TL;DR
- We used our own product, Scout AI, to solve a complex Puppeteer-in-Docker configuration issue without any engineer involvement
- The task was automatically completed within 72 hours over a weekend through Scout's paid task feature
- We received a production-ready solution that saved our team significant development time and headaches
At our startup, we often find ourselves facing the same technical challenges that plague development teams everywhere: those essential but finicky tasks that steal precious time from your core product work. Recently, we encountered a particularly stubborn issue with running Puppeteer inside a Docker container – a seemingly simple task that can become surprisingly complex.
Rather than burning engineer hours, we decided to practice what we preach and use our own product, Scout AI, to solve the problem. Here's how it worked.
The Challenge: Containerized Puppeteer
Anyone who's worked with browser automation knows that Puppeteer can be temperamental when it comes to containerization. The specific requirements for Chrome to run headlessly inside Docker involve a careful configuration of dependencies, permissions, and flags – exactly the type of technical minutiae that's critical to get right but frustrating to spend time on.
Our Process with Scout AI
1. Defining the Task
We started by describing our requirements to the Scout agent: "We need to run Puppeteer inside a Docker container for our deployment pipeline. The container needs to handle headless Chrome execution reliably."
The agent helped refine the requirements through a series of questions, ensuring we'd provided all necessary context about our specific environment and needs.
Here is a sample of the detailed instructions and documentation for the task.
2. Delegating to the AI Agent
Once we had a clear specification, Scout delegated the task to its AI agent. The agent began working on the solution, exploring various approaches to handling the Chrome dependencies, security settings, and Docker configuration.
3. Upgrading to a Paid Task
While the agent made progress, we encountered some environment-specific challenges that required deeper expertise. We clicked the "Upgrade to Paid Task" button within the Scout interface, which immediately prioritized our request.
4. Weekend Resolution
What happened next was remarkable. Without any further input from our team, Scout coordinated with engineers from its global network who specialize in containerization. Within 72 hours – over a weekend when our team wasn't even working – we received two complete, working solutions from world-class engineers.
The Delivered Solution
The solution included:
- A properly configured Dockerfile with all required dependencies
- Chrome flags optimized for our specific container environment
- Documentation explaining the configuration decisions
- A test script to verify that Puppeteer ran correctly inside the container
Why This Matters
This experience highlighted exactly why we built Scout in the first place. Technical tasks like Docker configuration might not be the most glamorous part of building a product, but they're critical to get right and can consume disproportionate engineering time.
By delegating this task to Scout, we:
- Saved valuable engineer hours
- Got a solution over the weekend when our team was offline
- Benefited from specialized expertise we didn't have in-house
- Received a production-ready implementation, not just theoretical advice
Start Offloading High-value, Niche Technical Tasks
If your team is regularly getting bogged down in important but time-consuming technical challenges – whether it's Docker configurations, deployment automations, or other development tasks – Scout AI offers a way to reclaim that time without sacrificing quality.
Our own experience confirms what our customers have been telling us: having a reliable system to handle these tasks creates space for engineering teams to focus on what truly differentiates their products.
Ready to stop wrestling with Docker and start focusing on your core product? Give Scout AI a try and see what technical challenges you can offload this week.