Simon Willison's blog offers a mix of technical tutorials, data analysis projects, and reflections on technology and society. With a focus on Python, SQL, and web development, Simon shares insights into building web applications, working with data, and exploring emerging technologies. Developers can learn about data visualization, API design, and software engineering best practices, gaining inspiration and practical knowledge to advance their careers.

Simon Willison

Simon Willison built a custom macOS presentation app called Present in ~45 minutes using Claude Code and Swift/SwiftUI, despite not knowing Swift. The app lets users define a presentation as an ordered list of URLs, displays them in a full-screen WebView, and auto-saves state to prevent data loss. He also added a built-in web server (implemented via raw socket programming by the AI) so he could control slides remotely from his phone via Tailscale. After the talk, he reviewed the generated code and found it clean and minimal, using the experience to document a 'linear walkthrough' pattern for understanding AI-generated codebases. He reflects that vibe coding doesn't make native developers obsolete but does let experienced engineers expand into unfamiliar platforms quickly.

I vibe coded my dream macOS presentation app