From MVP to Market: Building Smarter with AI (feat. Victor Varnado)
AI is transforming creativity and software development by removing friction, not replacing human judgment, enabling individuals to build faster and go further with fewer resources.
Introduction: Where Art, Software, and AI Converge
Victor Varnado is not easily defined by a single title. A comedian, filmmaker, writer, game designer, cartoonist, actor, and software developer, he operates at the intersection of creativity and technology. As the CEO of SupremeRobot, a tech-and-media incubator, Victor develops intellectual property that can evolve into standalone companies. In this conversation, he shares how AI is reshaping writing, software development, outsourcing, and creative work at large.
Podcast
Using AI Like a Scalpel, Not a Hammer — on Apple and Spotify.
Supreme Robot: An Incubator for Ideas
Supreme Robot functions as a creative and technical incubator. Victor develops multiple ideas—ranging from software to television concepts—inside the company. Once an idea matures into viable IP, it can spin out into its own business with separate investors, while Supreme Robot continues to manage and nurture it. This structure allows experimentation across disciplines without forcing every idea into a single mold .
How Screenwriting Traditionally Worked
Before AI, screenwriting followed a well-defined but labor-intensive path:
Initial idea or logline
Synopsis
Outline
Step outline or treatment
Character design and descriptions
Full script
Each step required careful iteration, and moving from one phase to the next could take weeks or months. Writers often stalled not because of a lack of creativity, but because of the sheer effort required to progress through the process .
AI as a Writing Assistant, Not a Replacement
Victor is clear: AI is not meant to replace creativity, but to support it. His screenplay-writing software guides writers step by step—from idea to final script—while keeping humans in control at every stage. Writers review, edit, and approve outputs before moving forward, ensuring the final result reflects their intent and voice.
The biggest benefit? AI removes friction. Writers no longer get “stuck” as often, because AI can help them brainstorm options, elaborate ideas, and move forward when momentum is lost .
Creativity and the “Hammer” Analogy
Victor compares AI to a hammer:
Used poorly, it’s a blunt instrument.
Used skillfully, it can sculpt art.
Asking AI to “write like Quentin Tarantino” is, in his view, using it as a mallet. Instead, AI should be used to expand, challenge, and refine one’s own ideas. When treated as a nuanced tool, AI can enhance originality rather than diminish it .
Building Software with AI: How Far Can It Go?
Victor has built multiple products using AI-assisted development tools such as ChatGPT and Lovable.dev. His assessment:
Simple apps: Non-developers can reach MVP and even launch.
Complex apps: AI can get you ~70% of the way.
Production-ready systems: Still require experienced developers.
In one of his products, Magic Fiction Writer, approximately 95% of the code was generated by AI, but only because it was guided and validated by an experienced engineer. AI accelerates development—but it does not replace architectural judgment, security expertise, or deep debugging skills .
The Changing Shape of Engineering Teams
Before modern AI tools, Victor relied on overseas mid-level developers to scale work affordably and quickly. Today, those roles are largely replaced by AI. The result:
Fewer junior and mid-level developers
Greater reliance on senior engineers and architects
Founders who can build MVPs themselves using AI
This shift mirrors trends seen in large companies, where hiring increasingly favors senior developers who can oversee AI-generated output and handle complex edge cases .
Outsourcing, Cost, and the Reality of AI Adoption
AI is already disrupting outsourcing. Victor draws a parallel to creative fields like logo design and filmmaking: while people may prefer human-made work, businesses—especially small ones—will gravitate toward cheaper, faster solutions when quality is “good enough.”
The same logic applies globally. If AI can replace outsourced labor at lower cost and higher speed, companies will adopt it. This shift is economic, not ideological .
New Capabilities That Didn’t Exist Before
Some AI-powered capabilities go beyond cost or speed advantages. One example is expert-level administrative automation:
AI acting as a writing coach or ghostwriter
Interviewing an author about their ideas
Producing a first draft of an entire book
Previously, this required hiring professional researchers or ghostwriters at significant expense. Today, similar outcomes are accessible to the general public—sometimes even for free—if users know how to ask the right questions .
Differentiation in an AI-First World
When everyone has access to the same AI tools, differentiation shifts. For Victor, the key is making AI feel like an appliance, not a novelty:
Users should not have to “prompt engineer”
AI should be buried inside the system
Results should be seamless, reliable, and intuitive
Just as people don’t want to manage electricity to turn on a light, they shouldn’t need to manage AI to get value from a product .
Advice for Builders, Developers, and Creatives
Victor’s guidance is concise:
Learn AI, regardless of your field
Don’t change careers—enhance them
Focus on problem-solving, not just tools
Use AI to remove friction, not replace judgment
The future belongs to those who understand how to work with intelligent systems, not those who resist them .
Closing Thoughts: Art, New York, and the Human Element
Despite all the talk of AI, Victor remains deeply human in his outlook. He draws inspiration from New York City’s art scene, values creativity above automation, and reminds us that tools are only as meaningful as the people who wield them.
AI may be powerful—but vision, taste, and intent still come from humans.