Steven Forth’s Post

Lenny and I asked 20+ top founders, investors & builders about their most surprising learning when building AI 🪄 into their products. These leaders have built many of today’s most loved AI products, including products at Adobe, GitHub, Intercom, Perplexity, Canva, Runway, HeyGen, and Superhuman. What they told us: https://lnkd.in/ech9jDa6 The TL;DR: 1️⃣ Embracing AI opportunities calls for a new approach to building products. 2️⃣ The ones who succeed will bring different mindsets and frameworks to unlock 10x outcomes. 3️⃣ While the tech gets the attention, the winners will still be the products that solve real problems for people the best and provide the best design and UX to train people how to use it. 4️⃣ Be intentional about your initial wedge, and look for a workflow with a big reward and potential for repeat use. 5️⃣ The last mile of building AI products can make all the difference (speed, scalability bottlenecks, etc.). Huge THANK YOU to these 🔥 folks for sharing their hard-earned insights 🙏🙏🙏 -- they're tagged in the comments. #ai #product #startups #genai

You’re either building AI into your product now or you will be soon. You're also probably drowning in advice on how to do it, but most of it is fluff. Kyle Poyar teamed up with James Evans, CommandBar's founder and CEO (proud 🥹) and other 20 AI product legends to share some counterintuitive advice for baking AI into your products. Here are some highlights: Think differently 💡 Elad Gil says, "Your first AI product will probably be a fancy chat widget. The real magic happens when you rethink and integrate AI deeply into your product." Solve real problems 🔍 Joshua X. reminds us, "Cool demos don’t equal happy users. Build stuff people actually need." Design matters 🎨 Cameron Adams points out, "AI can do anything, but users need guidance. Give them a map, not a maze." Data is king 👑 Scott Belsky says, "The real power lies in your unique data and a killer interface. Fancy models are a dime a dozen."

How essential is AI in your startup pitch? A few months back, I sat down with Dani Grant, the CEO and co-founder of Jam.dev. Jam revolutionizes bug reporting with a free browser extension, boasting over 95,000 happy users. It streamlines capturing front-end bugs and UI tweaks, seamlessly sending them to Linear with just a few clicks. In this clip, we discuss the importance of AI in startup pitches from a VC's perspective. While AI can sometimes be used as a scapegoat for fundraising difficulties, VCs expect founders to have considered AI's impact on their business. Founders should be ready to discuss their views on AI, its current limitations, and potential benefits. This demonstrates foresight and builds confidence. Trust in software reliability is crucial, and an over-reliance on AI could risk user satisfaction. Having a thoughtful AI strategy is key to instilling trust and showcasing vision to investors. The full episode explores Dani’s journey from Tumblr blogger to leading Jam, a bug reporting tool with over 100,000 users. We discuss networking, strategic communication, fundraising tactics, AI integration, and the importance of trust in software development. Dani shares insights on aligning with investors and maintaining a balanced approach to AI adoption. Link in bio! In the race for technological advancement, never lose sight of what truly matters: trust, reliability, and user satisfaction. These are the cornerstones of lasting success .#ArtificialIntelligence #StartupSuccess #TechInnovation

𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈 Companies with innovation cultures are way ahead of peers in deploying and benefiting from generative AI. As top innovators have been more successful at creating business value from their investments in tech and R&D. So, if your company is in its earlier stages of experimenting with Gen AI, here are 4-elements on how these companies approach Gen AI: 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, they know how to ask smart questions by going beyond simple prompt engineering as they understand what problems the business needs to solve. (𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑠 “𝐵𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐴 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑐 𝐿𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐼𝑠 𝐴𝑙𝑙 𝐴𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝐴𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑆𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑄𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠”) 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝, they focus their mindset on weeding out bad answers to their smart questions instead of simply rejecting answers that don’t make sense, they always challenge assertions and view them as assumptions because whenever Gen AI spits out an answer, top innovators ask, “𝐼𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑟?” 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝, they continually build proprietary data as Gen AI is a great way to rapidly summarize and synthesize data, but keep in mind that its ability to drive insights from unstructured data is limited, especially around specific corporate decisions. 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐡, top innovators have prewired the capability of learning and changing course quickly by saying “𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑛 𝐴𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑓𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑎𝑦 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑢𝑡, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠, 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛” resulting in an iterative test-and-learn loop that allows these companies to escape pilot purgatory. With that being said comes the most important question… How do you put this prewiring in place if you’re in the early stages of gen AI adoption? As you experiment with these technologies, you need to put in place regulatory and data security boundaries and then, figure out where in your organization gen AI could drive the biggest strategic advantage by enabling you to accelerate and start testing. #founder #entreperneurship #sales #copywriting #business #marketing #leanstartups #startup #growthhacking #businessowner #businessgrowth #businessstrategy #digitalmarketing #contentcreation #startuplife #businesscoach #onlinebusiness #businessideas #businesstips #startupbusiness #businessnews #businessopportunity #businessmanagement #startupstories #startupcompany #businessplan #businessinsider #ceo #ai

🚀 Anthropic's introduction of 'Projects' for Claude.ai highlights a growing recognition of challenges in the LLM ecosystem we've long been addressing at THEO Growth: the creation and maintenance of 🧠contextual knowledge bases. Key Observations:  1️⃣ Contextual Consistency: The importance of maintaining a consistent context across multiple interactions.  2️⃣ Knowledge Accumulation: The need for a 'digital brain' that grows with your startup's journey.  3️⃣ Iterative Refinement: The value of building upon previous insights to refine ideas over time.  4️⃣ Collaborative Potential: The future need for team-wide knowledge sharing and collaboration. 🔍 THEO's Unique Approach:  While it's exciting to see parallel development in the AI space, at THEO Growth, we're taking this concept further: - We're laser-focused on the nuanced needs of customer discovery and market validation. - Our approach is tailored to the unique context of each startup, going beyond general knowledge management. - We're developing a UX specifically designed for the startup journey, ensuring founders can easily navigate complex market landscapes. 💡 Food for Thought: This parallel development in AI tools underscores the universal challenge of managing context and knowledge in dynamic environments, particularly acute in the realm of customer discovery and market validation. What are your thoughts on the evolving landscape of AI-assisted startup tools?  How do you see the future of contextual intelligence shaping the startup ecosystem? Let's discuss! 👇 #StartupStrategy #AIinStartups #CustomerDiscovery #ContextualIntelligence #THEOGrowth

Traditionally, digital product design has followed a predictable path, in crafting solutions for set scenarios. Enter generative AI, and the canvas of design shifts dramatically. Instead of static, well-defined solutions, we are now exploring a world where interfaces can evolve in real-time and scenarios can diverge beyond our initial blueprint. This presents an intriguing question: How far into the user experience should we dictate, and where do we let AI take the lead? At Databutton, this isn't just philosophical musing. It's our daily challenge. We're pioneering a balance between consistent branding and AI flexibility, carving out purpose amidst AI's vast capabilities, and butting up against the technology's current limitations. Beyond these challenges, our mission at Databutton is clear: to empower the next generation of innovators. Our platform is crafted to enable you to rapidly build and launch AI-driven applications, pushing the boundaries of what's possible. In your view, where should the creator's influence end and AI's begin? Join the conversation and drop your thoughts below. ⬇️ #Databutton #AIDesignRevolution #SmallAgencyInnovation #EntrepreneurTech #BuildWithAI #AIforStartups #DesignThinkingAI #StartupSolutions #DigitalInnovation #AIApplicationDevelopment

Understanding what your users want is hard. It’s a tricky process that takes significant time and money to pat down, and more often than not, researchers often have to make the decision between traditional surveys and interviews. This limits the extent of feedback that can be gathered from users and customers. Aneesh Vittal and I are currently working on Entropi: an AI platform to rapidly scale how startup founders, builders, and product researchers are able to conduct experiments and gather high quality quantitative data from users. If you’re building a new product or looking to revamp your product research workflow we’d love to work together. Please reach out or check out entropi(.)app and we’ll be in touch! #ai #startup #product #saas #genai

🚀 How is Generative AI revolutionizing startups in 2024? Imagine automating content creation, enhancing customer experiences, and predicting market trends with precision. Generative AI is not just a buzzword; it's a game-changer. Tech-savvy entrepreneurs, are you leveraging AI to scale your startup? AI enthusiasts, what innovations excite you the most? Data analysts, how are you integrating AI into your workflows? Web developers, are you ready for AI-driven coding? Generative AI offers unique insights and actionable data, transforming how we approach business challenges. From automating mundane tasks to creating personalized user experiences, the possibilities are endless. 💡 Pro Tip: Start small. Implement AI in one area of your business and measure the impact. You'll be amazed at the efficiency gains and new opportunities. What are your thoughts on the future of Generative AI in startups? Share your experiences and predictions below! #GenerativeAI, #TechStartups, #AIRevolution, #Entrepreneurship, #DataScience

Five #demandgen Tips for AI/ML #startups 🧠 1. Educate, Don’t Just Promote: Break down complex topics into digestible content to build trust. 2. Show Real-World Value: Use case studies and demos to demonstrate tangible AI/ML benefits. 3. Engage in Industry Forums & Events: Position your startup as a thought leader in AI/ML spaces. 4. Optimize for Technical Audiences: Remember, your primary audience likely includes data scientists and engineers. 5. Collaborate with Academia: Partner with universities for research and co-create valuable content. Drive demand by showcasing value and innovation. #AIMLStartups #DemandGenStrategy #b2bmarketing As always, we’re here to help 🫶

Generative AI unlocks new startup potential. Are you ready to accelerate growth? 🚀 💡 Rapid prototyping of ideas Quickly test concepts and get feedback before investing heavily. Fail fast and move on. Do not necessarily treat LLMs as your customers. Rather, use them to help prepare the right questions for the real potential customers. 👩💻 Boost time to market You have your idea tested on a prototype, now use Code LLMs like DeepSeek or even GPT-4 to write it. Nowadays, a developer spends most of the time configuring the environment (package dependencies, deciding on formatting rules,...) and writing a boilerplate. The former can be automated, while the latter can be copiloted (with expertise). 🎁 Give it more personalization Tailor offerings using data to boost conversion rates. Furthermore, tailor the experience a user has with your product. Instead of guiding them through a series of forms during onboarding, simulate a 1o1 conversation. 💬 Content creation Lastly, the most common use case is content creation. Save time on writing guides and FAQs so you can focus on your product. Ask LLMs to prepare documentation for the code or a quickstart guide tailored to specific groups (founders, developers, ...). What ideas do you have for using AI to grow your startup? Let me know in the comments! #startup #generativeai #entrepreneur