ThirdBrAIn.tech

Building Pheromind into a VSCode Extension. Building on top of Roo Code

2 min read

Building Pheromind into a VSCode Extension. Building on top of Roo Code

AI Summary

This is a 4+ hour live coding stream where Chris from Frontier Tech Strategies builds Pheromind into a VSCode extension, specifically working on top of Roo Code. The stream showcases the development of an AI-powered IDE with advanced orchestration capabilities.

Key Highlights:

Pheromind Development:

  • Building Pheromind as a VSCode extension on top of Roo Code
  • Implemented a “devil’s advocate” mode that reviews specifications, pseudo code, and architecture to catch errors
  • Uses Gemini as the primary LLM with swarm intelligence across all orchestrators
  • Features a sophisticated workflow: specification → pseudo code → architecture → testing → refinement

Technical Architecture:

  • Multi-agent orchestration system with 50+ agents to choose from
  • Orchestration selector UI for custom agent combinations
  • Neo4j database integration for code relationship mapping
  • MCP (Model Context Protocol) server integration for enhanced capabilities
  • Modular file structure to handle large codebases efficiently

AI Orchestration Philosophy:

  • Treats AI as a teammate requiring iterative feedback, not one-shot prompting
  • Emphasizes the value of complex AI conversations over framework complexity
  • 200+ prompts deep in refinement through continuous feedback loops
  • Context window management strategies for different models (Gemini vs Claude)

Code Analysis & Graph Database:

  • Working on plotting entire codebases into Neo4j with all relationships mapped
  • Code comprehension agents that analyze tech debt, security vulnerabilities, and optimization opportunities
  • Vision for swarm coding with 100+ AI agents working simultaneously on different parts of the codebase

Development Challenges Addressed:

  • Modularizing large files (1600+ lines) to improve AI performance
  • Managing context windows across different LLM models
  • Implementing fail-safes and error recovery in AI workflows
  • Balancing model efficiency vs. capability (discussing small models for specific tasks)

Future Vision:

  • Building a “symbiotic coder” - an AI-powered IDE that acts like Venom’s symbiote
  • Plans for local model integration and fine-tuning
  • Considering building custom IDE based on VSCodium
  • Integration of specialized small models for tool calls and parameter validation

Business Context:

  • Mentions upcoming meetings with DoD, Google, and potential acquisition discussions
  • Focus on building the future that companies like Cursor and Windsurf are trying to reach
  • Philosophy of aiming high with AI to achieve breakthrough innovations

The stream demonstrates advanced AI orchestration in practice, showing both successes and real-world debugging challenges when building sophisticated AI-powered development tools.

Graph View