Solveit: A Polya-Inspired, Human-in-the-Loop AI Workspace for Deliberate Coding

Read Articleadded Oct 2, 2025
Solveit: A Polya-Inspired, Human-in-the-Loop AI Workspace for Deliberate Coding

Answer.AI’s Solveit blends Pólya’s problem-solving method with an iterative coding environment and AI that shares the developer’s context. The platform prioritizes human control, fast feedback, and dialog engineering to keep AI helpful and learning effective. A five-week program starting Oct 20 offers full access and lessons, including sessions with Eric Ries.

Key Points

  • Solveit operationalizes Pólya’s four-step problem-solving framework for coding and beyond, emphasizing small, verifiable steps and reflection.
  • Fast feedback loops via a REPL/notebook-like workflow reduce errors and accelerate learning compared to big-bang coding.
  • AI works best with shared context; in Solveit the AI sees what the human sees, can use the same tools, and acts as a collaborative partner.
  • Dialog engineering (editable histories, pin/hide, context control) counters autoregressive drift and improves AI session quality over time.
  • The tool is designed for human-in-the-loop mastery—not AI replacement—with a five-week course starting Oct 20 featuring Eric Ries and full platform access.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment of the Hacker News discussion is mixed and marked by initial confusion. While the founders clarified Solveit as primarily a methodology-driven course designed to foster human learning and capability with AI, there was skepticism regarding the course's format, cost, and the perceived paradox of 'more AI' as an antidote to AI fatigue. However, many also appreciated the emphasis on a human-centered, disciplined approach to AI collaboration over full automation.

In Agreement

  • The Solveit/fast.ai community is praised for being kind, smart, and having diverse backgrounds, fostering a positive learning environment.
  • Eric Ries personally attests to Solveit's effectiveness for deep work, writing, and research, solving frustrations with 'vibecoding' and chatbot limitations for concentrated work.
  • The focus on methodology and discipline, rather than just a tool, is seen as crucial for a "human-centered" approach that increases human capability with AI.
  • AI is valued as a learning partner that assists in the process of human learning and creation (code, prose, devops scripts) rather than generating final outputs independently.
  • The idea of an 'antidote to AI fatigue' resonates, with the suggestion that reducing reliance on AI for full generation and instead using it for consultation and learning is beneficial.

Opposed

  • There is significant initial confusion about whether Solveit is primarily a new AI agent/IDE or a structured course.
  • Skepticism is expressed regarding the necessity and practicality of a five-week, $400 course to learn a "new way of working with AI," especially when many already use chatbots daily, questioning its long-term viability and the time commitment required.
  • The claim of Solveit being an "antidote to AI fatigue" is ironically viewed by some as simply "more AI," creating a paradoxical perception.
  • Concerns are raised about the quality of large-scale AI-generated code ("AI slop") leading to abandonment of architectural decisions, with a preference for AI to only provide suggestions rather than write extensive code.
  • Some commenters perceive the offering as a "sales pitch for a coding course" disguised as an announcement for groundbreaking self-building software, feeling that the lead about it being an experimental tutoring method was buried.
Solveit: A Polya-Inspired, Human-in-the-Loop AI Workspace for Deliberate Coding