His 30-day deadline unlocked an AI coding world record

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Eric Simons (the builder behind Bolt.new) turned “we’re shutting down” into the world’s largest hackathon.

In this episode, we break down Eric’s probability playbook and how I’m applying it on my 60‑day clock to keep State of Play alive beyond October 1st.

We talk last bets, 100 swings, hackathons that print customers, and the automations I'm using to help me keep swinging.

Chapters

[00:00] – “In 60 days, it’s over” (cold open)

[00:16] – Meet Eric Simons + the $40M ARR plot twist

[00:30] – The decade everyone ignores (failure before the hockey stick)

[02:30] – The Dropout DNA (living in an office, working 6am–3am)

[03:30] – The $30,000 reality check vs a $300 Bolt build

[05:00] – The Probability Playbook: take 100 swings

[07:00] – The office‑squatter strategy (desperation, channeled)

[09:00] – The competitor’s funeral + picking a death date

[11:00] – The builder uprising

[11:45] – The million‑dollar tweet (how the hackathon started)

[13:00] – Meet the 100,000 (designers → builders)

[15:00] – The only title I wear

[16:00] – The last swing (countdown to Oct 1, 2025)

Episodes