Nov 14 2024 38 mins
Guest: Ferdinand Terme, Lasqo AI
Key Topics
- Why vertical AI startups are winning against tech giants
- Building B2B AI products vs features
- The role of human-in-the-loop in scaling AI solutions
- Transitioning from consulting to AI entrepreneurship
Main Insights
Path to Entrepreneurship
- Started at McKinsey Casablanca (French-speaking Africa focus)
- Joined Alma during hypergrowth (50 to 400 employees)
- Explored Fintech before pivoting to AI/creative space
Building Lasqo AI
- AI designers for marketing teams in SMBs
- Focused on brand-consistent visual asset creation
- Accessible through Slack integration
- Uses custom-trained models (LoRA) for each brand
Why Focus Wins
- Large companies struggle with maintaining quality across broad offerings
- Startups can:
- Build deeper rather than broader
- Maintain tight feedback loops
- Take calculated risks
- Focus on specific use cases
Human-in-the-Loop Strategy
- Initial model training with brand guidelines
- Cost-effective for B2B recurring revenue model
- Client feedback drives continuous improvement
- Balance between automation and quality control