The purpose of the downloader function is not about downloading, but about getting the file in a state where it can be shared amongst the other functions within the Tape Index natural language processing flow. Since each step needs to reference the file being processed, it’s much faster and efficient to not have to download it every time it’s required. Here’s a refresher of the NLP flow…
Read More90% of startups fail. This appears to be an accepted statistical fact. But is it really? I believe it’s possibly one of the most misleading statistics out there. When I was writing a post on How To Properly Evaluate the Risk and Rewards of Startups I had this 90% statistic in my head and thought it was going to be really damning evidence. Turns out it’s not as it seems…
Read MoreAs of March 2022, within the first 5 years of a startup’s life 48.4% fail. If you stretch that timeframe out to 10 years, 65.1% will fail (Source: LendingTree). Interestingly enough, Y-Combinator claims that 90% fail[§] and then says that “more than 50% of YC companies are still alive 5 years later.” If you read between the lines, YC’s success rate is no better than the industry average’s success rate (Source: Y-Combinator)…
Read MoreAs mentioned before, Modal is a powerful serverless computing platform. These means that code (functions) can be called on demand and only run for as long as the function requires. In many cases, this method of computing can be significantly cheaper and more scalable than other solutions. Since Tape Index needs to take advantage of GPU cores for certain aspects of its NLP flow, Modal is an ideal and cost-effective solution for running GPU enabled servers on demand…
Read MoreIf you’re familiar with serverless computing especially functions as a service (FaaS) like AWS Lambda or DigitalOcean Functions, you might be aware of the limitations that these services have. Limitations usually revolve around compute power, runtime environments and the additional packages you might be able to install to get a function running. For Tape Index and its natural language processing (NLP) flow, I quickly hit all those limitations from the start. In my searching for alternative solutions I came across Modal. Modal is similar to serverless functions, but fits more in line with what I would consider a serverless application…
Read MoreI’m today years old when I learned about Tailscale and I hope you find yourself in the same position as well†. In the life of every SaaS product there comes a time when you have to release your infrastructure into the real world. It goes without saying that security is paramount here. Depending on the knowledge and size of the team it’s possible that some things like security might get put off. Security by obscurity is the name of the game…
Read MoreI quit my job and started freelancing in June of 2023. With any sudden massive move like that, it’s impossible to predict what kind of projects will show up, but I was super pleased when the opportunity to join Bumper as their fractional CTO came along…
Read MoreThe concept of an elevator pitch is antithetical to how I like to operate in this world. I hate pitching myself, although it’s critical to what I do. Allowing someone only 30 seconds of your time seems a bit short. Relationships and depth are important to me. But here’s the advice I desperately need to take, it’s simpler and creates better results to have a method of communication that quickly connects the listener to deeper concepts. At the end of the day, nuance and cleverness get lost on even the most attentive people. Let me explain…
Read MoreOver the past few months I’ve been building out Tape Index – a radically simple organizational system designed for content creators. Indexing literally everything and anything that someone uploads, regardless of file format, is core to keeping things simple. To accomplish this, Tape Index needs to support transcription and natural language processing (NLP) right from the start. I am also self-funding Tape Index, so whatever solution I use can’t break the bank, specifically my wallet…
Read MoreIf you couldn’t tell, I’m obsessed with running. Throughout the years, running has been my mental lifeline, particularly in some of my darkest moments. Running has also brought about some of the most impactful ideas and lessons I’ve been able to apply to life. While running shorter distances are powerful for freeing my mind to ideas, I’ve found that the longer distances are what have pushed me beyond the normal limits of mind and body.
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