Latest news with #Blomfield
Business Insider
28-04-2025
- Business Insider
Monzo's former CEO shares 3 tips for getting the most out of vibe coding
Vibe coding is enabling nontechnical users to write code with AI. Former Monzo CEO Tom Blomfield shared tips on how to get the most out of vibe coding. They include experimenting with different tools and keeping a log in case you need to reset to a clean code base. Vibe coding continues to gain traction in Silicon Valley, and former Monzo CEO Tom Blomfield has thoughts on how to maximize its potential. Coined just two months ago by Andrej Karpathy, an OpenAI cofounder, the term refers to people using AI to write code by giving it text-based instructions. Experienced engineers are using it to save time, and those with nontechnical backgrounds are coding everything from dating apps to games. Blomfield, who's now a group partner at Y Combinator, shared some tips for people looking to optimize the way they vibe code, in a video posted by the accelerator on Friday. Here are three pieces of advice he gave. Pick the right tool and create a comprehensive plan Blomfield advised users to plan ahead and experiment to find the tool that best supports their skill level and desired end product. He found that tools like Lovable and Replit were suited for beginners, whereas more experienced coders could use Windsurf or Cursor. "Work with the LLM to create a comprehensive plan," he said in the video, referring to large language models. "Put that in a markdown file inside your project folder and keep referring back to it." He suggested that users could use the LLM to carry out the plan section by section, instead of making the product in one go. "This advice could change in one or two months, as the models are getting better," he added. Do version tests on the product Blomfield said that when he prompted AI tools multiple times for the same coding task, he would get bad results as a result of the model accumulating "layers of bad code." He advised using the large language model to write tests that simulate someone clicking through a version of the site or app, to gauge how well the features are working. Sometimes, LLMs can make unnecessary changes to these features, he said, and implementing integration tests can pick up on these changes quicker. Write instructions for the LLMs Blomfield said he found that different models succeeded where others failed. If a user encounters a specific bug, it's helpful to reset all changes and give the LLM detailed instructions to fix it on a clean code base. "Logging is your friend," Blomfield said. Another tip he offered was to use small files and a more modular, service-based architecture, where the LLM has clear API boundaries. An upside of this is that it would avoid creating a huge single repository of code for various projects, which could be more complex to manage and have more integration challenges.
The Independent
21-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Assisted dying Bills aim to ‘fix problem', says ex-MP whose father took own life
Bills at Holyrood and Westminster that would allow terminally ill people to get help to die are trying to 'fix a problem we face as society', a former MP has said as he told how his elderly father took his own life alone. Paul Blomfield, who served as a Labour MP for Sheffield, said he spoke to his father Harry on the phone – and the next day he was told the 87-year-old had been found dead. He said that while his father had been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, it 'hadn't crossed my mind' he would end his life. But he said the lack of assisted dying laws meant his father 'died alone and he died earlier than he would have done'. Speaking at a fringe event organised by campaign group Dignity in Dying at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow, Mr Blomfield added: 'He had less life because assisted dying wasn't available. 'I am convinced he acted while he had the capacity to do so, rather than fear if he lost that capacity.' Mr Blomfield, who is chairman of Dignity in Dying, which backs changing the law in this area, told the meeting he had had a 'fairly ordinary' phone conversation with his father. But he added: 'The following day I got a phone call to say he was dead in his garage.' He said his father had a terminal diagnosis for lung cancer but 'was at a fairly early stage of the disease', however he said he had seen 'too many of his friends die badly'. Bills aiming to legalise assisted dying are currently being considered at both Westminster and Holyrood, put forward by Labour MP Kim Leadbeater and Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur respectively. Ms Leadbeater's Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has already passed an initial vote in the House of Commons, while Mr McArthur's Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill is being scrutinised by MSPs on Holyrood's Health Committee, ahead of a vote before the summer recess. Both proposals seek to allow adults diagnosed with a terminal illness to get medical help to end their lives, with Mr Blomfield saying: 'Both Liam and Kim are trying to fix that problem that we face as a society. 'My father wasn't alone, more than 600 people a year take their own lives with a terminal diagnosis.' Glasgow University Professor Ben Colburn meanwhile told the fringe event there is a 'lot of misinformation' about assisted dying. 'I think the misinformation comes from a place of genuine concerns about protecting vulnerable people,' he said, but added the evidence is 'reassuring about those fears'. Prof Colburn, an expert in political philosophy, said research shows: 'On the whole people with disabilities don't oppose assisted dying laws. 'Sometimes it is suggested that disabled people as a group are especially afraid of assisted dying legislation or are actively opposed to it. 'That is untrue, there is very strong evidence that people with disabilities support assisted dying, in about the same proportions as the general population. 'Assisted dying laws do not disproportionately harm people with disabilities and other vulnerable people. 'Assisted dying laws do not show disrespect or devalue disabled or vulnerable lives. 'And assisted dying laws do not have an adverse effect upon palliative care provisions.' The Better Way campaign opposes assisted dying. It said Mr Blomfield and others in similar circumstances must be 'met with the deepest sympathy', but says introducing assisted dying would be harmful to the UK's approach to suicide prevention. A spokesman said: 'The UK Government's suicide prevention adviser, Professor Luis Appleby, has today cautioned that the Bills brought forward at Westminster and Holyrood may hamper suicide prevention work, should they be passed. 'A wide array of people, including psychiatrists, palliative doctors, and experts in coercive and controlling behaviour have also warned against a change in the law. 'Campaigners for assisted suicide are flat wrong to claim that 'assisted dying' laws pose no threat to vulnerable groups. 'And it is concerning that some proponents write off the very serious concerns of many disabled people. Opposition is grounded in very real evidence of abuses, expansion, and injustices against marginalised communities.' They added: 'We'd urge politicians at Westminster and Holyrood to oppose assisted suicide and instead devote their energy to improving ethical and progressive forms of support: blanket suicide prevention, palliative care, and measures that create a more inclusive society for disabled people.'
BBC News
19-02-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Couple outraged over five-minute Carlisle parking charge
A couple issued with a £100 charge after falling foul of a five-minute parking guideline have called for firms to show "compassion".Ceris and Oliver Blomfield entered Carlisle's privately-owned Heads Lane site on a shopping trip, but then decided to park elsewhere due to poor looked online for alternatives, they triggered a parking charge notice due to having been there for five minutes and 40 seconds - just over the five-minute consideration period set out in the industry's code of which operates the payment system at Heads Lane, said Mr and Mrs Blomfield "did not provide any mitigating factors for failing to adhere to the terms and conditions". The couple, from Penrith, Cumbria, said they changed their minds about where to park due to "torrential rain" and having their two small children with them so left the site without getting out of their car, in February appeal against the charge was rejected by an industry watchdog and they say they are now receiving letters from a debt recovery agency suggesting legal action may be taken against them if they do not pay a charge which has now risen to £170. 'Not fair' Mr Blomfield told BBC Radio Cumbria: "There's no compassion. [We're told] it's a rule and its black and white."Anyone with a heart would go, 'it makes total sense [to waive the charge]'."You can't speak to the company that owns the car park. We just thought someone would read our response and realise the charge is not fair."Technically, yes, we were 40 seconds over, but we just figured it would be put aside."That wasn't the case and we feel it's really wrong. I'm sure there are other people out there in similar situations." 'Charge upheld' Parkingeye said the Heads Lane site was monitored by ANPR camera systems and had seven "highly visible signs that give motorists clear guidance on how to use the car park responsibly".For motorists considering whether to park, it said "a five-minute consideration period is applied, as per the British Parking Association (BPA) and International Parking Community joint code of practice".A spokesperson said: "The motorist correctly received a parking charge for parking for longer than the consideration period and not making a payment."Parkingeye operates a BPA-audited appeals process, which motorists can use to appeal their parking charge. If anyone has mitigating circumstances, we would encourage them to highlight this by appealing."The motorist did not provide any mitigating circumstances for failing to adhere to the terms and conditions of the car park and their appeal was rejected. The charge was also upheld by Popla, the independent appeals service."The case has now been escalated to debt recovery." Popla said that although the Blomfields had not parked in a bay, they "stopped for a period of time to find elsewhere to park and in doing so utilised the site".It added: "As such a parking event has occurred and the appellant entered the contract stated on the signage."Some changes to private parking rules were introduced this week after the BBC reported on the case of Rosey Hudson, who was taken to court by Excel Parking over a £1,906 claim after taking longer than five minutes to pay at a car park in Derby due to poor signal on her Private Parking Scrutiny and Advice Panel (PPSAP), which brought them in, says they will ensure "motorists who face genuine difficulties in paying in a short timeframe are treated fairly". Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Monzo founder says the American dream is ‘antithetical' to British culture, where a ‘know your place' attitude kills innovation
When the CEO of Norway's $1.6 trillion oil fund called out the work ethic and ambition of his fellow Europeans, it hit a nerve. The founder of one of Britain's most exciting start-ups certainly doesn't buy the Americans-are-workaholics-Europeans-are-lazy theory for why the U.S. outperforms Europe. Tom Blomfield, the founder and ex-CEO of online bank Monzo, doesn't even think it's true that Americans work harder than Europeans. Instead, the difference among workers on each side of the Atlantic is one of 'positivity, optimism, and ambition,' he said this week on the 20VC podcast. Blomfield said the American dream wasn't a reality that a lot of people in the U.S. get to live, but it was one that a lot of them experience. 'That idea that anyone can create anything if they try hard enough is so deeply American, and it's so antithetical to the British culture,' he said. Blomfield was 28 when he co-founded Monzo in 2015. While he said people in the U.K. 'looked at me like I was crazy' as he tried to get a banking license, he had a much more supportive reaction in the States. The Brit said his fellow countrymen were more inclined toward a 'know your place, don't get too big for your boots' attitude that stifles innovation. In Blomfield's view, this filters down to the career decisions made by the country's most promising university students. In the U.K., Blomfield says the most ambitious thing for students to do is work at a trading firm like James Street or a consultancy like McKinsey. Indeed, he suggests the default choice for PhD students in computer science is to join Goldman Sachs. In the U.S., meanwhile, Blomfield says he'll often get pitched start-up ideas by students from unexpected backgrounds, including English Literature undergrads. Europe has been trying to understand how it can close a stubborn productivity gap with the U.S. for years, a fact most recently echoed by Sweden's central bank chief. The U.K. has also suffered through years of underperforming productivity. Because it is a per-worker metric, the easy answer has been to point the finger at the employee. In April, Nicolai Tangen, the CEO of Norway's $1.6 trillion sovereign wealth fund, sparked a debate with his comments that there was a difference in the 'general level of ambition' between U.S. and European workers, adding that Americans work harder. Blomfield said he had read data suggesting that the latter wasn't the case. But his thoughts do align with another of Tangen's points, namely that it is easier to start again in the U.S. if a business fails than in the U.K. Backed by the 'American dream' ideal that Blomfield mentioned in his interview, the U.S. has long been more closely associated with entrepreneurialism and disruption than Britain, and Europe more widely. For example, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Report by NatWest found that the early-stage entrepreneurial rate—which it defines as the propensity of individuals to be entrepreneurial in their given context—was 11.5% in the U.K. in 2022, while in the U.S. it was 16.5%. But instead of working a few more hours to close the gap, Brits might simply want to throw out a few more words of support to their ambitious peers. Monzo's former CEO will be highly attuned to the psychological obstacles to starting and sustaining a multi-billion dollar business. Blomfield stepped down from his executive role at Monzo in 2021. At the time, he spoke candidly about the impact that both scaling the start-up and working through the COVID-19 pandemic had on his mental health. 'I'm very happy to talk about what's gone on with me, because I don't think people do it enough,' Blomfield said, explaining how he didn't enjoy his final two years at the helm of the bank. Since Monzo left its 'scrappy' reputation behind it, the group has gone from strength to strength, with momentum growing for an IPO in the near future. In March last year, the bank announced a new fundraising round that landed it a valuation of £3.5 billion ($4.6 billion)—proof that at least one Brit didn't 'know his place'. Editor's note: A version of this article first appeared on on May 15, 2024. This story was originally featured on Sign in to access your portfolio
