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Understanding the Paradigm of AI Tools, Apps and Agents

April 9, 2024 by Ashwin Leave a Comment

If you’ve been following the advancements in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) space, it will be no surprise to you that tons of models and apps are released every single day.

AI solutions come in various forms and solve a wide range of use cases. Though the evolution is still at its nascent stage, I see a few trends emerging.

In this post, I talk about three types or categories of AI solutions – AI tools, AI assistants, AI agents – why they exist and what problems they solve.

Here’s a comparison of the various types of AI solutions, their applicability, and ease of implementation.

Let’s start with the first one.

#1 AI Tools

This is something most of us are familiar with.

AI tools are software applications that using artificial intelligence and models, to perform specific tasks and solve problems.

ChatGPT, Copilot, and Perplexity are good examples of this.

What are their characteristics?

They offer a standard interface to interact (web app, mobile app, etc.)
They are useful for general-purpose use cases (e.g., summarizing an article, tightening a paragraph, understanding a specific topic, etc.)
With prompt engineering, they can understand your context and generate better content

They are good as a general-purpose vehicle, covering majority of an average person’s needs.

#2 AI Assistants

How do they differ from an AI tool? Not by a huge margin.

AI Assistants are a specific adaptation of AI tools that make it easier and simpler to use an application or a website

Have you seen the AI assistant in Notion, that helps you write? It is an AI assistant.

AI assistants are very context-specific and assist you with specific activities
They make use of one or more AI tools behind the scenes
With continuous usage, they can adapt and assist you better

#3 AI Agents

AI Agents take the game to the next level.

AI Agents are designed to perceive the environment, process signals, and take actions to achieve specific goals.

These agents can be software-based or physical entities and are commonly built using artificial intelligence techniques.

AI agents typically have 3 distinct components:

Sensors & Perception Layer – process signals and find out what’s happening in the environment
Skills Layer – to examine different options based on inputs
Decision Layer – to take actions and send it to the target environment

This space is still nascent. Auto-GPT, BabyAGI are some frameworks gaining traction.

There is consensus that most growth will be here – to automate workflows and perform actions that otherwise require complex decision-making.

To conclude…

AI Paradigm can be seen as a combination of general-purpose AI tools, specialized AI apps, and sophisticated AI agents. Each differs in its purpose, ease of use, and applicability. AI agents that mimic humans is where I anticipate huge growth in the future!

How hands-on an Engineering Leader should be?

July 22, 2023 by Ashwin Leave a Comment

Most of know and realise by this time that a hands-on engineering leader is respected and probably more successful in their career. But there are other key responsibilities for senior leaders, in addition to be technically active. In this post, I will share my thoughts on how hands-on an engineering leader should be and how to maintain a healthy balance with other duties.

What we mean by hands-on engineering leader?

By hands-on, we mean that an engineering leader, irrespective of his or her seniority, must be able to understand working details of products and applications they own.

Here are some example hands-on activities of a software engineering leader:

Participate and contribute to system architecture
Lead technical design and solution discussions
Understand technical and delivery metrics
Articulate with engineerings in technical language

But, do these alone justify the role of a leader?

Probably not. The true value of a senior engineering leader comes from another important contribution.

A senior leader must be a multiplier – enabling and empowering others to perform at their fullest potential.

If you haven’t read it yet, Multipliers by Liz Wiseman is an excellent book on this topic.

A leader must create a right environment and help everyone in the team play their “A” game. This is where their true value comes in.

Also in his iconic book High Output Management, Andy Grove talks about high leverage activities for managers and leaders.

A high leverage activity is something that sets an individual or team for success over an extended period of time.

Here are some high leverage activities for a software engineering leader:

Coaching, training and mentoring employees
Effective 1:1 meetings
Creating a culture of efficient meetings
Setting up right tools and platforms to increase engineering productivity
Using right metrics and creating feedback loops for better software delivery

In short, any activity that has a throughtput-to-effort ratio greater than 1:1 is a high leverage activity.

To be or not to be…

In essence, as you grow in your career as an engineering leader – try and maintain a good mix of hands-on and high leverage activities.

While being hands-on is essential to continue and wield your expert power, high leverage activities are the ones that can up your game to the next level.

Always remember – “What got you here, won’t get you there!” (Thanks Marshall Goldsmith!)

How to build a Tech Career for yourself?

July 14, 2023 by Ashwin Leave a Comment

In my last 20 years with the tech industry, I was fortunate to work with some of the great minds and wonderful organisations. My tech career is peppered with numerous successes, several failures, happy moments, things to forget and above all – valuable lessons learned for life.

In this post, I am sharing my thoughts on effective ways to build a tech career – specially targeted at young and early-stage professionals. Though it makes equal sense to experienced professionals, being mindful of these early in your career has potential for maximum returns.

#1 Create a primary techstack for yourself

Choose a primary techstack for yourself. This is essential.

Current industry landscape requires you to switch between multiple technologies and platforms, almost on a daily basis. But this doesn’t mean you don’t have your primary techstack.

Think of it as a “T” shaped skill. Depth is where your primary skills are.

Your techstack should be well-rounded, to be able to create a technical solution end-to-end

Here’s one example techstack: Java / Spring Boot / ReactJS / AWS / Redis / MongoDB / PostgreSQL

If you have deep skills on each of these components, then you can create a production-grade solution from ground up.

#2 Focus on solutions, not just code

It is great to start as a start programmer. But as you grow in career, start thinking about solving problems in addition to writing good code.

Here are some questions to ask yourself when developing software components:

What is the business problem I am trying to solve?
Does my solution offer the best user experience?
Do I have to code the entire solution or integrate with existing ones?
Are there low code (or no-code) solutions that can solve the business problem faster and cheaper?
Is my solution easy to maintain and change as business evolves?

Being aware of business context and having a customer focus, helps you stand out as a great software engineer.

#3 Never underestimate the power of soft skills

Strong soft skills can take you to places that your technical skills alone cannot.

Here are some common skills that will make you stand out from others:

Simple and clear communication (verbal and written)
Giving feedback the right way
Negotiate priorities
Giving impactful presentations
Managing conflicts
Persuading everyone to get things done

A good technologist can not only build great software but be able to ship it, by navigating the challenges and constraints.

#4 Build a strong network

A strong network of like-minded professionals is essential to thrive in your tech career.

Have a diverse network – consisting of fellow engineers, interns, senior tech leaders and other industry influencers. It will not only broaden your perspective in the current job but may open up irresistible opportunities.

Here are some ways to build a network:

Attend meetups and conferences in your regions
Volunteer to help student communities
Engage with technologists and the content they create, using LinkedIn, Twitter, their own blogs etc.
Make it a habit to regularly be in touch with your ex-colleagues and other acquaintances

Remember to give more than you take from your network

It not only creates good karma but get you the support, when you need it.

#5 Be a fast learner

At any stage in your career, never stop being a learner. Also, be a fast learner.

Technology advancements are never ending and it is essential to be aware of them. A good technologist must constantly expand their toolkit.

When there is a problem to solve, use your toolkit – the broader and wide range of tools in it, better will be your solution.

Use opportunities provided by your organization or local government, to up-skill yourself. Treat it as an investment on yourself that has long term returns.

#6 Grow people

And finally, a good leader creates more leaders. Find opportunities to help and grow people.

Here are some ways to grow people within and outside your organization:

Mentor junior employees
Participate in new employee onboarding programs
Train others on things that you are good at
Give back to the community by sharing your knowledge
Genuinely elevate your team members and if there is a need, be ready to fight for it

To Summarize

Here are some tips to build a strong tech career from the start:

Create a primary techstack for yourself
Focus on solutions, not just code
Never underestimate the power of soft skills
Build a strong network
Be a fast learner
Grow people

A bonus tip is to be self-aware and aware of power dynamics around you – so that you can grab right opportunities when they present themselves. It can take you a long way!