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Vlada Mentink - Lean, Smart, and Automated: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Working with AI
Fear says AI will replace you; focus proves it can finally give you your time back. We sit down with AI and data strategist Vlada Mentik to unpack how solo founders and small teams can cut through the hype, start small, and build systems that free up hours for high-value work. The throughline is simple but powerful: mindset first, tools second. When you stop chasing shiny features and begin with a clear problem, a tiny workflow, and rich context, AI becomes a calm advantage rather than another source of stress.
Vlada shares a practical roadmap for getting started: choose the task you dread, map the steps in plain language, and ship one working automation before you add another. We get into the biggest traps—tool-first thinking, generic prompts, and automating chaos—and show how to avoid them with human-in-the-loop design, purposeful data, and small wins that compound. You’ll hear a standout example of automating client onboarding to make space for personal video welcomes that boost conversions and trust. We also explore data minimalism, arguing for intentional data over petabytes, and how faster, good-enough decisions often beat late, perfect ones.
Productivity gets a refresh here. It’s not about doing more; it’s about doing better—creating room to think, rest, and ship higher-quality work. We touch on no-code for prototyping and when to code for scale, why sharing prompts lifts team performance, and how transparency and sustainability factor into responsible AI use. The conversation closes with a crucial reminder: AI doesn’t think or create; you do. Treat it like a translator that amplifies your taste and strategy, and you’ll build leaner, smarter workflows without losing the human touch.
If this helped you see a cleaner path to practical AI, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—what’s the first task you’ll automate this week?
Check out "Protection for the Inventive Mind" – available now on Amazon in print and Kindle formats.
The views and opinions expressed (by the host and guest(s)) in this podcast are strictly their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the entities with which they may be affiliated. This podcast should in no way be construed as promoting or criticizing any particular government policy, institutional position, private interest or commercial entity. Any content provided is for informational and educational purposes only.
The mindset runs the show. We um like to do things the way we learn to do, or sometimes we got into habit of doing, and we also have some ideas and understanding. And it's often with the disruptive tech like AI, it's completely different what we used to do or to kind of follow the routine. It's completely different, it's like a new workflow. So if you're not open to the new to kind of shift your mindset from like fear of, oh my god, it's gonna replace me to or actually maybe it might be just a very supportive tool and useful, uh then there will be no adoption really. You you will just uh probably still be will be left behind uh in in many cases. So the mindset is very important. And I see that like actually the the early adopters, usually people who just have their uh have this curiosity all all the time in there in there like as a driver for trying new things, improving, evolving. So yes, I think mindset is a really big part of it. Because as a tool, there there were many tools that came and go and were not noticed. And I'm sure that uh it it's not it's not only uh it wasn't happening only with AI, it's like whatever, internet. Same same story.
SPEAKER_01:It's the same story, but a different approach. Lean, smart, and automated, the entrepreneur's guide to working with AI. And we are joined by Vlada Mentik, an AI and data strategist consultant, product builder, and founder of the Aspiring Way. With over 13 years of experience across finance, um SAAS, crypto, and consumer tech, she's helped everyone from large corporations to lean startups translate complexity into clarity. Fluid in Python, which I truly admired, cloud platforms and practical business strategies, Blana knows how to cut through the hype and help teams focus on what matters. She workshops uh her workshops are known for being hands-on, mindset shifting and refreshing gargan-free. Whether it's automating repetitive tasks, streamlining workflows, or turning large language models into real productivity tools, her goal is simple. Make AI work for humans, not the other way around. In this episode, we talk about cutting through the noise, building smatter without bit b without bigger budgets, and why AI should work for you. Welcome.
SPEAKER_03:Thanks. Thank you so much for having me. Uh, I'm really excited about the topic because I live and I breathe every day um with this. And um I've been in tech and um AI uh for over 13 years now, and I uh bring expertise to solo professionals like coaches, consultants, uh creatives, uh for the folks who wear all hats. So I was uh see and like during this, during my journey, I was seeing a lot of brilliant people like stressing and burning out while they had to juggle all the uh things they need to do in order to run their independent uh business. Or some of them uh would have really great ideas but rightfully be terrified to start and to even start and make it happen. And uh this like not everyone has a team to delegate, uh, some doesn't even have budget. So that's why I'm was thinking that actually AI can um help there, can be of a really great use. That's what I'm doing now. I am uh helping people design smarter workflows so they can uh focus on and do what they love the most without stress and like free some time up for things that matter.
SPEAKER_01:It's a beautiful endeavor because you you get to to raise uh uh entrepreneurs and and SMEs that already have a quite uh uh a long fight. So you learn uh you learn from their business and then you learn how to make it better for them.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, exactly, something like that.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, that's beautiful. That's a beautiful work. So let's start with the the aspiring way. Tell us about it and what uh gap were you trying to solve when you launch it?
SPEAKER_03:So I'm trying to uh fill the gap between I know how to sometimes I know how to run the business because the truth is that there is a lot of um learning material out there. You can go to I don't know, entrepreneurial schools, or there are many ways how to acquire information, uh, but there is sometimes very few actions afterwards. And um partially it's due to the fact that it's quite quite overwhelming, or it requires like uh a team of people and you don't have access to this. We are at the stage where AI can really solve many of those bottlenecks for solo professionals, solopreneurs, smaller businesses, or not necessarily start a business, but like remove some inefficiencies from the current already uh existing business that runs successfully, but you know, the environment changes all the time, and uh you have to keep up with it and you have to be faster and smarter. And I think AI is the way to at least try to go.
SPEAKER_01:And helps you adapt uh in in in no time or or less time than will traditionally have taken you.
SPEAKER_03:Exactly. Because we live in a much faster world, the pace is crazy, and uh yeah, you have to adapt.
SPEAKER_01:Adapt or die.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, something like that.
SPEAKER_01:So everyone talks about automation, but where do you actually start when you are a solo founder or a small team?
SPEAKER_03:That's a great question. Um the most straightforward is to start uh with the things that drain you the most. I think like when you uh do the like self-exploratory or self-development uh practices, or you try to you know learn something new, the first thing you're asked is like, what is it that you don't like to do? And then what is it that you like to do? So you can shift so you can shift your focus towards things that matter to you, that you love, you enjoy doing, that recharge you. And so um I advise and I recommend to focus on things that you don't like to do because often these are routine and like you know, like grant work that can be either delegated or automated very easily. Used to be that automation was not very accessible for you know smaller businesses, more like really big uh corporate businesses with a lot of money or somewhat medium size. But these days, again, thanks to um democratization of AI, it can be done like everyone can do it. Like even in your you know, everyday life, you can use to remove a bit of a routine from your from your day.
SPEAKER_01:Remove the clutter.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, yes, exactly. So start with the small thing that the the second the second is uh it doesn't have to be big, but it's something that you don't want to spend your time on. And um generally like look uh look at something that has to be done, needs to be done, but doesn't need to be you. Okay, and uh it should be something small to start with, because um one small working AI solution is better than five half uh half finished.
SPEAKER_05:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah. And also don't overcomplicate this small task, the simplest possible solution, like uh I would say on the need, like you know, drafted in uh these uh sticks and uh uh circles, that's the way to go. Okay. It gives it it gives a great understanding and foundation to build on later on.
SPEAKER_01:So it's it's it's good, it's a good mental exercise as well. So um you sit down and say, So, what do I dread doing every day? What is the least enjoyable part of my everyday work? And then from there you can start understanding, oh, maybe this can be uh automated in this way.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, it's often something repetitive, uh, but it it is different. I cannot say like start with content generation, not necessarily. It's different for everyone. Like for me, for example, it was writing. Uh for other people, it could be um email, communication, I don't know, thinking what to buy for dinner. As simple as that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, also or or handling paperwork as well, like classify the paperwork, also especially. That's that's that takes a lot of time.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. Everything that has that has to do with data, that's that's a really good um area for automating with it. Yeah AI. Yes, that's for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Makes sense and make our life easier. So, what common AI trap you see businesses fall into, and what's a smarter way to approach it?
SPEAKER_03:That's a really a great question. I think from my practice, the most probably common and also I would say um in like it's like a really foundational one, is that like often um we start with the tool, not with the problem. Yeah, we kind of in there is uh we hear like there is AI, it can solve everything, message around, and we jump straight in and like without thinking that like what it actually can do for me. There's also a lot of misconception uh around AI, like I think around any new technology, uh, whereas people sometimes I often see that people think, tend to think that AI is some kind of um an out-of-box clone of yours. It's like where you which you can prompt like be me, or well, that's very uh really oversimplification, but or like I don't know, sell cakes or do taxes, do taxes. Uh and then and then there's disappointment, obviously, because it doesn't work this way. And it's um it's it's it can uh uh set you back a lot with the idea that oh, this is just another hype, uh it's not gonna work, I'm not gonna go, I'm not gonna go there. I think uh the way to approach this is to first of all keep your mind open for uh anything that can happen because it's a new technology, it's not perfect, it's not always work the way you think it should work. There are certain um rules and practices, best practices to follow. And uh always uh do it with the like the simplest possible way you you can think of. So no over like really be open-minded. The first, I think, would be my best recommend recommendation because it takes time still. It's not uh like you know, you press a button and everything and magic starts happening.
SPEAKER_01:AI is not magic, it's a technology.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, but it does feel a bit sometimes magical, really, when you see the result or how fast uh it can you can get to a result, it's like wow.
SPEAKER_01:You mesmerize, yeah. Yeah, I think that's why it's so enticing that um and also as humans we always crave uh uh improvement. Yes, we only we have this that's innate in human humanity, right? And AI uh uh it it's uh it can offer this uh this constant improvement that we crave.
SPEAKER_03:Uh absolutely, especially if you're a little bit uh over perfectionist as I am, then it's like guilty, yes. It's just it's just great.
SPEAKER_01:So um you uh you blend tech strategy and storytelling. Why do you think AI adoption is such about is much about mindset as it is about tools?
SPEAKER_03:This a little inter uh intersects with the previous question a little bit, or at least with my answer. It's because the mindset runs the show. We um like to do things the way we learn to do, or sometimes we got into the habit of doing, and we also have some ideas and understanding. And it's often with the disruptive tech like AI, it's completely different what we used to do, or to kind of follow the routine. It's completely different, it's like a new workflow. So if you're not open to the new to kind of shift your mindset from like fear of, oh my god, it's gonna replace me to or actually maybe it might be just a very supportive tool and useful, uh then there will be no adoption really. You you will just uh probably still will be will be left behind uh in in many cases. So the mindset is very important. And I see that like actually the the early adopters, usually people who just have their uh have this curiosity all all the time in there in there like as a driver for trying new things, improving, evolving. So yes, I think mindset is a really big part of it. Because as a tool, there there were many tools that came and go and were not noticed, and I'm sure that uh it it's not it's not only uh it wasn't happening only with AI, it's like whatever internet. Same same story.
SPEAKER_01:It's the same story, but a different approach. Exactly. Yeah so many people worry that automation makes businesses less personal. How do you design AI systems that keep the human in the loop?
SPEAKER_03:That's a common concern, and there is a reason for that. And indeed, I think it can be very generic, but it depends on the execution. Uh a good AI system does not uh remove the personal touch, it it clears the space for more of it. So um I can give you an example, like one of my clients, for example, she uh automated onboarding process with AI, which there were previously ways how to automate it with non-AI tools, but uh it was less personal. It took time to um figure out things to fine-tune a little bit, like uh fit uh the right information, but then like she's she she opened the space for like creative part where she came up with a uh personalized video message to the new clients, and that like immediately increased the level of uh first of all success of conversion, and then um it it had like a super positive impact on um building the connection because the new clients they they all like still a bit like you you have to build relationship with them, and now like when she cleared out that thing with like you know, typing at the end of the day, like the messages became pretty generic because you you know you do it every day, you want like a template to you know substitute the exactly. And uh with the AI, she got rid of this entirely, and then she could like focus on like uh creating those uh messages for like really super personalized.
SPEAKER_01:And that's beautiful, and and personalization is key for client relationships.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely, this is what uh everyone is uh in marketing shout about that like it has to be personalized, you have to talk to your clients, you have to know your clients. When you are when you're a solopreneur or like solo profession, you don't always have time for that because you have many other things to do.
SPEAKER_01:So you're trying to stay afloat also, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Don't go crazy sometimes.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so an AI can really help with that, with a human touch, but also using the AI.
SPEAKER_03:Exactly, because at this at the current stage, AI isn't uh isn't here to replace you, it's to augment and to support you, like um to like like if you have uh you know extra hands uh to some extent to to handle things.
SPEAKER_01:I love that. Uh I will be useful for the kids. Um in your workshops, what surprises people the most when they start working with the generative AI?
SPEAKER_03:That it's not as complicated as they thought. Usually people um expect to have this like giant learning curve, but then when they see how like a properly designed prompt and uh pipeline of uh custom tools generate within sometimes seconds, but maybe mostly minutes, the uh, for example, con like weekly um worth uh content for drafts for for their social media, for example. They're like wow. That's where their mind getting uh gets really blown. Like it's not as complicated. It's just it it needs to be open-minded and to willing and to to wish to to willing to sort of do this step and transformation and to learn something new, but there's still some learning involved, of course, because it's um it's it's scary, even right? You see, like when like I don't know, text creating or image creating, it's like that's a bit scary.
SPEAKER_01:But I I love that part that uh once you remove the mystery veil and you start using the AI, you realize that oh okay, I can I it's it's I can learn to master it. It's it's not as uh far from from my everyday life than I thought.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, and then they also learn how to obviously transfer it from work to their like real life. And that's also I always uh I get some um uh feedbacks on like, oh, I did that with the guy, it was amazing. Which was not part of a work. Like uh one uh client of mine, she experimented a little bit and she decided to ask uh to use AI to do research on um like prof orientation for her child who's going to to school or to high school uh soon. And she was like super uh pleased with the result and like it was absolutely it saved her a lot of time and uh some money for the you know professional. But uh yeah, so it was a very curious experience with a positive outcome.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, of course.
SPEAKER_03:There is something else uh that's uh that that's like the second uh thing, but it's very important, is that uh it can be very it can be like that AI can be deeply personal if you contextualize it right. Uh what what what do I mean by that? Uh it's like in order to uh in order to use to harness the real power of AI, you need to give it as much context as you can. And that's not always obvious because uh yeah, there are some guidelines how to use it, but we like to you know skip the manual part and just uh jump straight to it. And then you ask a question and you get a very generic uh response. And and then again, disappointment. But if you know how to to start with, if you just know that you have to cons to give proper context, that will already help you enormously. And that's always like aha moment where like things change, like where you see that like after several uh adjustments, the uh the output sounds more like you or looks more like you want it to look.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:So that's the second.
SPEAKER_01:So it's is it's uh giving the right input in order to receive the right output.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, because uh you have to do it sort of once, or it's uh not as long as if you do everything over and over again, because you you kind of you do it only it's like imagine you I have this um um example like when you clean your desk, like in order to get in the right mood for some people, it's important to you know to have the desk uh properly set up, but then like you know, it gets uh super busy, super busy all the time, and then here you go, you have again this like pile of stuff on your desk with the yeah, it's like you do it once, or more or less once, and then it's done. It's uh every time you you get back to work, it's always like this. It's a clean desk. Clean desk neat and arranged like the way you want it to be arranged.
SPEAKER_01:That's beautiful. I love uh that metaphor.
SPEAKER_03:Because it's ultimately it's about saving your energy for for other things that you enjoy doing.
SPEAKER_01:And and and and truly um use it as something to to facilitate your life, to make your life easier, better, more efficient.
SPEAKER_03:Sure, absolutely. Obviously, I'm a little oversimplifying here, but of course, of course, uh a bit more um there are some intricate details, but uh in the nutshell it is a bit like that.
SPEAKER_01:So um what's your view on data minimalism? Should we always collect more or is less sometimes smarter?
SPEAKER_03:I'm all for intentional data. So more isn't always better, and uh oftentimes it actually it complicates things enormously because there's uh big big costs on collecting those data, clearing them from noise, and um yeah, you can just get drowned in it. Uh so small data uh means less noise, uh less overwhelm, and it's easier to align it uh with privacy also uh values, and it really help generally, yeah, it it it makes decision faster. And I think ultimately it's not about the right decision, it's about being able to take fast decision.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:Sometimes that that matters most because if you do 10 fast decisions over one right, likely you're gonna win with the fast approach than just like obsessing over collecting all the data, and then like three years later.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, perfect, perfect option.
SPEAKER_03:You're still there with this uh tons of petabytes of data, but uh nothing changes.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:So I'm for like, but okay, I I say small data, it's uh for purpose. Yes, for purpose, and it's not that small, really. It's it still has to be significant. You can't ask one person, for example, if you do research or survey, you don't you can't ask one purpose, or sorry, one uh person, and okay, there it is. It's intentional, it's purposeful, done. I'm gonna do this. No, no, that's that doesn't work either. It's it still has to be uh significant, but um there's indeed no need for petabytes of data, that that's for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. And you help people streamline operations and boost productivity. But what does productive actually mean in a world flooded with tools?
SPEAKER_03:I love this question. It really depends. For me, for example, productivity is not isn't necessarily about doing more. It's um I think it's a it's a bit of a mixture, and the most important part for me is about doing better. Uh, I already mentioned that I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, just a bit. I spent a lot of time previously to try to, you know, find a compromise with this part uh with this feature of mine. And now with like my army of mini uh AI tools and GPTs, I don't have to compromise anymore. I just I just get to this same almost perfect in my understanding result within the same uh within the same time and uh without any overwhelm or stress, and it just works well for me. So it doesn't mean that so for me personally, it doesn't mean that I work less. Okay, but but can be really. You can work less. It's it's so it's a matter of priorities, but like within the same amount of time, I produce much better results, which I'm more happy with, and you know, like I'm just finally enjoying it. So it's it's it's not all uh very long checkups and checkoffs on checkups. Exactly, and uh there is of course more because certain things I wouldn't even even be able to do uh by myself previously, like photo generation, for example, like uh even video generation, some production. Yeah, for me it's mainly it sits within the area of uh image and video uh handling, but um for example uh for some of my clients it's about marketing strategies or uh getting ideas for content production. So not necessarily production but the ideas to this this uh this this uh flow, the outsource, not outsource, but uh augment with AI help because there are many tools to follow trends and you know you can build really beautiful uh pipelines to make it smooth and fast. So to to finish on the uh point is uh I think that true productivity is about creating space to actually think, uh to rest, and to you know get new ideas.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, because you you need time to rest in order to get uh inspiration.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely, otherwise uh you just um you're just gonna get overwhelmed, burn out. It's it's uh unfortunately it's uh there's a reason why uh burnout is a classified disease these days because it's happening all over and um yeah we we all I think once or twice in life already went through it uh consciously or unconsciously. So it's very important because if you don't have this space for reflecting, resting, and uh just you know, you don't create value, you you you just don't have energy to create value for for what you want and for for for what matters for you, yeah.
SPEAKER_01:And then everything falls apart.
SPEAKER_03:True.
SPEAKER_01:So let's uh flip it. When is automation not the answer when the process is broken?
SPEAKER_03:You don't automate chaos, and um unfortunately I seen it, I see it a lot. Because often that that's that's a bit of a both uh well, problem for the entrepreneurs good for me because I often help to uh solve those issues exactly. Um small businesses and like solo professionals and solopreneurs, they didn't have uh resources to think about automation in general before the AI got really uh available for everyone. And then we have this issue where the processes are not yet digitalized enough to be put on uh AI rails. Let's put that, let's put it this way. So I see often that like I work with some e-commerce and uh uh businesses that already like uh develop businesses, uh they sell something online or services, and it's it's uh the those are successful businesses, and they're like, okay, let's uh this is also going back to the uh jumping on a tool, let's uh use AI to supercharge our business. And then they try, and then it turns out, oh, we have so many things that we could have first automated with simpler tools, and that's actually necessary to do before we can introduce AI, because otherwise it's just not gonna work. It's not gonna work. You cannot uh build a chatbot and say sell balloons, it will not uh end up well because the process is super complicated. And if it's not properly kind of digitalized, yeah, I like this word digitalized because there are a lot of already tools on the market that you can do it with, it will be hard to introduce AI in the process. So if there's cows in the in the process, it's not gonna work well, you're not gonna get any nice result. You you it's like trash in, trash out.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so now we move to the flash section. You have to think fast, pick one. You can just say whatever you picked, or you can explain it away if you will like. Less data, more clarity, or more data, better decisions. Less data, more clarity. AI that makes you faster, or AI that helps you think better. Think better always.
SPEAKER_03:Track everything, or only track what drives revenue. Track what matters. Because yes, revenue is a nice metric, but sometimes revenue is not the only metric, and there are certain things that influence uh revenue outside of your control. So no matter how you how much you track it, you should you shouldn't forget that it's um it's not the only one, and it not necessarily matters. Of course, it's good for business, no one doubts that, but it's not always the one that you be solely focused on.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Because it's it's all creative it's also creating value, it's further than just absolutely.
SPEAKER_03:Sometimes you know th times are not just uh good for for business, happens often, unfortunately. But if you uh just purely uh uh focus on driving the revenue, you may forget about like your customers, yeah. Value, like you what they value, what they want, and your engagement with them. And then you start losing customers even faster, and that's no good for revenue at all. Yeah, so I think you should uh always track what what matters, and it's not necessarily revenue. Of course, it's part of usually part of the most important.
SPEAKER_01:It's important, but it's not the only thing. Yes, okay. No call, no codes, tools, or learning to code what you really need.
SPEAKER_03:No code to start. We're at the we're in the era where you can totally no code to start whatever you want, um, to try or you know, to see uh to test your hypothesis of a product or a new idea. And then it is absolutely necessary to code if you want it to be um robust and like working well in the longer, longer perspective. If you want to actually grow it into a big product, for example, it's important. And there's also other things like there are areas that I like, I don't know. I don't think you probably would want your bank application to be wipe coded or no-coded.
SPEAKER_01:So yes, so they both serve a different purpose. Absolutely. No coding to sandbox, for example, to to make uh to to play with the design to make sure that this is what you want, and then you move to coding.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, yes, uh, yes, absolutely.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, so fully autonomous or always human in the loop. I'd say human in the loop. Share your prompts with the team or keep your magic private.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely share because it's uh first of all, there's enough magic going around. And then it's like when you share, you create like uh usually like your value is returned into in in in in bigger like uh knowledge. Yeah, because uh one head is good, but two is always better.
SPEAKER_01:That's true, that's true. Delegate decision making to AI or just let it handle the grunt work, grunt work, okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:The strategy and um or stays human.
SPEAKER_01:Build to a scale with AI or build to stay small and sharp.
SPEAKER_03:I'd say build to stay fast and sharp, and then a combination there. Yeah, because small is nice, but not un doesn't always serve someone's ambition. Yeah, but these days you can build fast and sharp, and then that would help you scale smart, really, also without losing like uh your mind.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, with without going and going uh crazy and and working yourself to the ground. Final flash question: automate everything but control nothing, or control everything but automate nothing. Neither.
SPEAKER_03:Ah I think smart automation with intentional control. That's very like I I said about um when you try to automate uh chaos, it's like um yeah, no, smart automation with some control.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, okay. So now you can take our futurist true palette and you can choose um either true, uh meaning that is the statement is gonna happen soon or is happening right now, it's about to happen, or futuristic futurist. Not yet, maybe never, sci-fi, you went too far. Okay, so first question: most freelancers will use a personal AI assistant as common has email. True.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I think it's quite happening already. We're at the stage where you you can use the AI as your assistant. It depends, of course, what you mean by the assistant, but uh, let's say 60 to 80 percent of the work, it still cannot schedule your uh tickets to Japan, for example. But we're getting there, yes.
SPEAKER_01:Hopefully, yeah. I I hate looking online for flights. Oof, it's something, and even with all the tools, there are the there are the apps and all that, it's always a mess. Yes. And because I like to check the connection, the time, I like to check the plane, uh to know if how big it is, because I'm I'm a I'm um I'm not a very confident flyer, so I'm gonna make sure it's a big place. So the bigger the pain, the less the movement. Yes. So yeah, all of that I will be happy to have an AI to help me.
SPEAKER_03:There is like uh agentic like tools already available, and uh one of the I think for them, uh one of the most I think typical examples, they try to showcase their like uh capacities, capabilities, they plan a trip somewhere. And uh yeah, it's a mess. Let's say a couple months ago it was a mess, but like recently it starts looking much better. Like there is um, I don't know if we can say names. Yeah, go ahead, go ahead. Like, for example, there is Chinese uh agent uh uh called Menus. He it's really close to if you prompt it with what you just told me about like what you want to check, I think you'll be surprised with the outcome. Okay, I yes, you could try it.
SPEAKER_01:I will try it because I I I like to have all the information, but it takes time.
SPEAKER_03:It takes time. Yes, that that's true. And uh the the main problem with DI is that it tends to just mess with the dates, it confuses the dates, it uh sometimes uh yeah, when it comes to calculating, uh it's still pretty bad. So it's better better to ask a question about calculation uh uh in a way that it would write a code to solve the problem. Then it it the result is is robust. But if you just say I don't know, two plus two, what it is equal, of course it will not make a mistake.
SPEAKER_01:But generally more complex kind of uh math is gonna be a problem. Okay. That's that's good to know because I'm very bad at math. So I what I for math I use. There's uh there's some um online website that you can really use for math, and you just put the the numbers I can help you, but it would be great if uh AI can do can do that.
SPEAKER_03:But again, like uh uh uh right now and like things change so fast that I'm not sure what's gonna like maybe in a month, uh there will be already like a designated designated tool for at least like booking tickets, for example. Like a flight, uh flight assistant. Something like that, specifically designed for that. Yeah, um, yeah, it changes very fast.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I'm I'm I'm I'm um I'm very forward for looking forward for that tool to be developed. Okay, so investors would ask for your AI automation plan in your pitch deck. True.
SPEAKER_03:I'm not sure about the pitch deck, but definitely uh they would be looking at the founders who already it's like there will be no point to go uh to uh to to go fundraising if you haven't built already a prototype or something with AI. So that's that's gonna be really super ever like um you you become you Because uh it's just like available right now. So if you come to an investor and like, you know, I just have this idea and you didn't try it yourself with AI, that will be like that will be probably no straight away.
SPEAKER_01:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:Just because it's so available. It is known that um in order to be successful with fundraising, you probably better to have uh on average already some traction. It used to be much more complicated because you probably depend on what you are trying to launch, uh uh obviously, but it was much more complicated. You would need a co-founder with like tech skills or higher team, like do some initial investment uh into it. But now you don't have to do it all. You kind of can uh no-code of this uh uh more uh modern language, wipe code your product and see if we talk about tech products, of course, uh and see and get some initial feedback, and then you go to the investors. I I don't think like people, investors would buy anymore for just a brilliant idea.
SPEAKER_04:Okay.
SPEAKER_03:If you like a well-rounded uh founder where you like have, I don't know, a track record of yeah, track record, you already know how to do this small thing. So uh I think it's it's true, it's it's now here already.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. Startups will hire AI consultants before they hire human staff.
unknown:True.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, well, it depends. So it if you mean AI consultants, people like who help uh adjust the workflow so it can be done with the help of AI, then absolutely yes. And even not startups, uh, there are agencies already, and like like even me, me, I do this thing. I uh re um re-engineer some processes for businesses so they can use AI for that. So yeah, it's I think true. True, yeah. I even have like um a friend who's running um the consultant AI consultancy also, and um they're like about 50 people. And if not for AI, he said that that like they would be 150 people. They should be 100 people. They they save that much on stuff.
SPEAKER_01:That's good, that's crazy. But and great as as well, that they can they can run a leaner business, be more efficient, and have AI. So you get um okay, you will outsource your inbox entirely to a chatbot that knows your tone. True. Yes, no one likes reading emails.
SPEAKER_03:I would say half true, okay, in between. It's not that futuristic. Okay. The problem here is that like inboxes are a bit like sacred, and uh people and there there's a lot of issues, but you can for sure outsource certain uh processes, like for example. Um we I built like I helped uh to build uh the other day um like um negotiator, like a bot that negotiates. So there's an incoming uh then inquiry for quotes and uh people ask for discount, and then bot is prompted with certain uh uh knowledge about what the discount could be, the terms, etc. And it it is allowed this bot to answer only these emails and negotiate with the client.
SPEAKER_01:Wow, that's that saves lots of time, really. Because you he already has the parameters, so he knows how how he can provide the discount in which uh uh scenarios, and then it just uh negotiates. Oh, that's great, and that's safe work as well, because it then when the person, when the client actually comes in, then a person starts working with them. But the the the vetting part, the filter is already happened with the AI before.
SPEAKER_03:Yes, exactly. Okay, that's great. So it's uh it's kind of happening, but I won't go as far as the entire inbox because you still want to be uh in in touch with the reality.
SPEAKER_01:You still want to talk to people. Legal disclaimers will be required to prompt used in commercial LLM's outputs.
SPEAKER_03:Uh yes, I think this this uh this is true, and this is getting uh just uh faster and faster and more uh all over.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_03:I think it's also be transparent.
SPEAKER_01:You're using ice okay, you can say it.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, I think it's uh it's very important also, and yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Okay. You'll get fined for overusing AI without optimizing human collaboration. True.
SPEAKER_03:I'm very futuristic. But that's a good idea. That's definitely a good idea, especially considering that AI is still very expensive to run. Right? Not only money-wise and data factors, but also it's not very sustainable. Okay, still. There's lots of water uh waste uh in the process. So I think we all should be a bit smart about it, or more like um careful and mindful, because um it's uh it's taking resources.
SPEAKER_01:Okay, okay. So we need to be on we need to uh think about ways of making it uh uh more efficient, uh um sustainable.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely, yes. It's not for I guess for like uh users to think about it, but it's like with uh I don't know, plastic or uh you know all these initiatives about uh recycling.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's not quite the same, but it's also it it touches on this automation fatigue will become a diagnosable workplace condition. I don't know what that means. So um when you have to like uh you you go to your workplace and everything is automated, and the only thing that you do is to survey that the work is if it flows. So you don't you don't really do anything but to supervise if the machine doesn't go crazy, for example. That was the idea behind this question. Yes, that's a good one. So you feel like a like a soulless kind of uh task.
SPEAKER_03:I think it's it's not impossible, but it's a little futuristic at this point because we're nowhere near that point with AI. Okay. I'm sure there is such a thing when it comes to some production, whereas this heavy machinery.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's what I thought is that you know that people that work in like line manufacturing, things like that, that they do the same thing over and over and over, and that of course provides fatigue.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. So I think there is uh uh um really solid ground for this to happen with AI when we get to the point, if we get to the point where it's all autonomous, but not not right now.
SPEAKER_01:Not yet. SMEs will be required to register the ethical impact of their automations.
SPEAKER_03:I think it's futuristic, but it's uh it's gonna happen. It's uh it's it's important also for for um everything to be ethical, transparent, and with good purpose and intention.
SPEAKER_01:There will be a marketplace for selling your best AI prompt chains.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. I think some people already try to do that, right?
SPEAKER_01:I I feel that there's a lot of little online webinars and things like that of people. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_03:It's not quite a marketplace yet, but it's definitely happening. And maybe, maybe there is already. I was I'm just not aware, to be honest.
SPEAKER_01:Uh, final question. Clients will ask for you to disclose if your proposal was drafted by a human or AI.
SPEAKER_03:And they should. Yes.
SPEAKER_01:That's important.
SPEAKER_03:I uh yeah, I always uh uh now these days start to ask, is that uh is that AI? You can see these days, even like um on Instagram or like social media, some ads, it's clearly AI generated. Yeah, yeah, like human not real, for example. Yeah. I don't have anything against it, it's just um it's just how it it how you ubiquitous it becomes, and I think it's important to uh uh disclose that uh you generated something with AI, especially if it comes to documents like Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I I love using AI uh for editing my drafting because oftentimes I I I I draft like a full paragraph of a full text, and then I want to to make it more semantic, to make more sense, to to have like a better flow, and AI is is great for that. It really helps you to put your thoughts into a structured way.
SPEAKER_03:Absolutely. It provides the great framework or structure to to to the chaos in in one's head. That's that's for sure.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So um now the the question to close the episode. What's one mistake you wish every founder will stop making when using AI? And what belief should they replace it, and what belief should they replace it with instead?
SPEAKER_03:At this stage, it it is as simple as AI doesn't create or AI doesn't think, but it's uh you do. That's that's that's one thing that I keep repeating over and over again that AI is more like a translator or transformer. It doesn't think, it doesn't create, it doesn't generate anything new. We we can argue a little bit about the generation bit because it seems like it's generating, but in reality it just has so much they they they call it large language models for a reason. They sit on a large uh data, like really vast amount of data, which allows them to recombine it or translate it into a different form, but ultimately they don't come up with it. So it's it's it's the creator who shapes it, it's you who do the creating part. You just you can think of uh of it well yeah, in general it's a very big topic, right? So uh maybe in this particular case I I I mean more tools like Chat GPT and uh or Clot or other. There are many others. It's like it's like a pen, you know, it's useless until it has a hand that directs what it writes, right? So that's a little bit like that.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, that's a that's a very good way of seeing it. So it's a tool, and then you're the one who have to shape how it goes. Thank you so much. Um, thank you, Vlada, for for sharing with us, for sitting here and and talking about AI automation and all the possibilities that we have at our fingertips right now and also the the future potential that will come. Um thank you for reminding us that AI isn't just for tech giants or research labs. It is a practical tool that small businesses, small teams and entrepreneurs can use right now to simplify, to scale, and to focus on what really matters. Because when AI is applied with purpose, it doesn't replace your vision, it amplifies it. And that's where the real transformation begins.
SPEAKER_03:Thank you very much, and really well said with was the last uh uh um thought of yours. It's it's indeed like that. It's just in the right uh hands with the right ideas, it it helps a lot. Thank you very much for having it was having me here. It was a lot of fun.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you. Thank you for listening to Intangibilia, the podcast of Intangible Law. Plain talk about intellectual property. Did you like what we talked today? Please share with your network. Do you want to learn more about intellectual property? Subscribe now on your favorite podcast player. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Visit our website www.intangibilia.com. Copyright Leticia Caminero 2020. All rights reserved. This podcast is provided for information purposes only.
