Peter Steinberger, the creator of the viral AI agent OpenClaw, who has since been hired by OpenAI, has some advice for those experimenting with AI technology, including AI agents. From his own experience, the best way to build today is to explore, be playful, and not expect to be an expert at what you do right away.
He explained that he did not have a unified plan at the beginning. A lot of his process was just exploration. He wanted things that did not exist, and he prompted them into existence.
The developer shared this during a conversation with OpenAI’s Head of Developer Experience, Romain Huet, on the first episode of the company’s new Builders Unscripted podcast. There, he spoke about what OpenClaw was like in its early days and how he did not have a plan when he started.
Steinberger explained he began by building a tool that would integrate with WhatsApp, but then set it aside for a bit and focused on other things. He assumed the AI labs would build something similar in the near future. He just experimented a lot, with a mission to have fun and inspire people.
By last November, however, he was surprised that no AI labs had started to build what he wanted to use. That led him to create the initial prototype of what is now OpenClaw. The idea really clicked during a weekend trip in Marrakesh, where he found himself using it frequently because it was convenient. With unreliable internet, WhatsApp just worked everywhere. The tool made it easy for him to find restaurants, look up things on his computer, send texts to friends, and more.
The more he played with the technology, the more Steinberger realized how good modern AI models have become at problem-solving, much like coders are. He noted that now they can actually come up with solutions themselves, even though you never programmed them at all.
Throughout his building process, Steinberger said his workflow improved. He stresses to other developers that this improvement can take time, so they should not give up. He pointed out that some people write software in the old way, and that old way is going to go away. They may then try what some call vibe coding, but are disappointed with the results.
Steinberger said he thinks vibe-coding is a slur, suggesting it is not as simple a process as the term implies. He explained that people try AI, but do not understand that it is a skill. He compared the process of coding with AI to learning guitar, noting you are not going to be good at guitar on the first day.
Instead, he recommends that people approach learning with a more playful attitude. Now, when he writes a prompt, he has a gut feeling for how long it will take. If it takes longer, he reflects on what may have gone wrong and adapts. His advice is to approach it in a playful way and build something you have always wanted to build. If you are a builder, there has to be something on the back of your mind that you want to create. Just play.
This ability to experiment and have fun is what is most important, especially at a time when people are worried their jobs will be overtaken by AI. Steinberger said if your identity is about creating things and solving problems, and if you are a high-agency, smart individual, you will be in more demand than ever.