He built Smorgasburg. Now, he's using AI to organize the construction of his 'forever house.'

Jonathan Butler, a well-known entrepreneur from Brooklyn, has transitioned from running successful ventures like Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea to embracing artificial intelligence in his latest project: constructing his dream home. At 56, Butler found himself with a collection of 105 unused website domains but lacked the coding skills to develop them. After years of observing others code, Butler turned to AI for assistance. Initially using it as an enhanced search tool, a friend's introduction to 'vibe coding' sparked his journey into the world of AI-assisted software development. This innovative approach allows non-technical individuals to instruct AI on what to create, bypassing the need for traditional coding skills. Butler's first projects included websites for his band and a platform to track his extensive vintage tool collection. His most ambitious endeavor, however, is a construction management application called Metalog, aimed at streamlining the building process of his 'forever house' in Germantown, New York. The home, envisioned as a single-story residence for long-term living, is situated on a 15-acre ridge. Butler expects the construction to span 18 to 24 months and involves coordinating numerous documents, such as blueprints and contracts, which can easily get lost amidst the chaos. To tackle this issue, Butler designed Metalog as a centralized platform for sharing documents with his architect and contractor. He utilizes Claude, an AI platform that he subscribes to for a monthly fee, to facilitate his coding process. Starting with an outline generated by ChatGPT, Butler spent about 25 hours developing Metalog, which now houses designs, insurance papers, and facilitates communication during weekly meetings. Laura Trevino, Butler's architect and sister-in-law, appreciates the system's efficiency, noting that it simplifies document organization and clarity during their collaboration. Metalog has already proven invaluable in managing budgets and tracking changes in contracts, reducing confusion and time spent searching through emails. Butler remains committed to refining Metalog, dedicating several hours each day to its development. He relishes this creative process, feeling a newfound sense of empowerment in shaping his projects. His future aspirations include creating an AI scraper designed to assist architects by providing them with relevant contact information, further expanding the potential of his innovative approach to problem-solving.