980: AI Coding Explained
Wes and Scott talk about the state of AI coding in 2026—from editors and models to agents, skills, slash commands, MCPs, and more. They unpack what these things actually do, how they overlap, and how to use them effectively without overcomplicating your setup.Show Notes00:00 Welcome to Syntax!01:39 The tools: editors, terminals, GUIs05:27 Wes’ and Scott’s current AI setups13:17 Picking the right model18:58 How exactly do agents work?22:32 Subagents and parallel workflows24:29 Brought to you by Sentry.io24:54 What goes in agents.md (and what doesn’t)26:47 Skills vs agentsSkillsSuperpowers34:03 Slash commands as reusable prompts36:02 Hooks and keeping your code from going off the rails38:00 Plugins and bundling your setup39:24 What MCP is and why it’s powerful40:54 Cloud agents and running jobs remotely43:47 Choosing the right AI tool47:41 Sick Picks + Shameless PlugsSick PicksScott: ULTRALOQ Bolt Fingerprint WiFi Smart LockWes: St. Denis MedicalShameless PlugsSyntax YouTube ChannelHit us up on Socials!Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn ThreadsWes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn ThreadsScott: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn ThreadsRandy: X Instagram YouTube Threads.
Wes and Scott talk about the state of AI coding in 2026—from editors and models to agents, skills, slash commands, MCPs, and more. They unpack what these things actually do, how they overlap, and how to use them effectively without overcomplicating your setup.
Show Notes
- 00:00 Welcome to Syntax!
- 01:39 The tools: editors, terminals, GUIs
- 05:27 Wes’ and Scott’s current AI setups
- 13:17 Picking the right model
- 18:58 How exactly do agents work?
- 22:32 Subagents and parallel workflows
- 24:29 Brought to you by Sentry.io
- 24:54 What goes in agents.md (and what doesn’t)
- 26:47 Skills vs agents
- 34:03 Slash commands as reusable prompts
- 36:02 Hooks and keeping your code from going off the rails
- 38:00 Plugins and bundling your setup
- 39:24 What MCP is and why it’s powerful
- 40:54 Cloud agents and running jobs remotely
- 43:47 Choosing the right AI tool
- 47:41 Sick Picks + Shameless Plugs
Sick Picks
Shameless Plugs
Hit us up on Socials!
Syntax: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads
Wes: X Instagram Tiktok LinkedIn Threads