When Dick Costolo, the former CEO of Twitter, spoke at TechCrunch Disrupt, an audience member inquired if HBO’s popular satirical show “Silicon Valley” would ever be brought back. Costolo, who contributed as a writer to the series, essentially said it wouldn’t happen (around the 38:17 mark).
He mentioned that while the writers frequently discuss it, they choose not to pursue it because today’s actual Silicon Valley is so strange that it defies parody.
A recent example is Clad Labs, a new company that emerged from Y Combinator this week. Clad’s offering is so unconventional that some initially mistook it for an April Fools’ joke in November.
However, founder Richard Wang assured TechCrunch that it’s a genuine product. It’s called “Chad: The Brainrot IDE.” This is yet another vibe coding integrated development environment — an IDE is the software used by developers for coding — but with a unique angle. While waiting for the AI coding tool to complete its task, developers can engage in their preferred “brainrot” activities within a window inside the IDE.
Or, as the company’s website puts it: “Gamble while you code. Watch TikToks. Swipe on Tinder. Play minigames. This isn’t a joke — it’s Chad IDE, and it’s solving the biggest productivity problem in AI-powered development that nobody’s talking about.”
The founders claim their IDE boosts productivity by aiding in “context switching.” Their rationale is that by engaging in “brainrot” activities directly within the IDE, developers will quickly return to work as soon as the AI completes its task, rather than being distracted by their phones or browsers.
Reactions on X were varied. Some believed it was a satirical fake, while others considered it a good — or a terrible — idea.
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Whether people liked it or hated it, everyone had an opinion, including Jordi Hays, co-host of the enthusiastic tech podcast TBPN. Hays wrote a post about the product titled, “Rage Baiting is for Losers,” where he said of Chad IDE: “On one hand it’s funny. On the other hand, what are we doing here and why does this belong on the official YC account?”
He contended that products such as Chad IDE and Cluely have transformed rage bait from a mere marketing tactic into a “product strategy,” which he believes “it really should not be.” He urged YC to start teaching founders that “rage baiting is for losers.”
This advice is particularly noteworthy coming from someone who, as a founder, had mastered viral marketing without resorting to rage. Hays and his wife Sarah founded Party Round, a funding startup that gained viral attention for its friendly marketing stunts, such as releasing NFT versions of top “helpful” VCs. (Party Round rebranded to Capital and was acquired by Rho in 2024.)
Wang explained to TechCrunch that the critics misunderstand that his “brainrot” IDE was not intended as rage bait. The founders hope it evolves into a genuinely popular AI vibe coder for developers working on consumer apps, aiming to provide them with a consumer app-like experience within an IDE.
While the product is a reality, it is not yet available for public use.
“We’re currently in a closed beta,” Wang stated. Currently, Chad is focused on establishing a “community” of users who are drawn to the concept. Clad Labs intends to make the product publicly accessible soon, but for the time being, users need an invitation from an existing beta user to join.
Undoubtedly, some developers will find Chad appealing. Regardless of what the future holds for this product, one thing is certain: It is becoming increasingly challenging to satirize Silicon Valley in the current environment.
