# Ben Curtis - Honeybadger, Breakwater

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/devtools-fm/ben-curtis-honeybadger-breakwater
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/devtools-fm/ben-curtis-honeybadger-breakwater.md
Podcast: [devtools.fm: Developer Tools, Open Source, Software Development](https://stenobird.com/podcast/devtools-fm)
Published: 2026-03-09T00:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/devtoolsfm/episodes/Ben-Curtis---Honeybadger--Breakwater-e3g4ldd
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/dd6922b4/podcast/play/116593517/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-8%2F419564678-44100-2-df3cbd38901f8.m4a
Processing state: processed
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/devtools-fm/episodes/ben-curtis-honeybadger-breakwater
Duration seconds: 3262

## Resource

Ben Curtis, co-founder of Honeybadger, discusses the evolution of developer tools from the BBS era to the modern AI-driven landscape. He shares insights on building resilient software products and navigating the shift toward automated observability.

## Highlights
- Main idea: Successful developer tools solve immediate, identifiable pain points rather than chasing speculative trends
- Practical takeaway: Use AI-friendly formats, like Markdown exports, to bridge the gap between error reporting and LLM-based debugging
- Failure mode: Relying on private equity-driven models can degrade customer service and product quality in the observability space
- Strategic insight: Focus on the 'things that don't change'—the fundamental human need for reliability and visibility in software
- Industry trend: The rise of AI-generated code represents a massive paradigm shift similar to the transition from Assembly to C

## Topics

Software Development, Observability, Ruby on Rails, Artificial Intelligence, Error Tracking, Developer Experience, SaaS Strategy, Open Source

## Chapters
- 1:00 — Early Tech Roots: Ben reflects on his beginnings with the TRS-80, the BBS scene, and the influence of Turbo Pascal.
- 5:05 — The Evolution of Frameworks: A discussion on the cyclical nature of web technologies, specifically how Laravel drew inspiration from Ruby on Rails.
- 9:15 — Identifying Market Gaps: The origin story of Honeybadger and the drive to build better error-tracking tools for the Rails community.
- 13:15 — The Danger of Private Equity: How the acquisition of competitors by private equity firms led to a decline in developer-centric customer service.
- 25:50 — AI and the Developer Workflow: How Honeybadger integrates with LLMs via MCP servers and Markdown exports to enhance debugging.
- 29:50 — Introducing Breakwater: A look into Ben's new project, Breakwater, and the potential for personal access apps.
- 50:05 — The Future of Observability: Assessing whether the AI revolution will make traditional monitoring tools obsolete.

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## Transcript

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