jacalulu

This past weekend, I decided to put AI to the test and challenged myseld to create a short film using only AI tools. The end result, a film I called "The Cardboard Navigator" - a whimsical and slightly surreal tale about finding magic in the mundane, turned out better than I was expecting...with lots of learnings and challenges along the way!

10/10 would recommend giving something like this a shot!

I often get asked how I think about product development as a Google Product Manager focused on AI products. Traditional advice is to find a user problem, then solve it - but when it comes to developing AI first products, I find a different approach is best.

I recently made an effort to attend every interesting Silicon Valley AI tech event that crossed my radar so I could get a sense for how different people were thinking about the state of Generative AI. This included a couple Google events, TED AI, a few OpenAI Dev Day events, and an AngelList happy hour.

The following are my top 4 takeaways.

Hey! Jaclyn here (eCommerce Group Product Manager @Weebly). We have made some improvements this launch to help get us closer to full VAT support, which is something that we plan to get to in the future. We know this is vital for EU businesses, and we definitely want to improve this experience, but in the meantime we have several options to help support this.

Specifically, we've added the option to specify if you want to include taxes in your prices. If selected, we will show a tax summary under the order total.

In addition to this, you can also add a Note to Seller field in checkout and use this to optionally collect VAT IDs if you are selling to customers that could be tax exempt. When an order comes in, the order details will display the message left here by your customer. If they left a valid VAT ID number, you can refund their order the tax amount using our improved refund functionality that easily lets you issue partial refunds.

Finally, you can specify on a per product basis whether an item should have tax applied to it or not.

Hope this helps - and as mentioned, we are working on improving this area and adding an even easier VAT setup feature inthe future!

Size is definitely something we are incredibly conscious of. This device will be 40mm x 40m x 17mm, but we are always working on trying to get it to be smaller. We want this device to look great, and we are approaching it as if it almost were a fashion statement, or at least an accessory that a senior will wear.

The option to expand into other markets is something that we are always considering. We've chosen to target seniors right now, but we definitely have other markets in mind for which this device might be useful (individuals with cognitive impairments is one of them).

Thanks for the feedback and input, you bring up some great points. We are currently working on a few ideas to make this device more senior friendly by adding features that would make it more than an alert pendant for them. We feel that the best way to get it right is to actually run a pilot program and get real user feedback. Right now we are focusing on solving a pain point, which for our target user is the fear of falling outside while alone. Once we have perfected this, we will be playing around with a few ideas during our pilot program. You can expect to see some new iterations and ideas emerge down the road that we are hoping will make this more than a simple help pendant.

As for selling to nursing homes, the stats might seem like a reassuring thing, but you might also be missing the underlying story. We have spoken with several retirement homes, and they have told us multiple stories about how staff (not necessarily at their home) have wanted to stop residents from leaving the grounds because they are worried that if something happens they won't be able to get help - and in some cases they do actually stop them from leaving. Point being, sometimes stats look good, because the rules and guidelines put in place to keep them looking good actually have a negative impact on a persons overall happiness and well being. So although the stats look nice, the bigger picture could still reveal that something is broken.

You are very right that this will be a marketing challenge, but I have hope. In my own case, my grandmother lives alone and my family wants her to continue doing so, but we also worry. Rather than having to ask her to move to a retirement home one day, it would be great if we could use a system like this to allow her to keep her freedom and independence while still having peace of mind that she will be ok. Our goal is to try to make a device like this feel empowering, rather than morbid, but we acknowledge that it will take some time. I have faith that something can be done in this space though because when you take a look at it, you can see how obviously broken it is ("I've fallen and I can't get up" is the perfect example of just how broken it is).

I actually read the article Slow Ideas last week and found it to be a great read. I agree that ads and pamphlets will not solve this problem, but doesn't mean we should shy away from trying to fix this broken industry. At YC we are constantly told to do things that do not scale at first, it's a strategy that has proven to work, and I'm all for trying it in this scenario.

Thanks again for your feedback, definitely some great food for thought :)

Thanks for the feedback, you bring up some valid points that we have definitely thought through.

First, the expense associated with the device is comparable to what is currently on the market (in some cases it is actually less expensive than the competition). We realize that not everyone will be able to afford devices like this, which is why we also want to explore ways to get this subsidized. We believe that a device like this can allow seniors to live independently for longer, thus allowing them to remain in their own homes longer, and saving them on the cost of retirement and nursing homes (not to mention studies show that 90%+ of seniors want to remain living in their own homes for as long as possible). Down the road we may even explore offering a less expensive version of this if that becomes possible on our end (we still need to cover manufacturing costs and overhead).

You bring up a few other examples, but none of them are exactly comparable. First, the Kindle makes its profits off the books you do buy (they may offer some for free, but the profit comes from the business model in which users do still pay for books on their device). Second, you bring up SPOT then add that it doesn't actually work the way we do. The added functionality does come at an additional cost on our end. We are also spending more on getting a smaller form factor (this means a lot more work on the hardware engineering side), and we are creating a custom dock so that the pendant can be easily recharged without needing to fidget with a micro USB.

In terms of ergonomics, the device will measure approximately 40mm x 40mm, which is comparable to current devices on the market with a limited set of features. We are continuously trying to engineer the device to be smaller, and over time we will be able to, but this does incur larger upfront costs and a longer period of time. So right now, we are focusing on making the best device possible, and will continue to iterate and improve on it as components get better and better :) As for the black - it tested rather well with males (although my preference, and that of a lot of the female seniors we showed the designs to, did prefer the lighter coloured device).

Great points, both of which we have put much thought into: i) our target customer is actually the daughter or daughter-in-law of the device user. They are almost always the ones who make decisions to get a system similar to Amulyte, and they are the ones that typically end up covering the cost for their elder relative. ii) we considered coming out with an app, but after talking to a lot of industry experts we verified what we had suspected - seniors simply don't use smartphones. There definitely are some that do, but the majority of them do not. Even those who have one rarely use it (it isn't uncommon for them to turn it off when they aren't using it or leave it somewhere, unused, for extended periods of time). Getting the right form factor is an important implementation consideration, and a cell phone isn't suited for this user.

Great points, this is something that we have given a lot of thought towards. We are going to be pinging the device at certain points (when someone logs into the portal for example), and the device will also send data at set intervals (we can adjust how often we send data to save battery life, and based on a few other things). When the device is not actively sending data or establishing a connected we do sleep the device.

We opted not to send GPS location via SMS because it is a lot less secure. We are also sending more than just GPS data, all of which we would have to interpret on the server side anyways thus complicating the implementation. We looked into this and for a variety of reasons it made more sense to use data to transmit information from the device.

Great point - the marketing for this device is going to sound quite a bit different based on the audience that we are reaching out to. For the TechCrunch crowd, we can say things like "a micro-controller to keep all those bits running in harmony"...definitely not something we would be telling our end-user :)

Couldn't have said this better myself, this is exactly what we are doing :) We are also conscious of making sure that charging the device becomes part of a seniors daily routine to help ensure that it remains charged. We are also using induction charging to make charging the device as simple as placing it on its holder (no micro USB to fiddle around with)

I've noticed this as well - and as a female co-founder of a hardware startup, I have to admit I really love it. Rarely do you find the female tense being used to describe tech related news. It's a subtle thing, yet it makes a world of difference to me when I read it.

Thanks! Just fixed it :)

No, I had a great group of friends in Seattle that I'd get outdoors with. Managed to find a climbing partner in Toronto but just stuck to the local climbing gym while there. Haven't had a chance to meet anyone in Mountain View yet who climbs (also haven't had a chance to do much else apart from work the past couple months). Hoping that will change soon and I'll be able to get back into some of these things.

The outdoors and the mountains just breed a different culture from my experience. Living out west I would go camping, hiking, climbing and I even got into mountaineering. Toronto doesn't really offer any of those to the same degree that you will find out west. I tried going outdoor climbing once up at Rattlesnake point and it didn't even compare to places like Smith Rock or Tieton. Being able to go jogging in the morning and seeing the Olympics or the Cascades was breathtaking. People out west are just generally more active and up for adventures outdoors.

Haha ya, this confused me a LOT when I first got to Seattle (when I say UW I mean Waterloo).

I also know the guys who run HackerNest. They have a monthly meetup too that I used to really enjoy going to. Definitely check them out if you get a chance!

Also, firing someone based on stack-ranking takes about 2 years (at least it did on my team).

Thanks for the feedback! The voice we use on the website is something we have put a lot of careful thought into. We talked to several retirement home directors, researchers in elder care, rehab experts (the list goes on) and we learned that in almost all cases, the decision to use a device like this is made by the daughter or daughter-in-law. That is why the copy on our website addresses the audience as being the primary caregiver as opposed to the senior.

Most seniors won't be looking at the website to learn more about the product, but we also wanted to make sure there was a way for them to read about it if they wanted to learn more, so we also have a brochure available that is addressed to them.

As for other products that are able to work outside - there really aren't that many options available, and all of them are missing certain features that we have built into ours. The most popular systems being used today definitely are not capable of working outside (Philips Lifeline, Life Alert, etc.), and that is the primary market that we are targeting. The combination of being cell enabled, single device, online portal, with activity tracking capabilities is something that sets us apart from those systems. We also have a WiFi module integrated into the device to allow us to accurately detect location even indoors (other systems simply use GPS and cell towers).

Just wanted to back what zmitri said about Kitchener/Waterloo being the closest to SV in Canada. I went to school at the University of Waterloo, spent 2 years in Seattle, spent a year in Toronto, and have now been in Mountain View for 2 months going through YC. My general conclusions are:

CONS: -Canada thinks smaller than SV (not as open to big ideas) -BDC is a big player when it comes to Canadian money, we've had some interactions with them and for the most part they run more like a bank/government organization than they do a VC. They are getting better, but are just not quite there yet. In the end we actually turned down money from them. -The accelerators there are trying...but they are a far way off from being of the same quality as some of the ones down here -When it comes to raising money you normally get a lower valuation and the terms aren't usually as founder friendly

PROS -There are a few bigger players popping up in the Toronto/Kitchener scene that are really helping the culture and community there grow -It's cheaper and talent is easier to find (Waterloo produces some amazing talent) -There are a lot of government grants and tax incentives

There are definitely people in the area worth meeting who are doing some exciting things, but the buzz and excitement and opportunities down here are still greater imo. I'm also partial to the West coast as a general lifestyle choice.

You're exactly right. I'm not naive in thinking that I won't ever be faced with problems and imperfect situations - but I'd rather do everything I can to shape my future in a direction I want. Being able to work at a company I co-founded is the best possible outcome for me (and I'm absolutely loving it so far).

We were based out of Markham while I was back living in Toronto (free office space), but have relocated to Mountain View while going through YC. We haven't decided where we will be based out post Demo Day yet - I think it will depend on how the next couple of weeks play out.

Toronto/Waterloo area is definitely growing and expanding - I went to school at UW and it's crazy to go back and visit and see how much has changed. I'm also partial to the SF area, the energy here is still quite different than back in Toronto I've found.

Thanks! I'm glad things worked out so well for you too :)

I ended up staying at Shoplocket for only 2 months. It was a great experience and I'm still really close with the founder (she's a great friend of mine). I decided not to list it on LinkedIn because I think it usually just raises more questions than answers when someone sees you worked at a place for only 2 months. I ended up writing another post about why I left after 2 months - http://jaclynkonzelmann.com/when-things-take-a-turn/

I did consider switching teams briefly, but at the end of the day I actually had a pretty great team compared to what a lot of people I was friends with would describe to me. The issues I had were definitely not limited to just my team (I talked with plenty of my friends on other teams who had similar issues and a lot of other ones that I was lucky I didn't have on my team). The process also takes time, and usually only happens after a release, or if you are at least at a level 60 (which can take a couple years).

My friend just told me this made it to the front page of HN and I feel I should add a quick follow up that a year later I haven't been happier about the decision. I actually decided to start my own company a couple months ago with a friend and former classmate, and we are actually part of the current YC batch (www.amulyte.com) and I couldn't be more excited about how things have turned out :)

Honestly, stock options never crossed my mind as a valid reason to stay. They are a nice to have for sure - but they played no role in me wanting to stay. I understand for some people this is a huge incentive, but just not for me.