I'm Stuck, But This Won't Stop Me

I've hit a bit of a speed bump this week. After flying through all the technical build work so far, I ran into my first real roadblock.

As a software developer, I'm used to tackling complex technical problems. There's usually a logical path to the solution even if it requires some creative thinking. Not so with this project. I'm quickly realizing there is as much art as science when it comes to coaxing useful output from AI models.

The good news: I was able to quickly whip up an AI assistant in a few days to start reviewing scripts and spitting out recommendations for improvement. From there, I envisioned a straight line to offering useful word replacements based on those recommendations. Simple enough, right?

The bad news: I've been at it for over a week now and have little to show for my efforts. I have a very high standard for quality, and I won’t compromise for the sake of getting a product out there more quickly. The only way to create an enduring, successful product, is for the recommendations to actually be very useful.

So here’s the problem. The rewritten text provided by AI models is sometimes genius, but often times appear to be rewritten without any clear benefit. I've tried over a dozen models and countless prompts, but am finding the progress to be one step forward, one step backward.

This is humbling. Rarely in my software engineering career have I encountered a technical challenge without a clear answer. I now have a better appreciation for the term "prompt engineer" that many people scoff at. Crafting just the right prompt to coax helpful output from these models is its own skill - one that I am working really hard to develop.

While frustrating, I know this investment will pay dividends. Pushing through these early AI struggles will give Subscribr a huge competitive edge. As far as I can tell, no other product offers script analysis paired with AI-generated ideas for improvement.

And if I'm being honest, having such a hard time only further motivates me. I'm not one to walk away from a challenge. Each incremental step feels like a small win. I can sense I'm getting closer to a breakthrough.

For now, I need to set aside the AI work for a bit. The holidays are upon us. It’s time to celebrate with family and recharge.

Wishing all of you a wonderful holiday season 🤗🍾

Cheers,

Gil