OpenClaw Creator Joins OpenAI

For those who don't know: OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI agent. You install it on your server, connect it to your tools (Gmail, Notion, GitHub, Slack...) and it executes tasks for you. Autonomously.

Peter Steinberger built it as a side project. One month later, Sam Altman recruits him.

Why this matters if you're a developer

1. Personal agents are not a gimmick

When OpenAI recruits the guy who cracked the problem of an agent running 24/7 on your own infrastructure — that's a signal.

2. The open-source model survives

OpenClaw becomes an independent foundation. Your data stays with you. Multi-model support. The community keeps control. OpenAI sponsors but doesn't own.

3. The path is reproducible

Steinberger did exactly what I've been preaching for months: he built an AI tool for himself. Not to raise funds. Not to impress Twitter. To solve HIS problem.

"I could see how OpenClaw could become a huge company. It's not really exciting for me. I'm a builder at heart."

13 years running a company (PSPDFKit). He knows what it's like. He'd rather build.

My daily usage

I personally use OpenClaw every day:

• My agent manages my tech watch
• It prepares my newsletter
• It does my code reviews with custom skills
• It runs 24 automations in parallel

One agent. My entire stack.

What's coming

What's happening with AI agents right now is exactly what happened with smartphones in 2008. Everyone says "interesting" today. In 2 years, those without their own agent will be behind.

The question isn't IF you'll have one. It's WHEN you'll start building it.

I write about AI agents, Claude Code and augmented development every week in my newsletter → The Agentic Dev