The problem
As a first step in documenting this project, I thought it would be a good idea to explain why I’ve decided to embark on this AI journey. To do so, I’d need first to give you some context.
Earlier this year, I found myself on a Monday morning call where the company I work for communicated a serious reorganization on a global scale. That reorg would lead to the immediate layoff of hundreds of people.
I still have a job only due to a cosmic twist of fate and a few key factors: my diverse skill set from working across multiple departments, the timely recommendations from both my GM and Director of Sales to keep me on the team, and my flexible contractor status.
Sometimes, the best motivation is a kick in the guts
In a truly Thanos fashion, almost everyone around me was snapped out of the company in a matter of weeks. New team members, seasoned sales managers and truly capable members from technical, marketing and operational teams. All gone.
In addition to a strong survivor guilt, I started feeling anxious all the time. One thing is knowing that you could lose your job at any give time and another thing is watching this happen around you to people you admired and worked with for a long time. The idea of “This might happen one day to me” quickly morphed to “When this happen to me I better have a plan B”.
Needless to say I’m very grateful. I have no grudge against the company for its decision. Business is business, and the CEO and board decided, with the interest of its stockholders in mind, that it was time to focus all human, mental, and capital resources on projects with more potential for future revenue. I’ve been there and done that in my own ventures.
While I still have a job, and I really like it, this could definitively be perfect time to start thinking about what plan B would look like in the case I need to use it. I ran a reality check, and my life status looks more or less like this:
46 year old + Job security + Living in Canada
yikes!
Probably a “normal” response would have been to seek opportunities in the same industry and leverage my sales, technical support, and sales support experience. However, I felt it was good timing to sow seeds for a change and decided to do what any reasonable middle-aged man in my circumstances would do…
Transitioning into a new field, train myself into an expert on a very, very complex “emerging” industry (40+ years in the making) crowded with young, capable people with lots of energy, degrees and fresh neurons.
I mean…what could go wrong?
Why AI?
and why now?
I feel this is a great opportunity to prepare myself to ride the next big wave. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not claiming that the AI industry is something new (It is not), but it is true that, only recently, humanity (Nvidia) created the necessary computing power to give it a proper chance.
While my current status is not very encouraging with NO relevant background and NO relevant experience, I believe that the experience and reference of building a strong portfolio will increase my odds in whatever I might end up doing in the AI world like: interviewing for a job, applying for a freelance opportunity, or even campaigning to raise seed capital for a start-up.
So, here we go…
Why a Blog?
Documenting and having everything in one place
John Sonmez’s advice on creating a blog as a form of resume on his book “The Complete Software Developer’s Career Guide”, resonated with me. He suggests that documenting your learning process and experiences can enhance your online presence and showcase your skills to potential employers. Inspired by this, I decided to create this blog to chronicle my journey into the field of AI.
Finally I wouldn’t like the word “Zero” in this blog’s title to communicate the wrong idea about my starting level. I’m close to zero in AI but not in the digital world. I’m a pretty advanced user of multiple platforms, I’ve sold technology and SAAS products for many years and I do have a fair knowledge of HTML, PHP, SQL and Python.
Wish me luck. If you’re curious, follow my story on this blog. I’ll try to keep it updated as I feel it’ll help me digest everything while I learn it.
Looking forward to read your comments, ideas, and suggestions.