I'd urge folks here to atleast go through https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgPr3HVp0eg before jumping to conclusions about what SolveIt or this course is about. Its the polar opposite of vibe coding IMO.
Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
51–60 of 109 posts
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#52Earlier quoted context omitted.
As someone who participated in the first cohort but is not part of their team, i would say it’s a programming environment for AI assisted literate programming. It’s like an intelligent notebook. That means you could use this for many different things but at least to me the high order bit is „AI assisted literate programming“
I see, thank you. Is this more of an exploratory programming tool, then? A Jupyter notebook with AI features?
Considering how the folks at answer.ai have been using (successive versions of) it to build this tool itself and judging by student projects and showcases, it definitely goes beyond exploratory. You can build big stuff with it.
Personally I’m using it to learn the whole fastai ecosystem.
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#53I couldn't love more all the intentions behind this, but I have no idea what it is. Why would someone who already knows and loves Polya and iterative programming and human-centered technology... use this? What is the value add?
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#54Why does this article not mention what solveit is at all? It talks about what they did, then that they made this tool, then that it's great, but what is it? Watch this video! No, give me a sentence or two about what it does. I'm not watching a video about a tool while reading a blog post about it because you couldn't be bothered to write a line or two about it.
That's fair! I guess since it's a new thing that doesn't quite neatly fit in a category, we were perhaps too shy about trying to define it. Also, we really want to focus on the methodology, rather than the platform. But yes, you're right we should explain the platform too. :) I'll have a go here, and will then go and add it to Johno's article.
So basically, you can think of the platform as combining all these: ChatGPT; Jupyter Notebook + nbdev; Bits of vscode/cursor (we embed the same Monaco editor and add similar optional AI and non-AI autocompletion); a VPS (you get your own persistent full VPS running Linux with a URL you can share for public running applications); Claude Code (all the same tools are available); a persistent terminal.
Then there's some bits added that don't exist elsewhere AFAIK: something like MCP, but way simpler, where any Python function can be instantly used as an AI tool; the ability to refer directly to any live Python variable in AI context (but optional, so it doesn't eat up your context window); full metaprogramming of the environment (you can through code or AI tools modify the environment itself or the dialog); context editing (you can -- and should -- directly edit AI responses instead of tell the AI it's wrong); collaborative notebook coding (multiple people can edit the dialog, run code, etc, and all see live updates).
The combination of these things is rather different (and IMO better!) than the sum of its parts, but hopefully this helps a bit?
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#55[stub for offtopicness]
I took the 1st course and really loved it. I got a little distracted by focusing on building web apps with fasthtml(which was covered in the course), but I think the practices that are tough are extremely important for anyone using LLMs on a daily basis. I am really excited to learn about all the new features in solveIt.
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#56I'd urge folks here to atleast go through https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgPr3HVp0eg before jumping to conclusions about what SolveIt or this course is about. Its the polar opposite of vibe coding IMO.
I watched the video and it’s basically a “Jupyter notebook” type of app where you can type code and chat with the AI.
It’s nice cause it makes the interaction more dynamic and iterative. Honestly the “changing the answer” thing is something I always did on LM Studio when I wanted to change course. Definitely better than the limited interfaces of chatbots today, but I’m not sure it’s “revolutionary” by any means.
Still, it’s something I’d prefer until someone finds a better way to interact with LLMs. The ability to add stuff, remove stuff, move things around etc. probably help a lot when you’re creating something. It better matches the state of our minds. Also I appreciate the “using AI for learning instead of producing slop or — like many posts I’ve seen before — optimized spam.
I’m not sure what’s up with the course though. Seems more like a way to try to monetize something that wouldn’t be monetizable in any other way.
In fact I’m sure someone more knowledgeable than me could just create a Jupyter Notebook plugin that would replicate most of what this is?
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#57I couldn't love more all the intentions behind this, but I have no idea what it is . Why would someone who already knows and loves Polya and iterative programming and human-centered technology... use this ? What is the value add?
Jeremy attempted a summary here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45456928
but, honestly, I hope that list makes you see why we had a hard time figuring out how to summarize what solveit is. For example, I use it for research and writing all the time, but you'd have a hard time seeing why a notebook plus a private VPS would do much for that use case. But it does! Having a general-purpose computing environment is just very, very useful in a wide range of situations.
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
In other words, a grift. Same conclusion.
Maybe you should look a bit more into the folks who made this before dissing their work like this.
I did do that now, and I see a string of similar consultant-like training/course packages. It's a bit like when Deloitte comes by to pitch.
What have they built that impressed you?
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#59Earlier quoted context omitted.
I see, thank you. Is this more of an exploratory programming tool, then? A Jupyter notebook with AI features?
Considering how the folks at answer.ai have been using (successive versions of) it to build this tool itself and judging by student projects and showcases, it definitely goes beyond exploratory. You can build big stuff with it. Personally I’m using it to learn the whole fastai ecosystem.
I'll give it a shot, thanks!
Re: Solveit – A course and platform for solving problems with code
#60Why does this article not mention what solveit is at all? It talks about what they did, then that they made this tool, then that it's great, but what is it? Watch this video! No, give me a sentence or two about what it does. I'm not watching a video about a tool while reading a blog post about it because you couldn't be bothered to write a line or two about it.
That's fair! I guess since it's a new thing that doesn't quite neatly fit in a category, we were perhaps too shy about trying to define it. Also, we really want to focus on the methodology, rather than the platform. But yes, you're right we should explain the platform too. :) I'll have a go here, and will then go and add it to Johno's article. So basically, you can think of the platform as combining all these: ChatGP…
That helps a lot, thanks!