AI - Your Startup Sidekick (Leveraging AI to Bootstrap a Lean Startup).pdf

Ready to take your #startup to the next level? Pankaj Upreti, Lagna360 founder, reveals how a #solopreneur can leverage #AI across their entire business. Learn to use AI as your ultimate sidekick in bootstrapping a #LeanStartup, from coding to marketing. Don't miss these game-changing insights for your entrepreneurial journey!

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1. Welcome to ServerlessToronto.org
1
Introduce Yourself:
- Where from? Why are you here?
- Looking for work or Offering work?
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“AI for Lean Startup” with Pankaj Upreti, Lagna360
18 - 18:10 Networking, Opening remarks
18:10 ~ 19:00 Langa360.com AI Journey
19:00 - 19:20 Q&A
19:20 - 19:30 Manning Publications raffle

2. What is Serverless Toronto about?
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3. Serverless is a State of Mind…
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Way too often, we – the IT folks,
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... It is a way to focus on business value.

4. The Serverless Mindset
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7. 7
Feature Presentation:

8. AI: YOUR STARTUP
SIDEKICK
LEVERAGING AI TO BOOTSTRAP A LEAN STARTUP

9. AGENDA
What we are covering
How to make AI your trusty sidekick in
bootstrapping a startup. Use cases,
examples from the Journey of lagna360,
using AI to operate lean
What We’re Skipping
Deep AI algorithms, code walk-through’s,
step by step guilds
2

10. INTRODUCTION
My Background
•Pankaj Upreti, Founder of Lagna360
•Enterprise architect / technologist – worked in
software industry for 25+ years. Large enterprise
to startups. Project management to coding, pre-
sales to architecture. FORTRAN to Virtual Reality
•Passionate about astrology, archeology and
ancient history.
Introduction to Lagna360
•AI-driven astrology platform
•Personalized horoscope readings, NASA precision
•Global userbase, exponential growth.
3

11. WHY AI FOR STARTUPS?
1. Importance for Cash-Strapped Startups
•Startups need to stretch every dollar.
•AI can help automate tasks and reduce costs.
•Fast iteration is crucial for startup success
2. Ride the Wave
•New models emerging every few weeks.
•AI is the hot topic in tech circles everywhere.
3. Promises of AI
•AI promises intelligence and efficiency.
•But does it deliver on these promises?
•Let's find out how AI can truly help your startup.
4

12. FOCUS ON CONSUMER
FACING SAAS
Not a lemonade stand
•AI is less useful in physical business
Why SAAS?
•Build a startup that can run from
anywhere (even your couch!).
•Flexible, scalable, and good for
leveraging AI.
Examples of Virtual Startups
•Personalized health advice apps
•Social platforms, like Facebook, X
5

13. COGNITIVE LOAD?
A Small Brain Attached to Your Own Brain
•AI acts as an extra appendage to offload tiresome
parts of thinking.
•With this "extra brain," you can reduce mental
fatigue and work more efficiently.
A Tool, Not a Replacement
•Using AI doesn't mean you can play golf while AI
does all the work.
•AI is like a power tool or forklift; it helps reduce
load but doesn't replace the mechanic.
•With reduced cognitive load, you can work more
hours with less fatigue and increase productivity.
6

14. THE JOURNEY OF LAGNA360
The challenges faced by a typical SAAS startup
7

15. INITIAL CONCEPT
Inspiration
Personal interest in astrology and AI
The Seed
Created the core engine using 6GB of NASA to make
accurate astronomy calculations, backbone of astrology
Eureka Moment
Realizing the potential to combine AI with Vedic astrology
to create a unique, high-accuracy service.
8

16. PRODUCT CHALLENGE
1. Analyzing Astrological Texts
•Several dozen books on astrology
•Extracting and tuning prediction algorithms
2. Analyzing Historical Charts
•Over 150,000 charts to study
•Comparing predictions with actual life events
of well-known individuals
3. Developing the Core Prediction Engine
•Integrating insights from texts and charts
•Ensuring high accuracy and personalization
in predictions
9

17. ARCHITECTURE
CHALLENGE
Scalability and Performance
•Handle a growing number of users
•Optimizing performance
Continuous Improvement
•Integrating new AI models and tools
•Maintaining compatibility across updates
Data Security and Privacy
•Protecting sensitive user data
•Ensuring compliance with data protection regulations
Cross-Platform Compatibility
•Works seamlessly across devices
•Consistent user experience across all channels
10

18. MARKETING CHALLENGE
•Content Creation
•Graphic Design
•Video Production
•SEO Optimization
•Social Media Management
•Advertising Campaigns
•Analytics and Reporting
•Customer Support
11

19. AI - IN THE REAL WORLD
Highlight the various AI tools and techniques used to stay lean.
12

20. CODING ASSISTANCE
Tools
•CodeWhisperer
•Github Co-pilot
•chatGPT
Impact
•25% speed improvement (3 instead of 4 devs)
•Mental energy conservation (12 hrs instead of 8)
•Repetitive boring tasks, refactoring, experimenting
•Overall reduce developer requirement by 50%
13

21. AUTOMATED TESTING
Tools Used
•ChatGPT
•Github co-pilot
•DeepCodeAI – static code analysis
Impact
•Early bug detection and prevention
•Improved code quality and reliability
•Reduced manual testing effort
•Reduced mental load (less fatigue)
•50% less time spent with open code
14

22. INTEGRATION TESTING
Tools Used
•Selenium
•chatGPT used to help write selenium tests, inject
realistic user data
Impact
•Simplified complex testing
•Reduced testing time by 40%
•Enhanced integration reliability
•Improved test coverage and accuracy
•Less time with open code, reduced fatigue
15

23. MARKETING CONTENT
Tools Used
•Anthropic Claud
•ChatGPT
•Custom agentic flow
Impact
•Increased content production speed
•Enhanced creativity and engagement
•Consistent and high-quality content
•Eliminate need to hire content writer
16

24. IMAGE GEN – VISUAL
CONTENT
Tools Used
•DALL-E
•Canva with AI features
•Photoshop with AI features
Impact
•Rapid creation of high-quality images
•Customizable visuals for various marketing needs
•Enhanced visual appeal and engagement
•Reduced reliance on graphic designers
•Time otherwise spent on coding diverted to using these
tools, eliminate need to hire designers.
17

25. GA4 ANALYTICS: INSIGHTS
WITH AI
Tools Used
•ChatGPT (file upload + screen capture)
•There are newer tools available, still
reviewing
Impact
•Enhanced understanding of user behavior
•Data-driven decision making
•Improved website performance
•Identification of key growth opportunities
18

26. 19
Database analytics
In god we trust – for everything else we
need data
•https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/database
/how-to-perform-advanced-analytics-
and-build-visualizations-of-your-amazon-
dynamodb-data-by-using-amazon-athena
•Once data is in Athena, use ChatGPT to
help compose queries
•Prepare the GPT context, with
knowledge of your business and
objectives.. Then ask for queries.

27. SOCIAL MEDIA AUTOPILOT
Tools Used
•Pictory video generator
•Hootsuite
Impact
•Not my core skillset, managing without social media agent
by using automation and AI
•More content, good quality content, constant and with
cadence.
20

28. LARGE CONTEXT AND
HALLUCINATION
CHALLENGE
•Example
-In chat window user could ask
-Insurance policy related question
-Mortgage policy related question
-Assume both categories have knowledge base
of 100,000 tokens each like a Harry Potter
novel
-Assume answer is not just text, but a detailed
calculation is required as part of the result
-How do you return result with no
hallucination?
21

29. 22
Why? Cost Management
•Handling very large contexts that require deep analysis.
•More cost-effective than using more expensive models directly.
•Reduces hallucinations and maintains performance.
Pattern Overview
•Step 1: AWS Lambda -> Classification Model
•Initial call to determine user intent.
•Step 2: Context Preparation
•Lambda fetches data from session/backend to prepare a compressed,
targeted context.
•Step 3: AWS Lambda -> LLM Call
•Make LLM call with the targeted context.
Advantages
•Like RAG but without the need for a vector database.
•More suitable for dynamic data processing, calculations, and DB retrievals.
•Cost-effective and efficient in extracting performance from lower-cost models.
CLASSIFICATION ENHANCED PROCEDURAL GENERATION

30. VIDEO CONTENT &
ADVERTISING
Tools Used
•Pictory, HeyGen, D-ID, RunWay
•Capcut , RVC libraries
Impact
•Increased content production speed
•Enhanced creativity and engagement
•Consistent and high-quality content
•Eliminate need to hire video creator
23

31. DEMO BREAK
9

32. 9
AI MAKES THIS EASIER THAN YOU THINK
2022 – only 2 years ago, it would require outsourcing to make a video of this quality
Tools to make this commercial
•Google analytics data on user geography, age , gender, interests and usage patterns
•ChatGPT to analyze GA report and brainstorm targeting ideas
•ChatGPT prepares the concept / script
•Dall-e for consistent image generation
•Runway ML –image to video generation
•Pictory –takes the script and generates video with voice over and scene transitions
•Capcut for final editing.
Sound like too much work? Remember has been your sidekick till now, leads to reduced “mental load”,
leaves the human mind free to create and innovate without fatigue.

33. KEY TAKE AWAYS
3 Things to Remember
26

34. 1. CONTINUOUS
IMPROVEMENT
-Always be improving and
adapting. The landscape of
technology and business is ever-
evolving, and so must our
strategies and approaches.
-Embrace change, seek out
learning opportunities, and
continuously strive to enhance
your skills and workflows.
27

35. 2. KNOWLEDGE GAPS & AI
-recognize what you do not know.
AI is a powerful tool, but it cannot
replace the insights and
understandings that you have not
yet acquired.
-AI cannot help in tasks that you
cannot “somewhat” do yourself
28

36. 3. LESS EFFORT MORE HOURS
Productivity vs. Hours: Technology does not
always reduce the number of hours worked;
instead, it makes those hours more
productive and focused.
Quality of Work: Reduced cognitive strain
enables higher quality work, as individuals
can spend more time on complex problems
without increased stress.
29

37. THANK YOU!
@LAGNA_360
HTTPS://WWW.LAGNA360.COM

38. www.ServerlessToronto.org
Reducing the gap between IT and Business needs