Engineer · Designer · Writer · Speaker
Marcel Samyn
I make things that change how people feel.
Software you can lean into. Videos you watch twice. Words worth keeping.
What I do
I'm a maker first. I write software, write essays, a book, make videos on YouTube, and speak about how technology can amplify rather than flatten what's human in us. The thread is the same one: making people feel strong, building things the way they should be, bringing beauty into the world..
When teams bring me in, it's usually for the same reason — to help them ship something that's beautiful enough to screenshot and useful enough to keep around. Founders dreaming in systems, research labs making the future, educators rewiring how we learn. I'm at my best in an environment where I can make decisions and move quickly.
Every video, post, repo, and book commit lands here: a record of giving, kept honest by the source platforms.
Kind words
A small wave of praise
Words from founders, builders, and curious humans I've gotten to work with.
Marcel is a lifesaver. We came up with solutions that I never thought were possible.
Marcel's an amazing teacher — years and years of experience in programming and all things AI, and he actually cares about your success, so he makes sure you understand.
Normally we want to have a conversation before approving someone on the platform — I found your article so good that I just skipped that process. Never done that before.
I can't really over-recommend his work because I'm truly astonished by this quality. I haven't found anything better so far.
Marcel's Prompt Alchemy course was truly incredible. Being able to optimize every feature ChatGPT offers rapidly changed the way I work and study.
Your video — I have no idea where I came across it — was hugely important for my new business.
I like your approach with this kind of group coaching — already thinking how I could use it myself, for my tax advisers who would like to play more golf ⛳️
It really directly picked me up where I was. Being able to follow along with concrete action steps was absolutely awesome and empowering.
I want to have you full time, pay you triple and then I can fire 6 other guys.
We demoed the customer portal at a major bank. They asked how big the team was. 'One guy, two days a week.' They were floored.
Your attention to fine details, even in design aspects like typography, enhances the quality of your work. You integrate professionalism with soul.
I feel like Superman! After Marcel shared his pro tips, I created 15 reels from a 20-minute video with one click. I AM the creator again, not just the editor.
Well you are the AI king 👑 so far I know 😜
The difference between a search engine and an AI reasoning tool was one lightbulb moment — and that coaching questions lead to great results. Also how you handled the dynamics of the session: well done.
Thank you for the last video you posted — I can't wait to automate my content in that way.
Thank you for your write-up — I found it very helpful to guide my prompting, and you gave me hot tips on what to implement next.
Marcel is a lifesaver. We came up with solutions that I never thought were possible.
Claire Hayek , Founder & CEO, MSP Teambuilding I want to have you full time, pay you triple and then I can fire 6 other guys.
CEO , AI startup Marcel's an amazing teacher — years and years of experience in programming and all things AI, and he actually cares about your success, so he makes sure you understand.
Breana Bauman , Co-Owner, Breana's Cookies We demoed the customer portal at a major bank. They asked how big the team was. 'One guy, two days a week.' They were floored.
Colleague , AI startup Normally we want to have a conversation before approving someone on the platform — I found your article so good that I just skipped that process. Never done that before.
Frederik De Wachter , Digitale Versnelling Your attention to fine details, even in design aspects like typography, enhances the quality of your work. You integrate professionalism with soul.
Breana Bauman , Co-Owner, Breana's Cookies I can't really over-recommend his work because I'm truly astonished by this quality. I haven't found anything better so far.
Tatyana Fomina , Recruiter, Adecco I feel like Superman! After Marcel shared his pro tips, I created 15 reels from a 20-minute video with one click. I AM the creator again, not just the editor.
Aaron Elsner , Solopreneur Marcel's Prompt Alchemy course was truly incredible. Being able to optimize every feature ChatGPT offers rapidly changed the way I work and study.
Sam Beer , Aerospace Engineer Well you are the AI king 👑 so far I know 😜
Mily Martin , Freelance Designer, Milster Studio Your video — I have no idea where I came across it — was hugely important for my new business.
Jenn , Founder The difference between a search engine and an AI reasoning tool was one lightbulb moment — and that coaching questions lead to great results. Also how you handled the dynamics of the session: well done.
Wilma Werner , Coach I like your approach with this kind of group coaching — already thinking how I could use it myself, for my tax advisers who would like to play more golf ⛳️
Jörg Weisner , Advisor Thank you for the last video you posted — I can't wait to automate my content in that way.
Sylvie , Mindvalley peer It really directly picked me up where I was. Being able to follow along with concrete action steps was absolutely awesome and empowering.
Lisa , MVU workshop Thank you for your write-up — I found it very helpful to guide my prompting, and you gave me hot tips on what to implement next.
Max Milne , Sprouting Art Therapist
Current focus
Things I'm building
A glimpse at the collaborations currently lighting me up — each one getting a tailored design, product, and engineering push.
On YouTube
Things I've made out loud
Video essays, walkthroughs, and a bit of thinking on AI, automation, and building well.
Why do some lights FEEL AMAZING?
Codex vs. Copilot Agent - Is The $200 OpenAI Worth It?
Deep Research for FREE: Open-WebUI can already do it (kinda)
Create a ChatGPT Sales Agent Chatbot
AI Automation for Small Businesses: Why it Matters
How To Generate Instagram Posts With Airtable, OpenAI, Make and Stable Diffusion (No-Code)Recent writing
From the journal
- Jan 31, 2026
Understanding Light Quality
- Jun 15, 2024
Relationship patterns and 50% better-performing Facebook ads
- Jun 13, 2024
The Chain of Beliefs: turning leads into lovers (not literally)
- Jun 4, 2024
Why the architect's family stood under the bridge
- May 31, 2024
The Invisible Army Powering Your Business
- May 25, 2024
Stress: kill it before it lays eggs
Common questions
Work that feels inevitable — and human
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Marcel — engineer, designer, systems thinker. I help teams turn restless ambition into things that work and feel right: interfaces that whisper instead of shout, automations that dissolve friction, AI workflows that amplify rather than replace the people using them.What do I actually get when we work together?
Production code that reads cleanly, integrations that just work, UX considered enough that your users notice. Weekly demos, tangible progress, documentation your team actually opens.What expertise do you bring for complex systems?
Information architecture that scales, APIs that play nice, frontends in React that feel native. Model-in-the-loop workflows, evaluation harnesses, observability baked in from day one. Elegance under pressure beats cleverness every time.What's your style?
Calm intensity. Short feedback loops, async-first comms, kerning obsessed because trust lives in the details. If it isn’t beautiful enough to screenshot, we’re not done yet.Who is this for — and how do we start?
Founders who dream in systems. Research labs making the future. Educators rewiring how we learn. We start with a conversation, then pick the tempo: a 2–6 week build sprint, an advisory rhythm, or build-and-teach so the magic stays when I leave.How do you think about AI, creativity, and people?
Tools shape souls. I design for sovereignty — interfaces that invite pause, defaults that protect attention, AI that amplifies rather than automates the human. Not just smarter systems, but kinder ones.
Get in touch
Let's build something worth caring about
Send me a note through the contact form. I read every message and reply within a couple of days.