"Ralph Wiggum" AI Agent Explained (& How to Use It)

The podcast explores Ralph, an AI coding loop that automates software feature development. Ryan Carson, founder of Treehouse, explains how Ralph uses AI agents to autonomously pick tasks, implement code, test it, and commit changes, enabling overnight feature building. Ralph leverages a product requirement document (PRD) converted into a JSON file of small, clearly defined user stories with verifiable acceptance criteria, which guides the AI. The AI agent learns from each iteration, updating agents.md files to retain knowledge and improve future performance. Carson emphasizes the importance of well-defined PRDs and user stories for successful implementation, noting that while manual testing may still be needed, Ralph can significantly reduce development time and cost, potentially costing around $30 for a feature.