Eddie's startup voyage

Eddie's startup voyage is a reflective and educational Substack chronicling the journey of a black entrepreneur in building a startup. It covers lessons learned from startup failures and successes, the importance of customer engagement, exploration of AI technology, personal growth strategies, and the balance of intuition and rational decision-making in entrepreneurship.

Startup Development AI and Machine Learning Personal Growth and Health Customer Engagement and Research Entrepreneurial Lessons and Failures Decision Making in Business Product Development and Pricing Marketing and User Experience

The hottest Substack posts of Eddie's startup voyage

And their main takeaways

Paper review - Generative Agents

1 HN point • 06 May 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Research
  1. The paper reviews 'Generative Agents,' discussing how AI can simulate human behavior in virtual worlds like 'The Sims'.
  2. The Memory Stream Architecture in Generative Agents addresses the challenge of creating believable agents by combining components like a memory stream, retrieval model, and reflection module.
  3. Observations from the paper include the emergence of coordinated behavior and relationship formation among AI agents in a virtual town, and ethical considerations in developing AI systems that can form parasocial bonds with humans.

How I'm trying to be more lucky with my startup

0 implied HN points • 02 Dec 22
💼 Business Entrepreneurship Startup Luck Risk Success
  1. Luck can be categorized into different types, such as blind luck, luck created by motion, luck created by skill, and luck created by reputation. Each type requires different approaches to increase the likelihood of experiencing luck.
  2. Fortune favors the bold - taking action and moving towards your goals can increase your chances of creating your own luck. Being in the right place at the right time can lead to fortunate outcomes.
  3. Building on skills and reputation can attract luck. By honing your craft and becoming well-known for your expertise, you can open doors to exciting opportunities that bring success and fulfillment.
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We're live with pricing plans 🎉

0 implied HN points • 20 Jul 22
💼 Business Startup Entrepreneurship Product Development Marketing Funding
  1. EnVsion started with a vision for customer-centric tools and focused on UX Research as a critical use case.
  2. The journey of building EnVsion has been challenging, facing funding issues and near bankruptcy, but the team persists with a strong belief in the product's potential.
  3. EnVsion aims to empower companies by transforming video recordings of customer conversations into valuable insights, ultimately improving customer experience.

Adieu, EnVsion

0 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
💼 Business Startup Marketing Tech Finances Entrepreneurship
  1. EnVsion failed because they built a product that didn't have enough demand or interest.
  2. They should have targeted a larger market with more purchasing power instead of sticking to a niche with low demand.
  3. Investing in marketing early and consistently is crucial for startup success, along with choosing the right tech stack for fast iteration.

Reflecting on 2022

0 implied HN points • 25 Feb 23
💼 Business Startup SEO UX Research Personal Growth Entrepreneurship
  1. Reflecting on 2022: The year had challenges, but also growth and progress. Acknowledging setbacks is important for personal growth.
  2. Focus on SEO and UX Research: Investing in SEO helped improve search rankings, while learning about UX Research expanded knowledge but lacked experience.
  3. Bootstrapping a startup is tough: Building a startup alongside a full-time job is challenging. Despite progress, achieving Product Market Fit remains a goal.

Switching Gears To AI Agents

0 implied HN points • 15 Apr 24
🕹 Technology AI Software Python Development Learning
  1. Eddie is shifting focus to AI Agents after leaving his previous company, EnVsion, and finding a passion for AI technology.
  2. AI Agents in agentic systems are AI models tasked with specific roles and responsibilities, contributing to the overall goal.
  3. Eddie is excited about building products with AI Agents, currently developing a Python AI Agent library for further learning and exploration.

Coming soon

0 implied HN points • 17 Mar 22
💼 Business Startups Entrepreneurship Newsletter
  1. Eddie is starting a newsletter about his journey in building a startup.
  2. The newsletter will focus on the musings of a black chevalier.
  3. The readers can subscribe to stay updated on Eddie's startup voyage.

Exploring Stable Diffusion

0 implied HN points • 22 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Deep Learning Computer Vision
  1. Stable Diffusion is an innovative deep learning model that generates stunning images using latent diffusion techniques in a lower-dimensional space, leading to fast image generation with reduced memory and compute costs.
  2. Diffusion models like Stable Diffusion are important in vision and potentially in language generation and synthetic data creation, showing promise for diverse applications.
  3. Exploring Stable Diffusion and diffusion models can be an intriguing journey in AI, influencing future project choices and sparking curiosity in various research areas.

Enter 2024

0 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Fitness Mental health AI Marketing Work-life balance
  1. Focus on rebuilding yourself after setbacks with a concrete plan for improvement in health, including fitness and reducing alcohol consumption.
  2. Experiencing a defeat can lead to new opportunities, such as exploring AI in depth and breadth, and sharing learnings publicly.
  3. Launching multiple digital products infused with AI, improving marketing and storytelling skills, and making time for cherished moments amidst a busy life are key goals for 2024.

Why I'm building my own AI Agent library

0 implied HN points • 28 Apr 24
🕹 Technology AI Programming Open Source Startups Machine Learning
  1. The AI field lacks standardized development for agents, creating room for innovation and experimentation.
  2. Building an AI Agent library from scratch allows for a deep understanding of core concepts and components of agentic systems.
  3. Working on AI Agents can be enriching and enjoyable, offering a sense of direction and contribution to the open source community.

Wander, Wonder, and Invent

0 implied HN points • 12 Feb 24
  1. Reconnect with your inner child through exploration, wonder, and invention to revitalize creativity and curiosity.
  2. Take time to appreciate and elevate old and new experiences by tapping into a sense of wonder and amazement.
  3. Blend the wisdom and experiences of adulthood with the curiosity and energy of your younger self to propel further in your personal journey.

Follow your gut ?

0 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
📖 Philosophy Decision-making Intuition Reason Values Metaphors
  1. Consider balancing rational thinking with gut instinct in decision-making, especially in situations with limited data or inconclusive information.
  2. Use mental models like Jeff Bezos' 1-way vs 2-way door decisions to navigate choices. For irreversible decisions, follow your gut if it strongly signals a direction; for reversible decisions, consider both rational and instinctive inputs.
  3. Understand the interplay between Daniel Kahneman's System 1 and System 2 thinking in decision-making, and learn to appropriately calibrate analytical and intuitive processes to make better choices.

2 things I aim to learn during my 3-week holiday

0 implied HN points • 22 Jun 23
💼 Business Copywriting UX Design Learning
  1. Always be learning - Opportunities are unlimited, but time is not. Choose wisely what to focus on for personal growth.
  2. Copywriting is crucial - Being able to write compelling text that sells a product or service is essential for business success.
  3. UX Design with Figma - Developing UX design skills can lead to creating more useful and pleasing products. Learning tools like Figma can help improve design quality.

We're going to charge in USD

0 implied HN points • 26 Dec 22
💼 Business Startup Pricing Currency Conversion Customer Service
  1. The decision has been made to charge in USD instead of British pounds (GBP) due to a higher likelihood of customer base outside the UK, particularly in the US market.
  2. The change to USD aims to potentially improve the conversion rates by removing hesitancy related to unfamiliar currency for international visitors.
  3. Existing customers will not be affected by the currency change and will continue to be charged in GBP, showing consideration and appreciation by 'grandfathering' their prices.

Learning to ask better questions when talking to users

0 implied HN points • 22 Apr 22
💼 Business User Research Decision-making Entrepreneurship
  1. Asking better questions in user interviews is crucial for uncovering deeper insights and making informed decisions.
  2. Avoid closed and hypothetical questions that lead to yes/no answers or opinions based on unfamiliar situations.
  3. Using discussion guides in user interviews can significantly enhance the quality of insights obtained and improve problem discovery and decision-making processes.