In this episode of Hallway Chat, Nabeel and Fraser unpack the emerging power of tool use, reasoning traces, and code execution in modern models. They reflect on how startups can stay ahead in a market that feels like it changes every 90 days, and what product choices separate the winners from the also-rans.The conversation spans Conductor’s clever planning/execution design, Notion’s everywhere-at-once API strategy, and the subtle ways models persuade us—sometimes too effectively. Along the way, they explore how founders should handle VCs circling during competitive raises, why misinformation concerns may be shifting, and why Fraser still turns to Gemini for certain jobs despite its quirks.It’s a candid look at the red-ocean dynamics of AI, the importance of owning your narrative, and how the future of work may mean managing a team of agents as naturally as we once managed people.
(00:00) - Cold Open: Not Owning the UI
(00:28) - Welcome Back + Era Check
(01:26) - Tool Use Crosses the Rubicon
(02:24) - Code + Browse + Reasoning = The New Triumverate
(04:47) - Steerability & Plan Mode UX
(05:46) - Why Code-Writing Hasn't Infiltrated Apps (Yet)
(07:55) - Be Water: Notion's Everywhere Strategy
(08:55) - Managing Many Agents Is... Tiring
(15:41) - Model Divergence & The Need for a Picker
(20:19) - Red-Ocean Reality & Controlling the Narrative

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