problem, congrats. You know what's important to you. Others are still chasing things that don't matter to them. What sucks is that even if you are clear on what matters, you still can't do it all. Well, at least not all at once. That gap between what matters to you and what you can actually show up for is the cost. And yes, it stings."
One Data Layer and Just in Time Interfaces
One of the biggest shifts in building personal AI agents is the realization that the interface is becoming secondary to the data itself.
Whether you’re interacting through a simple chat, SMS, a voice command while driving, or a complex, rich UI, the underlying intelligence and data remain constant.
And more importantly, it has to be interactable with AI agents.
The future isn't about building separate apps for different tasks; it’s about creating a unified data layer that seamlessly adapts to whatever experience the user needs in the moment.
Saying no to the things you love and are important to you is the hardest part of midlife.
I'm in my mid-30s, starting the midlife squeeze, and it has been humbling. **My mind is constantly running between** - Being a good and reliable husband - Raising 2 kids, and being a present parent - Taking care of my own health - Helping my aging parents
Why did I feel some shame and guilt when listening to music created by AI?
Nothing like starting the day with a bit of shame and guilt after realizing how much you were vibing to AI music, then questioning AI’s role in that feeling.
POV of the C-suite after Learning About AI agents
CFO: "What exactly is it that you do around here?"
SaaS: “I turn your complex workflow into a managed service so you don't have to worry about compliance and maintenance; you can focus on your business problem.”
CEO: "Well then, I just have to ask, why couldn't I just take our requirements directly to an AI agent, build a custom version for the price of an API call?
SaaS: “Because when you find out that a custom app is a security nightmare, leaking customer data, the AI will just tell you, 'You're right! I apologize for the oversight!' I handle the 'unfun' maintenance and the 3 AM edge cases so you don't have to.”
SaaS: “I have ‘accountability' skills! If I fuck up, you get to blame me. Can't you understand that?” What is wrong with you people?!?!
Price is a major factor in the "build vs. buy" conversation, as is risk.
AI agents are great at building features, but they are terrible at taking the blame.
And yes, you can absolutely do a build-it-yourself if you have the right team. You just have to be aware that a $10,000/yr in savings now can become a $1,000,000 liability and 1,000 hours of debugging later.
Well, is it time to rebrand SaaS as Scapegoat-as-a-Service? lol
Anyway, time to rewatch Office Space this weekend.
Cost to Show Up
"If you made it to this problem, congrats. You know what's important to you. Others are still chasing things that don't matter to them. What sucks is that even if you are clear on what matters, you still can't do it all. Well, at least not all at once. That gap between what matters to you and what you can actually show up for is the cost. And yes, it stings."
One Data Layer and Just in Time Interfaces
One of the biggest shifts in building personal AI agents is the realization that the interface is becoming secondary to the data itself.
Whether you’re interacting through a simple chat, SMS, a voice command while driving, or a complex, rich UI, the underlying intelligence and data remain constant.
And more importantly, it has to be interactable with AI agents.
The future isn't about building separate apps for different tasks; it’s about creating a unified data layer that seamlessly adapts to whatever experience the user needs in the moment.
Building and Learning in Public
See what i'm active tinkering and learning about.
What I'm Actively Building
Career Fin
Duolingo for your Career
nicuparente.com
A personal website to capture all the project, resources and learnings.
Resources I'm Currently Learning From
TCM AI Hacking 101
Learn the fundamentals of penetration testing for AI/LLM-based applications.
Thinking in Visual Metaphors
Turn your ideas into visual metaphors
Brief Box
8 Week Design Course
Lenny's Podcast
A world-class masterclass in product, growth, and career strategy, delivered through deep-dive interviews and actionable tactical advice from the tech industry’s top builders.
TCM AI Hacking 101
Learn the fundamentals of penetration testing for AI/LLM-based applications.
Thinking in Visual Metaphors
Turn your ideas into visual metaphors
Brief Box
8 Week Design Course
Lenny's Podcast
A world-class masterclass in product, growth, and career strategy, delivered through deep-dive interviews and actionable tactical advice from the tech industry’s top builders.