1) Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your journey so far?
Hey there, I’m Nhan Vu and I’ve got a degree in media design and computer science. But honestly, that’s just where my adventure begins.
You see, I’m what you might call a “forever student.” If something catches my attention, I’m all in—maybe even a bit too much (just ask my friends). Over the past 15 years, I’ve jumped between different industries and roles, mostly hanging out in the tech and product world. I’ve led teams all over the map, cooked up software for the big guns, and even dabbled in startups. Yep, I founded my own back in 2015, and it’s still kicking today (go, little startup, go!).
But guess what? I decided to throw caution to the wind and go freelance. These days, I’m a developer-for-hire and a tech consultant, juggling clients and chasing my own wild side projects. Oh, and did I mention that in 2017, I tried my hand at consulting a startup in Data Science, ML, and NLP? Turns out, I wasn’t totally jazzed about the core topic, but hey, you live and learn.
Then, 2023 rolled around, and the AI game changed. It got more accessible, friendlier even. That’s when I fell headfirst into the AI rabbit hole. Yep, I’m officially an AI enthusiast now, and let me tell you, the journey’s been a wild ride.
So, if you’re into tech, startups, or just good old-fashioned curiosity, stick around. I’ve got stories, insights, and maybe even a few laughs to share as we navigate the ever-evolving world of AI together. Let’s dive in and see where this crazy adventure takes us! 🚀😄
2) Was there a specific event, project, or person that inspired your interest in AI?
My journey into the fascinating world of AI was kickstarted when I was working for a venture studio. They tasked me with exploring AI, and let me tell you, I dove in headfirst – it’s just how my brain operates. I tend to start broad and then go deep, like a kid in a candy store who wants to try every flavor.
So, I began by devouring online courses, scoured resources like Flowise.AI to create a no-code chatbot, and studied the fundamental terms of AI. It was like a treasure hunt for knowledge. I even zigzagged back and forth, revisiting the teachings of Andrew Ng and other AI gurus. Tutorials and GitHub repos became my best friends, and before I knew it, I was tinkering away.
One of my first AI projects was crafting a small helper chatbot to assist with my content creation on LinkedIn. It was a fun and educational experience, and it gave me a taste of the incredible possibilities AI can offer.
Now, here’s the kicker – while most AI enthusiasts are head over heels for Python, I’m a bit of a rebel. I’m a die-hard PHP fan, complete with a cheeky grin 😄. And yes, I’m on a mission to figure out how to work my AI magic without needing Flask or Django. It’s a bit unconventional, but hey, that’s the thrill of it, right? So, bear with me as I navigate this exciting journey, and who knows, maybe I’ll crack the code to an AI-powered PHP masterpiece! 🤖🐘
3) Your previous experience with AI?
To be honest, my previous experience with AI is relatively limited. As I mentioned earlier, I had a brief encounter with it in 2017 when I was consulting a startup. These folks were true math and physics nerds, deep into the technical side of things. However, they were a bit shaky on the business aspects of their venture. I worked with them for a solid two years, providing guidance and support.
But here’s the catch—it wasn’t really a deep dive into AI. It was more of an introduction to the world of Data Science. While there were some overlapping concepts, it wasn’t a full-blown AI experience. So, you could say that my AI journey truly began in earnest in 2023 when I fully immersed myself in the AI landscape and started exploring its vast potential.
4) How do you spend your time outside of work and learning?
Outside of my work and continuous learning endeavors, I have a couple of exciting ventures that keep me on my toes. One of them is called Pixel Ventures, where I collaborate with some friends. We specialize in crafting delightful pixel avatars, and it’s affectionately known as Bavaria Pixel. If you don’t mind a little shameless self-promotion (wink), you can check out our work at https://bavaria-pixel.de/. Just a heads-up, it’s in German, but feel free to reach out if you have any questions or if you’re in the market for a custom Bavarian Pixel avatar – you can ping me anytime!
Additionally, I spent a significant chunk of my time consulting for a web3 company over a span of three years. My role there was like a rollercoaster ride – I started as a tech writer, dabbled in content creation, ventured into development, and eventually even took the reins in building up a venture studio business line. It was an exhilarating experience as we scouted founders to join our Founder in Residence program. Interestingly, some of them came with AI ideas, but if I’m being honest, most of them left me feeling a bit “meh.”
So, that’s a sneak peek into how I keep myself occupied outside the realms of work and learning. It’s a mix of pixel art passion and navigating the ever-evolving landscape of web3 and AI ventures.
5) Could you share some details about the AI product you’ve developed?
I’d be happy to share some details about the AI products I’ve been working on.
One of my primary focuses in the realm of AI is education. I firmly believe that we, as an AI community, need to bridge the knowledge gap by providing accessible educational resources. That’s why I’ve ventured into the world of AI education, and you can check out my project at https://ainfach.ai/.
But my journey doesn’t stop there. Innovation strikes at unexpected moments. During a coffee break with a friend, we brainstormed an idea to transform the most-viewed Wikipedia articles into engaging stories, narrated by a pleasing voice. And just like that, a day later, I launched https://podcast.ainfach.ai/. Now, I’m committed to creating one captivating story every week.
The beauty of today’s AI landscape is that it empowers people, regardless of their technical background, to bring their ideas to life. It’s surprisingly simple to build products using AI tools, and I wholeheartedly encourage non-tech individuals to give it a shot. Don’t be afraid to explore the incredible range of tools available, even if they’re in alpha or beta phases. Just to give you an idea, I’m investing $200 USD a month in AI tools, and that doesn’t even include server costs!
So, whether it’s about democratizing AI education or crafting engaging content through AI-powered storytelling, I’m on a mission to make AI accessible, fun, and educational for everyone.
6) What enhancements or new features are you planning to add?
While I currently don’t have specific plans to add new features to the aforementioned experiments, I do have a broader objective in mind. My aim is to streamline my content creation workflow, specifically for producing LinkedIn content where I share educational insights and updates about AI in German.
Creating high-quality content in German can be a bit more challenging when working with AI models like ChatGPT, Bard, or Bing Chat. They’re not yet as proficient in German as they are in English, which necessitates several additional steps in the content creation process.
My plan is to automate this workflow and shift my focus towards creating compelling LinkedIn content. I envision leveraging Language Models (LLMs) and various AI tools to define a system message, such as “You are a LinkedIn content writer,” tailored to different roles I assume. Additionally, I’ll fine-tune the tone of voice to align with my personal brand.
By automating these aspects, I aim to make the content creation process more efficient and effective, ensuring that I can continue to share valuable insights about AI in German on LinkedIn without the added complexity of dealing with language nuances.
In the startup world there is the saying “eat your own dog food”, so let’s try if I can do this and find others see value in it and are ready to pay for it.
7) Can you talk about your tech stack?
Sure, I’d be happy to discuss my tech stack.
Currently, I’m utilizing the OpenAI API in conjunction with the Laravel PHP Framework and Livewire. I’m a big fan of Vue.js, which complements my tech stack quite nicely. While I haven’t made a concrete decision yet, I’m considering exploring Python frameworks in the future to potentially expand my toolkit.
One particular tool on my radar is LlamaIndex, and it’s caught my attention for its impressive composability. It allows me to fetch data from various sources seamlessly, which aligns with my development philosophy. However, it’s worth noting that the tech landscape is brimming with infrastructure AI startups aiming to achieve similar goals, so I’m constantly keeping an eye out for innovative tools and technologies to enhance my tech stack.
In a rapidly evolving field like AI, adaptability and the willingness to explore new tools are key, and I’m excited to see how my tech stack evolves as I continue to delve deeper into AI projects.
8) How has your experience with the BuildFast Academy contributed to the development of your AI product?
My journey with the BuildFast Academy is just getting underway, so I’m still in the early stages of exploration. However, I’m eager to dive deeper into the realm of LangChain and explore various Python tools and packages to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the AI development process.
I’d like to extend my gratitude to Peter for fostering connections within the AI builders community. It’s thanks to such networking opportunities that we can collectively expand our knowledge and skills. As for the Discord channel, I’m excited about the potential for increased engagement and knowledge sharing among like-minded individuals.
If any of you happen to be interested in sharing your insights or products at one of my upcoming local meetups, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always keen to learn about the innovative solutions and projects fellow members of the community are working on. Let’s continue to grow and learn together!
