Reading Ambitiously 1.16.26 - It's a new world with Claude Code. My 2026 AI powered workspace.
Watch me build software by describing to AI what I want, not writing code, as I create a voice-powered PersonalCRM with Claude Code.
Enjoy this week’s Big Idea read by me:
The big idea: It’s a new world with Claude Code. My 2026 AI powered workspace.
Reading time: 1 minute (watch our video edition)
Software is instructions for a computer.
When those instructions run on someone else’s computer, we call it the cloud.
Cloud made software easier to ship, secure, and operate.
AI makes software easier to create. And English is becoming the most powerful programming language. That is a big deal.
In my personal use, I’m shocked by how Claude Code and Cursor shrink the distance between ideas and executing them.
For this week’s Reading Ambitiously, Claude and I built an AI-enabled Voice CRM, a highly personalized tool that uses my voice and AI to help me manage relationships better. Claude looked at the requirements and told me it would take 16 days. I asked, “Are you sure?” Claude replied, “Oh, I thought you meant human developer time. We’ll be done in 30 minutes.”
Software can now be highly personalized at near-zero marginal cost. Claude estimates this entire project (3,500 lines of code) cost ~$45 to build.
And the best way to understand it is to watch it happen.
So today’s Reading Ambitiously is a special video edition. You’re about to watch me build and use that PersonalCRM directly inside my 2026 AI-powered workspace.
It’s a new world.
See you in it.
Best of the rest:
🤝 Apple, Google strike Gemini deal for revamped Siri in major win for Alphabet – Apple putting Gemini under the hood of Siri makes Google the default intelligence layer across Apple’s massive device base, a distribution win that reshapes the consumer AI platform race. – Reuters
🦷 An Updated Dentist Office Software Story – A parable for how “vibecoding” with AI can finish the job on vertical SaaS moats by letting end users build bespoke workflows faster than vendors can ship roadmaps. – AVC
🧰 Claude Code and What Comes Next – Agentic coding tools are crossing from “helpful autocomplete” to “do real work for an hour unsupervised,” which is the quiet threshold that makes AI feel less like software and more like labor. – One Useful Thing
Charts that caught my eye:
→ Why does it matter? A class divide might be forming inside companies. Some % are becoming AI-native, using ChatGPT daily and steadily upgrading their workflows. Another % are still skeptical, barely use LLMs, and dismiss the tech as slop after a quick test. If that pattern holds, the productivity gap could be big, and it will be on companies and individuals to close it.
Tweets that stopped my scroll:
→ Why does it matter? If AirPods were their own company, they'd be a colossal tech giant, generating billions in annual revenue (around $12-18B+ in recent years), boasting massive profit margins, and achieving a valuation potentially exceeding $190 billion, placing them above major brands like Netflix, Pepsi, and Nike in market cap. A good place for Sam and Jony to get started with their first product.
→ Why does it matter? What Anthropic launched here goes beyond “Claude versus ChatGPT.” It feels like a new interface category. As the underlying models mature, the tooling will get simpler, the setup will fade into the background, and the user won’t need to think like an engineer to get real leverage. Cowork is a preview of that arc, a world where Claude Code, which still rewards a fairly technical skillset today, becomes accessible to the average knowledge worker.
Worth a watch or listen at 1x:
→ Why does it matter? This is not a highlight reel, it is a case study in second acts. Steve Young spent years trying to earn credibility in investing without leaning on his NFL fame, then went on to co-found HGGC, which has raised roughly $7B across its funds, including a $2.5B latest fund, and has completed about $50B in deals. You see how elite intensity transfers from the field to building a firm, how networks compound when you design them on purpose, and how leadership gets tested when you plan succession and share ownership. The best takeaway is simple: give away the playbook so others can win.
→ Why does it matter? Ryan Holiday has written a few of my favorites, including “Ego Is the Enemy” and “The Obstacle Is the Way.” He’s also the voice behind The Daily Stoic, and in this short video he shares 26 quick reminders for how the Stoics would approach the year ahead.
→ Why does it matter? This episode of Lenny’s Podcast with Molly Graham is jam-packed with practical career advice and an operator’s view of what it actually feels like to build inside a company that’s scaling. Graham helped lead through hypergrowth at Google and Facebook, later ran operations as COO at Quip and at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, and is best known for her “give away your Legos” framework for growing as fast as your company grows. She also publishes her writing on Substack here: mollyg.substack.com.
Quotes & eyewash:
→ Why does it matter? Starting Reading Ambitiously forced me to see my writing clearly. Every sentence either works or it doesn’t. Writing well is a lifelong pursuit. Scott Adams has simple, timeless rules that make you better fast. H/t to Sheel Mohnot.
The mission:
The Wall Street Journal once used “Read Ambitiously” as a slogan, but I took it as a personal challenge. Our mission is to give you a point of view in a noisy, changing world. To unpack big ideas that sharpen your edge and show why they matter. To fit ambition-sized insight into your busy life and channel the zeitgeist into the stories and signals that fuel your next move. Above all, we aim to give you power, the kind that comes from having the words, insight, and legitimacy to lead with confidence. Together, we read to grow, keep learning, and refine our lens to spot the best opportunities. As Jamie Dimon says, “Great leaders are readers.”
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment, or legal advice. Readers should do their own research and consult with a qualified professional before making any decisions.