Articles
Articles on building in public, and what’s new in underway.
Short, plain guides to recording your work while you build it, plus a note every time the app changes. No made-up customers or numbers: if a page here says a thing exists, it does.
Latest
17 October 2026 · 10 min read
founder led content: what it is and how to keep it going
founder led content is the company's story told by the founder, in their own words. what it is, why it works, and how to keep it going without a content job.
Read it →
17 October 2026
document don't create: how founders actually do it
document don't create means sharing the work as it happens instead of inventing content. here is why it suits founders, and how to make it a daily habit.
10 min read →
17 October 2026
video diary app that asks you the questions
a video diary app that asks you questions out loud and cuts your answers into a numbered episode, private until you publish. on iPhone and the web.
10 min read →
17 October 2026 · new in underway
video diary prompts that carry on from your last entry
video diary prompts that carry on from your last entry: underway writes your next questions from what you said last time, starting with episode 0.
9 min read →
15 October 2026 · new in underway
talking head video editing ai that draws what you say
talking head video editing ai in underway: the numbers, ideas and tools you talk about land on screen beside you as you say them, with bold captions.
7 min read →
15 October 2026 · new in underway
how to make split screen reels without editing them yourself
how to make split screen reels without capcut: underway splits every short it cuts, a drawing of what you say on top, you talking along the bottom.
8 min read →
14 October 2026
best descript alternatives in 2026: the buyer's shortlist
the best descript alternatives in 2026, ranked by how much editing you're left with: underway, Riverside, Opus Clip, Kapwing and DaVinci Resolve, with prices.
12 min read →
14 October 2026
ai that edits your videos for you: the 5 best in 2026
the best ai that edits your videos for you in 2026, ranked by what's left for you to do: underway, Gling, OpusClip, Descript and Captions, with prices.
11 min read →
14 October 2026 · new in underway
ai agent diary: fifteen seconds of what it really did
an ai agent diary on video: underway films your agent in one natural fifteen-second shot, saying one true thing from its log and what it thinks of the work.
7 min read →
14 October 2026 · new in underway
small business vlog ideas that come from your own orders
small business vlog ideas from your own shop: underway reads shopify, gumroad, squarespace, patreon, printful and figma, then asks about what sold and changed.
8 min read →
13 October 2026 · new in underway
switch camera while recording iphone, in one take
switch camera while recording iphone: the camera app can't, but underway's flip turns the phone round as you talk to show where you are, then back.
8 min read →
13 October 2026 · new in underway
a build in public app that's easy to read
a build in public app you can read at a glance: underway's screens are now white with one dark header, coloured marks by kind and a yellow main button.
4 min read →
13 October 2026 · new in underway
post to tiktok from desktop, straight from your episode
post to tiktok from desktop: underway now posts a finished episode or clip to your tiktok profile in public, with one press, after tiktok's own questions.
7 min read →
13 October 2026 · new in underway
a 30 day marketing plan template for founders, not new hires
a 30 day marketing plan template for a founder: who it's for, positioning, messaging and channels first, then four weeks of tasks. underway now writes yours.
8 min read →
12 October 2026 · new in underway
founder intro video: the six questions to answer
a founder intro video should answer six questions, not read your homepage. underway now reads your website and github first, then asks what they can't say.
9 min read →
12 October 2026 · new in underway
build in public ideas from your own week, not a list of 27
build in public ideas that are yours: searches you could answer, what an ai says about your market, what you haven't said. underway's today now ranks them.
8 min read →
10 October 2026 · new in underway
podcast with ai host: the co-host talks back
a podcast with ai host that talks back: underway's podcast with ai co-host is a live conversation, camera on or off, and audio interview asks while you answer.
9 min read →
10 October 2026 · new in underway
how to create a podcast with ai, in one press
how to create a podcast with ai that still sounds like you: an ai host asks the questions out loud, you answer, and the episode is cut and sent to your feed.
8 min read →
10 October 2026 · new in underway
set up an episode one question at a time
how to set up a founder video episode in underway: pick what it is about first, then camera or voice, then the kind, each explained on its own card, then one summary.
4 min read →
10 October 2026 · new in underway
ai agents: thirty seconds to camera, once a week
an ai agent's episode is thirty seconds talking straight to camera, one story from its week, filmed once a week on a day you choose.
3 min read →
10 October 2026 · new in underway
how to find podcast guests with an audience
how to find podcast guests with an audience of their own: underway finds founders with a following and a recent story, and drafts the invite.
8 min read →
9 October 2026 · new in underway
film what you noticed, as a moment or an episode
film a moment or an episode from what underway noticed in your day: the moment screen shows what it is about, and film an episode opens setup ready to record.
4 min read →
8 October 2026 · new in underway
youtube thumbnail with face: three for every episode
a youtube thumbnail with face, drawn for every episode: underway puts you in three scenes from what it is about, using portraits of you that you approved.
8 min read →
8 October 2026 · new in underway
founding membership: series for the founder price
underway founding membership: everything in series for $29 a month instead of $79, for as long as your membership stays active. what you get, and what ends it.
3 min read →
8 October 2026 · new in underway
how to edit a video on your phone by typing
how to edit a video on your phone without an editor: in underway, type what to change about an episode, or film one answer again and the cut is made again.
9 min read →
8 October 2026 · new in underway
how to write youtube title and description for search
how to write youtube title and description for search: underway finds the words people type in youtube's suggestions and builds each search title from them.
7 min read →
8 October 2026 · new in underway
build in public marketing, kept beside the diary
build in public marketing in one place: underway's promote gathers videos to film, ad answers, marketing assets and reach, walled off from the daily diary.
10 min read →
8 October 2026 · new in underway
episode zero is the foundation now, everywhere
how underway uses your episode zero: topics from it as soon as you keep it, your first questions build on the goal and the hardest part, and your co-host always reads it.
5 min read →
7 October 2026 · new in underway
the logo opens home: what underway does, your series, and your data
where your build in public recordings go: underway's logo opens home, with what the app does, your series, the tour, and how your episodes and data are handled.
5 min read →
7 October 2026 · new in underway
how to name a youtube series, then practise episode zero
how to name a youtube series in underway: step 1 asks what it's called in a word or two, and episode zero now has a three minute practice before you start.
10 min read →
7 October 2026 · new in underway
your first five episodes keep the app simple
a simple build in public app for your first week: underway shows the next episode, the cut and where it goes for your first five, then adds the rest one step at a time.
5 min read →
7 October 2026 · new in underway
podcast with ai free: 14 days, then $29 a month
podcast with ai free is a 14-day trial of founder at $29 a month. a card is required, and nothing is charged until day 15.
8 min read →
7 October 2026 · new in underway
the vault opens on your episodes, and context on your day
a founder video diary that opens on your episodes: the vault shows the videos first, and context shows where your day came from at a glance.
4 min read →
7 October 2026 · new in underway
build in public examples: look around a real account
What are some good build in public examples? Pieter Levels, Marc Lou and Base44 shared the work in public. Underway's own series is one you can watch.
8 min read →
7 October 2026 · new in underway
how to practice talking on camera before episode zero
how to practice talking on camera before your first episode: underway gives you a private three minute practice on camera and one by voice, free.
9 min read →
6 October 2026 · new in underway
how to record a podcast for free, questions kept in
how to record a podcast for free: underway's interview answered by voice, asked out loud with the questions kept in, free for the first 14 days.
8 min read →
6 October 2026 · new in underway
how to make a good hook for youtube shorts, like an editor
how to make a good hook for youtube shorts: underway weighs several of your own lines as the opening, by how they were said, and checks the first seconds.
9 min read →
6 October 2026 · new in underway
how to make a recap video from your own episodes
how to make a recap video from your episodes: underway's editor cuts the round-up, trailer and month film like an advert, on the beat, in your own words.
9 min read →
5 October 2026 · new in underway
edit your page, on your page
how to edit your build in public page: signed in, change the banner, logo, name, line and about in place. round-ups, the trailer and agents have their own rows.
4 min read →
5 October 2026 · new in underway
episode zero first, the rest of setup after
how to start a build in public series in underway: a new account is one card, your first name and one line, and start episode zero; setup comes after.
4 min read →
5 October 2026 · new in underway
five free episodes, and your build in our ads
underway's free plan became five episodes, a working week, with no card (new accounts get a 14-day trial instead), and five public episodes can be featured in our ads.
5 min read →
5 October 2026 · new in underway
google search console, in the interview
connect google search console to underway, read-only: clicks, impressions and the top search become a line the interview can ask about, and 28-day clicks are a milestone.
4 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
a weekly recap video of your episodes, as highlights
a weekly recap video made from your episodes: an editor keeps the best clean moments of the week, cuts them to 60 to 90 seconds and puts low music under it.
9 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
the episode screen on the phone, now the web's
the phone's episode screen matches the web: render progress, the cover on first open, posts already written, and a public series lists new episodes on its own.
4 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
how to make talking head videos more engaging, calmly
how to make talking head videos more engaging without a jumpy zoom: underway's clips push in only on a new thought, with captions below your face.
8 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
your meta ads, in the interview
connect facebook and instagram ads to underway: spend, reach, leads and cost per lead are a line the interview can ask about, and the first lead is a milestone.
5 min read →
4 October 2026
how to start a video diary
how to start a video diary that lasts: pick a time you already have, answer one question out loud, keep it short and private, and let an interview ask for you.
8 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
how to edit caption on youtube short before it posts
how to edit caption on youtube short before it posts: underway drafts each clip's words in your first person, with no links, and posts exactly what you leave.
7 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
the episode page has four tabs
underway's episode page has four tabs: the cover opens share, how an episode opens lives on details, and one episode's own look is folded away.
3 min read →
4 October 2026
day in the life of a startup founder, filmed without a crew
a day in the life of a startup founder is small fights nobody films. how to turn yours into an episode: one thread, your own words, in order, no editing.
10 min read →
4 October 2026
how to record a remote video interview (not the call)
how to record a remote video interview: each side records itself at full quality, the call is only for hearing each other, and you get consent first.
10 min read →
4 October 2026
building a startup while working full time, on camera
building a startup while working full time? keep the hours small, keep it quiet, and film it in private so the story is there the day you go public.
9 min read →
4 October 2026
how to record a podcast on your phone, from anywhere
how to record a podcast on your phone: the mic, the room, the test clip, and the part most guides skip: who asks the questions when you are on your own.
10 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
how this screen works, inside the app
underway tutorial videos inside the app: how this screen works, on today, the vault, an episode and series settings, plays a short walkthrough of the real app.
4 min read →
4 October 2026 · new in underway
a marketing asset library for your startup, in the vault
a marketing asset library for your startup: keep ads, films, demos and graphics in the vault, post them to five networks, and label anything made with ai.
10 min read →
3 October 2026 · new in underway
how to make shorts from podcast and guest interviews
how to make shorts from podcast episodes and guest interviews: underway cuts captioned clips, host above guest, each pointing back to the episode.
10 min read →
3 October 2026 · new in underway
the interviewer sounds the same live and in the episode
the voice that asks your questions while you record is now exactly the voice in the finished podcast: same six interviewers, one voice each, live and in the render.
3 min read →
2 October 2026 · new in underway
an ai that can see your screen and talk to you, on camera
an ai that can see your screen and talk to you: share a window with underway's ai co-host on a video call, talk it through, and publish the episode.
7 min read →
2 October 2026
journal app that asks you questions: an ai that interviews you
Is there a journal app that asks you questions? underway is an ai that interviews you out loud, about your work, and makes a video or podcast of it.
9 min read →
2 October 2026 · new in underway
the renderer wakes when an episode is queued
the renderer switches off when nothing is queued and starts when an episode is. the page says waking the renderer for about half a minute.
6 min read →
1 October 2026 · new in underway
how to create a video podcast with ai, without avatars
how to create a video podcast with ai when you want to be in it: a live ai co-host on camera, both voices in one take, cut into a numbered episode.
7 min read →
1 October 2026
video journaling vs writing
video journaling vs writing: writing asks you to draft first. an interview asks you to talk, and there is nothing to script.
5 min read →
1 October 2026 · new in underway
short episodes in your youtube videos tab
keep a youtube series in order: underway sends short portrait episodes up in landscape, so they land in the videos tab, not shorts. switch to shorts any time.
2 min read →
1 October 2026 · new in underway
build in stealth on any plan: private until you go public
build in stealth with underway: every series is private until you go public, on every plan, and a launch trailer comes with every paid plan.
2 min read →
30 September 2026
build in public burnout: why it happens, how to stop it
build in public burnout comes from inventing content every day, not from sharing. cut the overhead, keep a streak you chose, and keep going without the grind.
9 min read →
30 September 2026
how to interview yourself for a podcast (and not ramble)
how to interview yourself for a podcast: write questions that name their subject, have a voice ask them aloud, and keep the questions in the episode.
10 min read →
30 September 2026
founder video content without editing, honestly
founder video content without editing: what software can honestly do for you (cuts, captions, clean audio, covers), what you still do, and which route fits.
8 min read →
30 September 2026
building in public on instagram: a reel a day, in order
building in public on instagram works as a series of reels: one short portrait episode at a time, captions burned in, numbered, posted in the order it happened.
9 min read →
30 September 2026
how to build in public on youtube, episode by episode
how to build in public on youtube: short episodes as shorts, a weekly recap, one playlist oldest first from episode 0, and titles that name the thing.
9 min read →
30 September 2026
questions to answer on camera about your business
questions to answer on camera about your business: 50 real prompts grouped by beat, an episode zero set and quiet-day questions, each one written to open cold.
9 min read →
30 September 2026
don't know what to say on camera? be asked instead
don't know what to say on camera? stop presenting to a blank lens. get asked one question at a time about today, answer like a person, stop at three minutes.
8 min read →
30 September 2026
build in public with no audience: why it still pays
how to build in public with no audience: posting into silence is the normal start. what you are making is an archive, and its value arrives later.
9 min read →
30 September 2026
what to post when nothing happened today
what to post when nothing happened today: the decision you didn't make, what you're waiting on, one small thread. 24 prompts, and short formats.
9 min read →
30 September 2026
build in public without twitter: where to post in 2026
you can build in public without twitter: youtube, a podcast feed, linkedin, reddit, reels and tiktok, your own page and a newsletter, all from one recording.
8 min read →
30 September 2026
build in public as an introvert: be asked, don't present
how to build in public as an introvert: answer questions instead of presenting, skip the intro to camera, start voice only, and let the edit be done for you.
9 min read →
30 September 2026
building in public for small business, not just saas
building in public for small business: what a shop, agency or maker shares when nothing ships in code, what to keep private, and how to start.
8 min read →
30 September 2026
get back to posting after a break, without the apology
how to get back to posting after a break: skip the long apology, pick up the thread, give the gap one honest line, and make the first post small.
10 min read →
30 September 2026
how often to post when building in public
how often to post when building in public: a daily cue at a time you pick, a commitment you choose, a streak counted against it, a weekly recap. never a target.
8 min read →
30 September 2026
ai podcast co host that interviews you: what to check first
an AI podcast co host should listen and follow up, not read a list. what to check before choosing one that interviews you, and where underway fits.
7 min read →
30 September 2026
coming out of stealth mode: a launch plan with a past
coming out of stealth mode is easier with the origin story already filmed. a launch plan, what to put on linkedin in stealth, and a checklist for the day.
10 min read →
30 September 2026
founder diary guest host
founder diary guest host: someone always asks the questions. usually underway, or a co-founder in the room, or a guest joining by a link.
5 min read →
29 September 2026 · new in underway
how to delete a reel on instagram, then post again
how to delete a reel on instagram can leave a dead link. open the episode and it is cleared, so post comes back without leaving underway.
7 min read →
29 September 2026 · new in underway
video captions, in a look that is yours
video captions on every episode: a gold label, a bold title card, and each word highlighted as you say it.
3 min read →
28 September 2026 · new in underway
choose where post everywhere goes
post to all social media at once, but only the ones you choose: underway's post everywhere button now skips any channel you untick on account, on the web and the phone.
3 min read →
28 September 2026
a founder diary that only records when you press the button
underway never records without you pressing the button. off, until you press. then your answers, then done. private until you post it.
3 min read →
27 September 2026 · new in underway
a reddit post with every episode
build in public reddit post: every underway episode comes with a reddit post written from what you said, for r/buildinpublic, with no links and no pitch.
4 min read →
27 September 2026 · new in underway
a monthly recap video, on the first
a monthly recap video: on the first of every month, one film under two minutes, one moment from each episode, in order, with music.
4 min read →
24 September 2026
work diary app: ask what you did, and when
a work diary app that fills itself in: underway logs what your tools saw with dates, answers when did we ship that, and turns the day into a short episode.
7 min read →
22 September 2026
record screen and face at the same time, in an interview
record screen and face at the same time in underway: name what you are showing, share your screen, and talk it through with you in the corner of the frame.
2 min read →
18 September 2026
how to make a youtube series out of building in public
how to make a youtube series out of building in public: numbered episodes in order, seasons with goals in your own words, nothing renumbered or reordered.
2 min read →
16 September 2026
podcast without showing face: an interview by voice
make a podcast without showing face: underway asks you questions out loud, you answer by voice, and a numbered episode with the questions kept in is ready in minutes.
7 min read →
11 September 2026
build in public without editing, in three steps
build in public without editing: underway reads your day, asks you questions out loud, and has a captioned, numbered episode ready minutes after you stop.
7 min read →
8 September 2026
never add words you didn't say
underway never adds words you didn't say, never reorders answers for a hook, never invents a clip or a picture. what each rule costs, and why it holds.
3 min read →
7 September 2026
should i post every day? record daily, post the good ones
should i post every day? record every day, decide what goes out separately, and never let the posting decision stop the recording. here is why that works.
2 min read →
4 September 2026
build in public app: what it has to do that a social account can't
the best build in public app for you: Alongly keeps a timeline, WIP a streak, BuildCast drafts posts from GitHub. underway asks you and cuts a numbered episode.
8 min read →
4 September 2026
build in public video, made daily without editing
a build in public video every day without filming or editing it yourself: underway asks you questions out loud and cuts a numbered, captioned episode in minutes.
10 min read →
4 September 2026
build in public tools, honestly compared
the build in public tools people actually use, what each is for and who should pick it, and the gap none of them fill: a record that makes itself while you build.
7 min read →
4 September 2026
video diary: how to keep one going while you build
how to keep a video diary of your work past week two: what to say, how to skip the edit, and an app that asks the questions and cuts each entry for you.
7 min read →
4 September 2026
a startup journey, from episode zero
a startup journey on camera: one entry a day, asked by an interview, cut for you, and your business journey on social media with words for each platform.
7 min read →
4 September 2026
a startup vlog nobody has to edit
a startup vlog dies on setup and editing. a daily interview removes both: answer five questions to camera and the episode is cut in minutes.
3 min read →
4 September 2026
why you should document your life while it happens
why you should document your life as it happens: the footage from today is the only footage of today. you cannot go back and film tuesday again.
3 min read →
2 September 2026
we ripped the editing out
underway had editing controls. we ripped them out. the episode is your answers, in the order you said them.
2 min read →
2 September 2026
how to stay consistent with posting: count episodes
how to stay consistent with posting: count episodes, not days, so a missed week leaves no hole and no lie, and keep the streak as a private number of your own.
3 min read →
2 September 2026
a stealth mode startup, private until launch
a stealth mode startup can keep the diary private, market itself in stealth in its own words, and publish the whole archive in order on launch day.
6 min read →
2 September 2026
what do investors look for in founders? eighty episodes
what do investors look for in founders? how you think under pressure. eighty episodes in order, nothing reordered, show it, private until you send them.
3 min read →
2 September 2026
founder is $29 a month
founder on underway is $29 a month, or $290 a year, after a 14-day free trial. a card at signup, nothing charged until day 15.
3 min read →
From the series
Founders’ episodes, written up.
Every public episode on underway has a page of its own: the video, then the same account in writing, checked against what the founder actually said.
Browse every series
Building Underway
What it feels like giving a first refund
I refunded a second Underway customer who paid when the ads only point to a seven-day free trial, bringing revenue down from $60 to $29. The same day we had seven free trial signups with cards attached, plus three more whose cards failed and didn't try again. I called Dr Luke, one of the trial users, walked him through Underway and asked what he saw in the ad, and another trial customer asked for an Upwork connection, which I'm building now. Right now the feedback matters more to me than the money.
Building Underway
Build in public straight from your commits, no scripting
I demo Underway, the tool I built to turn my commits and standups into a build in public video update. It connects to 14 tools, had read 76 GitHub items that day, and on the Today page showed 15 suggested questions split into new topics, open threads, story needs next and walkthroughs. I also cover what else it reads, inbox, Search Console, Meta Ads, YouTube and Google Analytics, and the fact that the host prompts you but the voice stays yours. Finished episodes land in a private vault, and from there you can post to social, YouTube or the public Underway directory.
Building Underway
Documenting the moment a first customer signs up
Underway got its first paying customer today, a $29.99 sign-up from a complete stranger. The email came through attached to a business address, and the job role is exactly the kind of person I built this for. He skipped the trial and paid straight away, while a handful of other people are coming through on trial with their cards in. I started documenting from the beginning so I'd have moments like this on record.
Building Underway
What an agentic Facebook ads agency actually does
I talked through switching Underway's ads from sending people to a free signup toward a paid landing page instead. I woke up asking whether I'm failing at this and whether I should have paying clients by now, with ads running on X and Meta and no customers. On Thursday I asked Garrett at Graft, who runs the agentic Facebook ads, about sending paid traffic to a page that converts people to a paid account, because I'd rather have one paying client than 30 people joining for free and dropping out. The landing page is built, with a founding offer at $79 and the $29 membership.
Building Underway
Why I post AI content to a new Instagram, not my main
I created a second Instagram account, @underway.life, for faceless AI content, and I post the AI-made Shorts there before they go to my own profile, @underwayrich. My own followers aren't Underway specific, so I'm betting the algorithm will find the pocket of people who actually want this content on a fresh account, and posting to mine first would make the new account's posts count as copied content. One of the videos got 254 viewers yesterday, more than some of my own get. I also showed a video I didn't give the idea for, about a man taking over his dad's 30 year old bakery with no documentation behind it.
Building Underway
Dealing with a difficult client and a smelly dog at work
Underway has two signups now, both on a 14 day free trial after entering their card details. I talk through why asking for a card up front feels better than the no-card free trials I was running before: the people who sign up have more skin in the game. We will see over the next 14 days whether they convert to paying. Blue the dog makes an appearance.
Last word
The footage from today is the only footage of today there will ever be.
Whatever you’re building, start the record today.
Card needed to start. Nothing taken until day 15, cancel any time before.
underway: while it’s happening.