Supamaus buyers: Artificial Intelligence (?)

Don Douglas-Goldner

Don Douglas-Goldner, 31, is a quintessential bootstrapped founder navigating the demanding landscape of the San Francisco tech scene. Armed with a B.S. in Computer Science from UC Berkeley, he channeled his passion for building into a two-person SaaS company four years ago. He operates out of his compact apartment, his primary workstation a MacBook Pro, the hub of his development and operational efforts. His company is a lean operation, relying on a part-time support specialist to handle customer inquiries and initial QA. Don's work ethic is defined by a relentless focus on shipping code quickly and responding directly to customer needs. He meticulously manages his development workflow using GitHub issues and a straightforward spreadsheet for key metrics, eschewing more complex project management tools for simplicity and speed. His income, around $165,000, is largely reinvested into the business, with personal luxuries taking a backseat. He recently made a conscious decision to integrate AI coding assistants more deeply into his workflow, particularly for tasks requiring visual context or detailed text analysis from admin interfaces, recognizing the potential for significant time savings. This move reflects his ongoing quest for efficiency and independence, aiming to scale his product without external funding, maintaining full control over his creation and its trajectory. His personal life is similarly optimized, with cycling serving as his primary outlet for stress relief and mental clarity, a stark contrast to the intense cognitive load of his entrepreneurial pursuits.

Gladys Bergstrom

Gladys Bergstrom, 27, is a QA automation engineer based in London, operating within a lean six-person digital agency. With a BSc in Information Systems, she entered the workforce three years ago, quickly establishing herself as the team's most reliable validator of visual fidelity. Her role is critical yet often invisible; she ensures that the polished designs presented by her colleague, the agency's sole designer, survive the translation into code without degradation. Her current workflow is a testament to her conscientious nature: a blend of semi-automated scripts and heavy manual verification. She maintains a complex ecosystem of Excel test cases, browser-based annotation notes, and a library of dated screenshots to track visual drift across staging environments. While she utilizes Claude Code to assist in generating initial test structures, the final validation requires her human eye, making her a bottleneck in terms of speed but a fortress in terms of quality. Gladys navigates a workplace culture that values agility over bureaucracy, yet she insists on a degree of structure that often feels at odds with the startup pace. She recently made the decision to standardize her screenshot naming conventions to reduce search time, a small change that saved the team roughly four hours a week. Despite her high income relative to her peers, she remains budget-conscious, viewing software expenses through a lens of long-term utility rather than novelty. She is not easily swayed by AI hype; she needs to see tangible proof of efficiency gains. Her life outside work is a deliberate counterbalance to her screen-heavy job, filled with the rhythmic solitude of running and the tactile satisfaction of analog planning. She is currently evaluating whether her manual processes can be safely delegated to better-integrated AI agents, provided they offer spatial context without compromising the audit trail she so carefully curates.

Vasudev Pillai

Vasudev Pillai grew up in Coimbatore, where his engineering-minded parents encouraged his early fascination with computers. After earning his B.E. in Computer Science, he worked briefly at a tech firm before starting his own automation consultancy in Bengaluru five years ago. His agency, now a three-person operation, serves a mix of Indian startups and global clients who need help streamlining repetitive workflows. His typical day involves a lot of screen-sharing, spreadsheet analysis, and scripting—though he’s recently been trying to reduce manual steps with AI tools like Codex and Claude Code. Vasudev’s agency survived the pandemic by pivoting to remote-first work, and now he’s focused on scaling without compromising quality. He’s cautious about adding full-time employees, preferring contractors for flexibility. His biggest challenge? Clients who underestimate the complexity of automation. 'They see a 10-minute demo and think it’s easy,' he says. 'But debugging a script that interacts with 20 different SaaS tools? That’s not a 10-minute job.' Beyond work, Vasudev is a passionate but casual cricketer, playing in local leagues as a dependable bowler. He’s frugal with personal spending but invests in tools that save him time. His MacBook Pro is his most prized possession, and he’s not shy about pointing out its advantages to his Windows-using junior engineer. Though he values independence, he occasionally feels the pressure of being the sole decision-maker in his agency. His next big goal? Automation so thorough that he can take a real vacation without his inbox exploding. Meanwhile, his parents still ask when he’s getting married, and whether automation jobs are 'real' jobs. ('Yes, Amma, they are.')

Sina Kallabis

Sina Kallabis, 29, is a Product Manager at a Berlin-based seed-stage startup specializing in AI tools. Holding an M.A. in Media Informatics from Humboldt University, she transitioned into product management after a brief stint as a UX researcher. Her current role places her at the intersection of cutting-edge AI development and practical application, a space she finds both challenging and exhilarating. She manages a lean team of two engineers and a designer, operating primarily from her MacBook. Her days are consumed by the intricate process of refining product features, currently focusing on the admin flows for an AI agent that interacts with user screens. This involves rigorous testing using tools like Claude Code, cross-referencing visual outputs with Jira tickets, and maintaining detailed records of product changes across releases through a combination of window text capture, voice notes, and meticulously organized spreadsheets. Sina is driven by a desire for clarity and efficiency, believing that well-defined processes and constant iteration are key to navigating the volatile startup landscape. She values team coordination highly, recognizing that her team's collective output is greater than the sum of its parts. Her income of €72,000 reflects her experience and the demanding nature of her role in a high-growth sector. While passionate about her work, she consciously carves out time for city biking and exploring Berlin's diverse neighborhoods, viewing these activities as essential for maintaining perspective and preventing burnout. She is pragmatic about her finances, saving diligently but not at the expense of enjoying life's experiences. Her approach to product development is deeply rooted in iterative improvement, constantly seeking ways to enhance user experience and streamline workflows, a philosophy that extends to her personal life and decision-making.

Philip Senger

Philip Senger, 42, has carved out a niche as a freelance full-stack developer in Austin, Texas, operating primarily from his home office. His journey into development wasn't through a traditional degree; instead, he's a testament to self-teaching and continuous learning, supplemented by some college coursework that didn't quite stick. This background has instilled in him a deep appreciation for practical application and a healthy skepticism towards overly academic or theoretical approaches. He works exclusively on his MacBook, leveraging a toolkit of free scripts, browser developer tools, and meticulously organized spreadsheets to bridge the gap between client needs and AI code generation, particularly with tools like Claude Code. This approach stems directly from his core value of cost discipline; he's always looking for the most efficient, budget-friendly way to achieve a result without compromising quality. His independence as a freelancer is paramount, allowing him to set his own hours and choose projects that align with his interests. Philip is deeply invested in the craft of software development, finding satisfaction in elegant solutions and well-structured code. His interest in open-source software isn't just academic; it's a practical necessity that fuels his cost-conscious workflow. Outside of coding, he finds a different kind of satisfaction in woodworking, the tactile nature of shaping wood a welcome contrast to the digital realm. His home coffee ritual is another area where he applies his penchant for precision and quality. He's not driven by status or a desire for rapid expansion; rather, he seeks stability, autonomy, and the quiet pride of building things well. His income of $120,000 reflects a successful, albeit lean, freelance operation. He recently spent considerable time optimizing his spreadsheet templates for tracking bug reports, aiming to streamline the process of feeding data into AI assistants before committing to paid development hours, a decision that underscores his commitment to efficiency and cost control.

Al Jerde

Al Jerde, 38, has carved out a niche for himself managing the operational backbone of a small, five-person Shopify business based in Manchester. Holding a BA in Business Studies, he landed in e-commerce operations management three years ago, finding a surprising aptitude for the intricate dance of inventory, customer service, and website optimisation. His income of £49,000 reflects his mid-level role in a growing but still lean enterprise. Al’s pragmatism is evident in his approach to work; he values efficiency and clear accountability, believing that a well-oiled operation is the bedrock of any successful online venture. He’s not one for grand gestures or risky gambles, preferring instead to meticulously refine existing processes. His workspace is dominated by his Mac, a hub for his daily tasks: reviewing product page edits, crafting customer-support macros, and wrestling with inventory scripts, often with the assistance of an AI coding agent he’s been experimenting with. Coordination is a constant battle, fought primarily through lengthy email threads and complex spreadsheets, with screenshots serving as crucial visual evidence whenever supplier details or landing pages shift. This reliance on manual documentation highlights his methodical nature, but also the inherent inefficiencies he’s trying to overcome. He recently made a conscious decision to invest time in learning how to better leverage AI for scripting, seeing it as a necessary step to free up his team’s capacity, even if it means debugging unfamiliar code. Al’s financial habits are conservative; he and his partner, Sarah, are diligently saving for a house deposit, which influences their spending on non-essentials. He views his career not as a path to rapid wealth, but as a steady progression towards greater stability and control over his professional environment. His relationship with time is one of constant management, always seeking ways to optimise his schedule and delegate effectively, though the demands of e-commerce often blur the lines between work and personal life.

Selma Willemsen

Selma Willemsen grew up in Utrecht, the oldest of two kids in a household where computers were both tools and hobbies. Her father, an electrical engineer, built their family PC from parts, which Selma soon upgraded to run early Linux distributions while her brother installed every game he could find. That dynamic—rational systems vs. playful experimentation—shaped her technical identity. At TU Delft, she focused on software engineering but volunteered at a maker space where she learned hardware debugging by necessity. After graduation, she worked two years at a Dutch fintech before joining her current startup as Employee #6. The company's scrappy environment suits her: she's the only full-time growth engineer, which means she's either building technical infrastructure or convincing others to use it. Her relationship with AI tools is pragmatic but not reverential—she's quick to note when Claude stumbles on conditional logic, or when screen capture tools misread UI elements. Lately, she's been obsessed with creating a 'prompt library' that lets non-technical teammates use the same automation she's built, though she's reluctantly conceding that documenting her processes might be as hard as building them. She's stymied by how often tools that work perfectly in controlled environments fail on real user data. Her immediate priorities are stabilizing the support automation system and proving that her experimental user segmentation can move the needle on conversion rates. Money is comfortable but not lavish—Selma keeps a detailed Ledger sheet where she tracks every euro, with separate budgets for 'work tools' (usually a line item for Alfred Workflow tweaks) and 'climbing gear' (which she justifies as 'prehabs for shoulders'). She's considering teaching an evening class at a local tech school, though she's worried it'd cut into bouldering time. Her biggest professional fear is becoming 'the automation gatekeeper'—a role where she spends more time managing tools than building them. Privately, she's convinced that if she could just find the perfect combination of scripting and AI, she'd have hours of her day back. She'd rather spend those hours climbing than explaining yet again why the new support tool didn't capture the ticket correctly.

Foulques Richard

Foulques Richard is a 24-year-old M2 student in computer engineering at Télécom Paris, currently balancing his studies with a part-time internship at a Series A startup in the 11th arrondissement of Paris. Born in Lyon to middle-class parents, he moved to Paris three years ago to pursue his master's degree, drawn by the city's vibrant tech scene. His income sits at €24,000 annually, derived from his internship stipend and sporadic freelance gigs, leaving little room for luxury but enough to sustain a modest life. Foulques is defined by his resourcefulness; he has paid for essential developer tools like VS Code extensions and GitHub Copilot but draws the line at expensive, niche utilities unless they demonstrably solve a daily bottleneck. His work reality is a blur of prototyping and documentation. He spends his days using Codex to generate small automations, then painstakingly compares browser screenshots to verify behavior before documenting every step in Notion for his engineering team. This process, while effective, is prone to human error and context loss. He recently decided to stop buying individual plugins for every minor task, opting instead for open-source alternatives to stretch his budget. His recent decision to switch from a mechanical keyboard to a trackpad was driven by a desire to reduce wrist strain during long coding sessions, reflecting his growing awareness of ergonomics. Foulques is deeply interested in how AI agents can understand spatial context on a screen, a concept that aligns perfectly with his current frustrations. He views time as his most scarce resource, often sacrificing sleep to complete side projects or meet deadlines. Status is secondary to competence; he cares less about titles and more about the quality of the code he ships. His relationship with technology is pragmatic: tools are means to an end, not ends in themselves. He is constantly evaluating his workflow, looking for ways to automate the mundane so he can focus on the creative and the strategic.

Lakshmi Jangid

Lakshmi Jangid, a 41-year-old CTO, has carved a niche for herself leading a five-person internal tools team within a mid-sized Pune-based tech firm. Her journey into technology began with a strong academic foundation, culminating in an M.Tech in Information Technology. After several years honing her skills as a senior developer and team lead, she transitioned into her current CTO role four years ago. Her primary responsibility is to develop and maintain the suite of internal tools that streamline operations for the company’s 300-odd employees, a task she approaches with a blend of technical rigor and strategic foresight. Lakshmi is married with an eight-year-old daughter, and her life is a carefully orchestrated balance between professional demands and family commitments. Her income of ₹55 lakh per year reflects her seniority and the critical nature of her role. She operates primarily from a MacBook Pro, leveraging AI coding assistants like Claude Code for efficiency in tasks ranging from admin-panel fixes to complex workflow scripting. A significant portion of her week is dedicated to meticulously reviewing AI-generated code, visual representations of requirements via screenshots, and detailed specifications laid out in spreadsheets. This hands-on approach to validation underscores her commitment to quality and control. She recently made a strategic decision to invest more time in evaluating AI-powered development tools, aiming to integrate them cautiously into her team's workflow, ensuring they enhance rather than hinder productivity and stability. Her focus remains firmly on execution and delivering stable, reliable solutions, driven by a deep-seated value for ownership and the long-term stability of the systems she oversees.

Ambroży Czajkowski

Ambroży Czajkowski is a thirty-year-old software engineer and delivery lead operating out of a compact, three-person web studio in Warsaw, Poland. Born and raised in the capital, he holds a BEng in Software Engineering from the Warsaw University of Technology, where he developed a foundational appreciation for clean code and system architecture. Currently earning approximately PLN 180,000 annually, Ambroży occupies a unique niche as the primary interface between external client demands and internal technical execution. His role is defined by the intricate dance of managing rapid revision cycles; he is responsible for interpreting often ambiguous client feedback—delivered via disjointed emails, PDF annotations, and voice memos—and translating them into functional website updates. Technologically, Ambroży is an early adopter of generative tools but remains fiercely protective of quality control. He utilizes a MacBook Pro paired with Claude Code to accelerate the boilerplate creation for client tweaks, significantly reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks. However, his workflow is anchored by a rigorous, manual verification process. He maintains a detailed, evolving spreadsheet that tracks every single revision request, cross-referenced with a curated folder of annotated screenshots. This hybrid approach—AI-assisted generation followed by human scrutiny—is born from necessity, as he cannot afford the margin of error that comes from blindly trusting automated outputs. Despite his high technical proficiency, Ambroży faces the perennial challenge of fragmented information sources. The lack of a unified platform where client feedback, version history, and code changes coexist creates significant cognitive load. He is currently evaluating ways to streamline this process, driven by a desire to reduce the time spent on manual context-switching. Outside of his professional life, he is a man of routine and order. He finds solace in the precision of specialty coffee brewing and the strategic depth of board games, hobbies that mirror his approach to problem-solving. With a conscientious personality and a pragmatic view of technology, Ambroży is not looking for magic bullets, but rather for robust, reliable systems that allow him to maintain his high standards of accuracy amidst the chaos of client services.