
From open source hits to OpenAI (Interview)
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This week I’m talking with Max Stoiber, currently working on ChatGPT’s plugin directory and app platform at OpenAI. We discuss the hundreds of open source projects nobody remembers alongside the big ones like react-boilerplate and styled-components, how Spectrum became part of GitHub and eventually helped shape GitHub Discussions, the founder growth that came from building Stellate, the GraphQL cache that turned into a dual acquisition by Shopify and The Guild, and why ChatGPT apps feel like a new surface for software.
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Featuring:
Show Notes:
Featured
- Max Stoiber
- Max Stoiber on GitHub
- OpenAI
- ChatGPT
- Developers can now submit apps to ChatGPT
- ChatGPT Developer mode
- OpenAI Apps SDK examples
- OpenAI Apps SDK UI
- Model Context Protocol
Max’s open source and community path
- styled-components
- styled-components on GitHub
- react-boilerplate
- Max’s open source projects
- Spec.fm
- GitHub acquires Spectrum
- GitHub Discussions
- Slack
- Circle
GraphQL and Stellate
- Stellate
- Announcing Stellate, the CDN for GraphQL APIs
- GraphCDN is now Stellate and we’ve raised $30M
- The Guild acquires Stellate
- GraphQL
- GraphQL Hive
- GraphQL Yoga
- GraphiQL
- Firebase
- Vercel
- RethinkDB
- Apollo Client
- urql
- DataLoader
Shopify and storefronts
- Shopify
- Shopify Liquid reference
- Shopify themes
- Horizon: 10 new free themes by Shopify
- Horizon documentation
- Shopify Agentic Storefronts
ChatGPT apps and MCP
- Building MCP servers for ChatGPT and API integrations
- Build with the Apps SDK
- Apps in ChatGPT
- MCP Apps overview
- Zillow
- Expedia
Leadership and founder references
Tools, platforms, and companies mentioned
Something missing or broken? PRs welcome!
Join the discussion
changelog.zulipchat.comChangelog++
changelog.comCoder.com
coder.comWorkOS
workos.comWorkOS.com
workos.comAuthKit.com
authkit.comNotion
notion.comFly.io
fly.ioCheck out the speedrun
fly.ioWebsite
mxstbr.comGitHub
github.comX
x.comWebsite
adamstacoviak.comGitHub
github.comLinkedIn
linkedin.comMastodon
changelog.socialX
x.comOpenAI
openai.comChatGPT
chatgpt.comChatGPT Developer mode
developers.openai.comOpenAI Apps SDK examples
github.comOpenAI Apps SDK UI
github.comModel Context Protocol
modelcontextprotocol.iostyled-components
styled-components.comstyled-components on GitHub
github.comreact-boilerplate
github.comMax’s open source projects
mxstbr.comSpec.fm
spec.fmGitHub acquires Spectrum
packtpub.comGitHub Discussions
github.comSlack
slack.comCircle
circle.soStellate
stellate.coThe Guild acquires Stellate
the-guild.devGraphQL
graphql.orgGraphQL Hive
the-guild.devGraphQL Yoga
the-guild.devGraphiQL
graphql.orgFirebase
firebase.google.comVercel
vercel.comRethinkDB
rethinkdb.comApollo Client
apollographql.comurql
commerce.nearform.comDataLoader
github.comShopify
shopify.comShopify Liquid reference
shopify.devShopify themes
themes.shopify.comHorizon: 10 new free themes by Shopify
changelog.shopify.comHorizon documentation
shopify-horizon.mintlify.appShopify Agentic Storefronts
shopify.comBuilding MCP servers for ChatGPT and API integrations
platform.openai.comBuild with the Apps SDK
help.openai.comApps in ChatGPT
help.openai.comMCP Apps overview
mcp-framework.comZillow
zillow.comExpedia
expedia.comCOIN feedback framework
frameworkforest.comGatsby
gatsbyjs.comGitHub
github.comThe Guild
the-guild.devShopify Engineering
shopify.engineeringNode.js
nodejs.orgTypeScript
typescriptlang.orgBun
bun.shZed
zed.devGhostty
ghostty.orgDX
getdx.comIncident.io
incident.ioClerk
clerk.comRaycast
raycast.comPRs welcome!
github.com
- 0:00This week on The Changelog
- 0:52Sponsor: Coder.com
- 4:09Start the show!
- 5:48Max's drive to make things to solve his own problems
- 8:14Why for free instead of charging?
- 10:14Does it still make sense to share work for free in the current world?
- 14:28Even if the value isn't in writing code, it's still worth it to share things with the world
- 14:45Building things is still hard work
- 18:36The history of Spectrum and Spec.fm
- 23:09Sponsor: WorkOS
- 26:12How Max joined the Spectrum team
- 31:04Joining GitHub and the origins of GitHub Discussions
- 33:05Any regrets about the outcome of Spectrum and Github Discussions?
- 36:33Exploring the idea of buying Spectrum back
- 38:45Reflecting on the time spent working at GitHub
- 40:08What Max worked on after GitHub
- 44:35The challenges of building a good team
- 49:38Learning how to provide good critical feedback
- 50:05Using the COINS framework for feedback
- 53:53The benefits of providing better feedback
- 56:00Building Stellate
- 1:03:20Sponsor: Notion
- 1:05:03Why Stellate's caching worked so well: Partial Query Caching deep dive
- 1:07:37Is GraphQL still popular?
- 1:09:16The danger of building a good product for a undersized market
- 1:13:27Managing a dual aquisition for Stellate
- 1:19:54Moving from Stellate to Shopify and discovering the right role
- 1:23:05Why Max chose to work on Shopify's Liquid Storefronts
- 1:26:34Why Max decided to join OpenAI
- 1:29:32What Max is working on at OpenAI
- 1:33:47MCP Apps deep dive (MCP server for UI)
- 1:37:32Are MCP Apps a potential replacement for building a website?
- 1:42:45Max's closing thoughts
- 1:45:13Closing thoughts and stuff