Not Brothers
Not Brothers is a business and technology podcast hosted by Mark Hughes and Ryan Hughes, two co-founders who have been business partners for nearly two decades. In 2009 they started the digital marketing agency Oodle, and they have since launched other companies and products together. Each week they discuss which new AI and tech tools are genuinely useful, the creative and business decisions that shaped their careers, and the unglamorous choices that keep a company running. The show features unfiltered debates between two people who know each other well enough to disagree honestly.
Episodes
Episode 24 - Everything is AI Slop! Or is it?
Everything is “AI slop” now—or at least that is what the internet calls any AI-assisted work it does not like. But is AI actually the problem?In Episode 24 of Not Brothers, Mark Hughes and Ryan Hughes unpack what AI slop really is, why the person piloting the tool still owns the result, and how lazy review—not AI alone—turns fast output into bad work.They share a real example from Oodle’s early ag
Episode 23 - Open AI Dev Day, Rails World, Omarchy Meet Ups, & More
Two weeks, three events, and one clear takeaway: the old way of building software is over.Ryan returns from Rails World, OpenAI DevDay, and an Omarchy meetup in San Francisco with a field report on where AI-assisted development is actually heading. He and Mark compare the conversations happening online with what builders are saying in the room.At Rails World, they unpack the changing role of progr
Episode 22 - I tried Omarchy for the first time (unrehearsed)
What happens when a lifelong Mac and Windows user tries Omarchy for the first time?In Episode 22 of Not Brothers, Mark Hughes installs the Try Omarchy experience on his Mac while Ryan Hughes walks him through the operating system, its keyboard-first workflow, and its tiling window manager. Nothing was rehearsed, so the ARM64 installation gaps and setup surprises stay in the episode.Once Omarchy is
Episode 21 - Omarchy, AI Agents, and the New Security Reality
Omarchy is moving fast—and AI is changing both what the project can build and what its security team can find.In Episode 21 of Not Brothers, Ryan Hughes and Mark Hughes cover Omarchy’s new website, new infrastructure backing, global meetups, and the people now working full time on the operating system and its open-source foundations.Ryan also breaks down his experience with GPT-6 Astra, Claude Fab
Episode 20 - The Untitled Pod
No agenda. No single topic. Somehow, still a theme.In Episode 20 of Not Brothers, Mark Hughes and Ryan Hughes start with the latest work around Omarchy, including security tradeoffs, a broader user base, and the Omacom Foundation’s growing investment in desktop Linux.Then the conversation moves into AI-generated music, whether prompting still counts as creativity, and what changes when AI agents c
Episode 19 - How Omarchy Went From a Side Project to a $10 Million Foundation
Omarchy began as David Heinemeier Hansson’s opinionated Arch Linux setup. Barely more than a year later, it has grown into a distinct Linux distribution, a fast-moving open-source ecosystem, and the centerpiece of the $10 million Omacom Foundation.In Episode 19 of the Not Brothers Podcast, Ryan Hughes explains how he went from building his own Arch-based setup to contributing directly to Omarchy a
Episode 18 - Your Website is NEVER Done
Websites have changed dramatically—from dial-up pages and separate mobile sites to headless CMS platforms, static site generators, personalization, and AI-managed publishing workflows.In Episode 18, Ryan and Mark look back on nearly two decades of building websites and unpack what actually matters now: choosing the right platform, designing around real user behavior, making content easy to manage,
Episode 17 - AI FOMO Is Making Us Work More
AI was supposed to save time. So why does it feel like it is making us work more?In Episode 17 of Not Brothers, Mark and Ryan unpack the AI efficiency paradox: the strange pressure to keep agents running around the clock, maximize every subscription, and constantly wonder whether someone else has built a better workflow that is leaving you behind.Ryan talks about the practical bottleneck created w
Episode 16 - AI Loops...This is the way
AI loops are changing how people get real work done with agents.In Episode 16 of Not Brothers, Mark and Ryan break down what “loops” actually mean in practice — not as vague AI hype, but as a better way to structure work: define the goal, write the success criteria, pair the builder with a reviewer, and let the system iterate until the work meets the bar.Ryan shares an example of a development tas
Episode 15 - Your Product Is Probably Ready Before You Think
What happens when a digital agency starts building and launching its own software products?
In Episode 15 of Not Brothers, Mark and Ryan talk about the lessons they’re learning from bringing Oodle-built products like Herald and Nebula to market. After years of helping clients promote finished products, they’re now dealing with the messier front end: product, price, placement, positioning, launch
Episode 14 - AI Is Colliding With the Way Teams Build Products
In this episode of Not Brothers, Ryan and Mark dig into a major shift inside modern teams: AI now lets non-technical people prototype, build, and express product ideas in ways that used to require developers, designers, and long handoff cycles.That's powerful. It's also messy.The upside is real. AI can take someone from a vague idea to an interactive prototype incredibly quickly, compressing wiref
Episode 13 - Herald: Changelogs People Actually Read
Short podcast summaryMark and Ryan dig into Herald, Oodle’s developer-native changelog and release notes platform built for teams that ship through GitHub but hate writing product updates from scratch. Ryan explains the gap he found in existing changelog tools, why release notes usually get skipped, and how Herald uses GitHub history plus AI to turn commits and pull requests into editable release
Episode 12 - AI Economics Hangover
DescriptionThe AI gold rush is hitting its first real hangover.In Episode 12 of Not Brothers, Mark and Ryan talk through the gap between what AI companies promised, what executives bought into, and what the tools are actually proving they can do. The conversation starts with cloud-license cancellations, token spend, AI data-center bets, and the realization that “AI will solve everything” is not th
Episode 11 - If You Build It With AI...Will They Come?
AI can make building products faster. It does not make people care. Distribution, trust, and attention are still the real game.DescriptionBuilding software is easier than ever. Getting anyone to care is still the hard part.In Episode 11 of Not Brothers, Mark and Ryan dig into the modern version of “if you build it, they will come” — and why that idea breaks down fast in an AI-driven product world.
Episode 10 - Does AI Make Us Dumber?
Does AI make us dumber, or does it just move the line between what humans need to know and what tools can handle?In Episode 10 of Not Brothers, Mark and Ryan pick up the thread from their previous conversation about AI in education and push it further: if AI can write the paper, build the CLI app, summarize the research, and automate the busy work, what exactly are humans supposed to learn, practi
Episode 9 - AI in Critical Thinking and the Weirdness it can Create
The conversation delves into the ethical implications of AI use in academia, particularly in the context of overuse patterns and the balance between critical thinking and plagiarism. It also explores the role of AI as a tool in education and the challenges associated with setting boundaries and rules for its use. The conversation delves into the impact of AI on academia, particularly in the contex
Episode 8 - Are You Working ON or IN Your Business?
In this episode of the Not Brothers Podcast, Mark and Ryan dig into one of the most important questions for entrepreneurs: are you working in your business, or on it? Using Oodle’s long-running offsite rhythm as the backdrop, they break down how stepping away from daily execution creates space for alignment, strategic thinking, and better decision-making.They cover how their offsites have evolved
Episode 7 - Dead Internet Theory
The conversation explores the concept of Dead Internet Theory and the impact of agentic workflows on social networks. It delves into the future of human interaction on the internet and the implications of AI-first vs human-first product design. The conversation explores the integration of AI and human interaction, emphasizing the importance of AI in making human lives easier. It delves into the im
Episode 6 - Innovation is Hard
Why innovation is difficult for small and medium businesses — and how AI is changing the gameKey Themes1. Innovation Requires Accepting FailureInnovation is like "setting money on fire" — but necessary for long-term winsMost experiments fail; the learning is the value, not the outputR&D tax credits exist specifically because the government wants businesses to invest in uncertain outcomesAnalog
Episode 5 - This Week in AI
SummaryIn this episode, Ryan and Mark discuss the latest developments in AI, focusing on the ongoing model wars, the emergence of OpenClaw, and the implications for SaaS companies. They explore the ethical dilemmas surrounding AI, the challenges of context management, and the potential for innovation in AI interactions. The conversation highlights the rapid evolution of AI technologies and the nee
Episode 4 - Rants About Wasting Time in Meetings
SummaryIn this episode, Ryan and Mark discuss the challenges and dynamics of meetings in the workplace, particularly in a remote setting. They explore the balance between synchronous and asynchronous work, the impact of open office environments, and the importance of unstructured time for creativity and productivity. The conversation highlights innovative communication strategies and the illusion
Episode 3 - AI Fireside Chat (sans fire)
TakeawaysAI is evolving rapidly, with new models emerging frequently.Agentic models allow for more autonomy and longer task execution.Understanding the components of AI—agents, skills, and tools—is crucial.AI can enhance business processes, but human oversight is essential.Security risks associated with AI tools are significant and must be managed.CISOs and CTOs need to establish guidelines for sa
Episode 2 - Build vs. Buy: Navigating Software Buying Decisions
SummaryIn this conversation, Ryan and Mark discuss the ongoing debate of whether to build or buy software solutions for business needs. They share personal experiences and insights on the challenges and benefits of both approaches, emphasizing the importance of understanding organizational needs, iterative development, and the potential pitfalls of software purchasing. The discussion also highligh
Episode 1 - Rituals in Business
The conversation explores the impact of rituals in business, focusing on the effectiveness of off-sites, the value of transparency, and the significance of water cooler meetings. It delves into rituals that work, those that sometimes work, and those that don't work, providing insights into the impact of daily standups and status meetings. The conversation delves into the value of proximity in busi
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