Podcast Summary: Built Online – "From Idea To Sales: The New Way to Build Online With AI" ft. Roger Einstoss

Host: Cody McGuffie
Guest: Roger Einstoss (Founder & CEO, Brangly)
Date: November 18, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the transformative impact of AI on online business building, software development, and team hiring. Cody and Roger share practical insights on leveraging AI as a force-multiplier, hiring remote engineering talent from Latin America, and navigating the rapid evolution in tech roles. The conversation blends candid entrepreneurial lessons with actionable advice for founders aiming to scale from idea to sales, especially in today’s AI-fueled landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The AI Era in Development & Learning

• AI as an Equalizer:
  Roger and Cody discuss how AI tools can help "good" developers become "great" and make the barrier to entry for technical skills lower.

  • Roger: “I don’t need to be a 10-point developer anymore—because with AI, if I’m a 7, probably I can be a 9 like you say. So it’s amazing and exciting to be alive.” [00:00, 24:44]
  • Cody: “It’ll make good engineers better and great engineers unstoppable.” [24:34]

• Learning with AI:
  Comparing the value of reading full books vs. leveraging AI for summaries—both see benefit in combining traditional and modern tools:

  • Roger: “With ChatGPT, you can ask for the summary of the book, so you don’t even have to read the entire book…” [03:15]
  • Cody: “There are certain skill sets you need to be emotionally bought into... but sometimes you just need to know the answer…” [03:48]

• AI Augmenting, Not Replacing:
  Both agree AI is not about "either/or," but about convergence—using both AI and human intelligence for better results:

  • Cody: "It can be this and that—and equals powerful... it’s the convergence of all these technologies that are going to move us forward." [05:20]

Building and Scaling Online Businesses

• Brangly’s Remote Model:
  Roger outlines his company’s approach in connecting US companies with top software talent in Latin America, often with cultural and timezone advantages.

  • Roger: “We are engineers vetting engineers... we do the whole process and at the end... this is the one. Go jump into an interview.” [09:54]

• Staffing vs. ‘Squad’ Models:
  Two approaches to team creation—“staffing” for technical founders, “squad” (developer, PM, QA) for non-technical founders.

  • Roger: “If we assign a developer to a non-technical person—that will explode...” [16:47]
  • Roger: “The squad model... is more exciting for us because we can get involved, help think the product, think what to build or kill...” [12:24]

• Fractional Teams, Cost, and Efficiency Gains with AI:
  AI is streamlining QA and project management tasks, lowering costs and boosting service quality.

  • Roger: “We are using AI to run the tests... and the same happened with project managers... now the 40 hours are higher quality hours.” [17:08]

No-Code/Vibe Coding & The AI-Driven Software Revolution

• Vibe/No-Code Tools’ Place in Product Building:
  Such tools empower more people to prototype, but professional-grade products still need engineering expertise.

  • Roger: “Bytecoding is perfect for the first version, if you want to test product-market fit, test an experiment... but you need an engineer for more complex things.” [19:31]
  • Roger: “Now the bytecoding is another level of abstraction.” [19:31]

• Evolving Roles & Mindset:
  The role of software engineers is shifting—not disappearing, but transforming.

  • Roger: “New jobs will be... the world will create new jobs that we can't imagine now. It’s like when Excel came—accountants didn’t disappear, they changed!” [22:41]

• Resilience & Embracing Change:
  Openness to learning and adaptability are now crucial entrepreneurial skills.

  • Roger: “The skill we should start developing... is learning to learn. Because if we learn how to learn, we can go everywhere.” [06:19]

Candid Entrepreneurial Advice

• The Loneliness of Founding:
  Network and seek support early—don’t go it alone.

  • Roger: “Walking this path of being an entrepreneur alone was going to be super hard. I always regret not being connected to the world, the ecosystem, in my early years… I started asking for help too late…” [28:24]

• Who Should Be a Business Owner?

  • Roger: “Someone who doesn’t want to be... their own boss. That’s not the path. Someone who’s ready to be on a roller coaster every day. Every fucking day…” [29:16]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Learning & Admitting When You Don’t Know:

  • Roger: “One of the biggest values... is saying ‘I don’t know’... the ability to learn new things is more important than knowing things.” [06:19]

• On AI and Job Transformation:

  • Roger: “It's important to be flexible and embrace the change... something that's easy to say but very difficult to put in practice.” [22:41]

• On The Founder’s Journey:

  • Cody: (on entrepreneurs and work-life) “My work might just look different than your work... I’m always thinking. Things... you’re obsessed with this business in a good way.” [30:49]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Learning & AI as Leverage: 00:00–07:33
• Roger's Background & Brangly Model: 07:33–12:24
• Team Assembly Models (Staffing vs Squad): 12:24–18:45
• No-Code/Vibe Coding & Evolution of Engineering: 18:45–22:10
• The Changing Role of Engineers & AI’s Future Impact: 22:10–24:44
• Rapid Fire Q&A: 27:45–32:07

Rapid Fire Questions

• Favorite Business Book:
  • Roger: "Get a Grip" by Gino Wickman – for EOS implementation [27:47]
• Biggest Mistake as a Founder:
  • Roger: Not networking or asking for help early, underestimated the loneliness [28:24]
• Who Should Be a Business Owner:
  • Roger: “Someone ready to be on a rollercoaster every day… it’s not about being your own boss.” [29:16]

Where to Find Roger Einstoss

• LinkedIn: Roger Einstoss (only one with this name)
• Website: Through Brangly’s contact/email

Closing Thoughts

This episode is a must-listen for founders and aspiring online business owners interested in integrating AI, building agile teams, and future-proofing their skillsets. Roger’s insights reflect a pragmatic optimism about technology’s rapid change and its very human implications for entrepreneurship.