Why I’m Showing My Work: Starting My Creator Journey in AI and Data
If you’d told me a year ago I’d be documenting my startup journey online, I would’ve laughed. Like a lot of people heads-down in tech, I spent years quietly building, failing, and learning—without much sharing.
But recently, I picked up Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon, and something clicked. The idea that your journey, even in its messy, unfinished state, could be valuable to others. That resonated with me.
So here I am, launching this blog to share both the stumbles and the sparks as I build, learn, and (hopefully) grow.
Why I Started—The Power of Sharing
The culture around startups and technology often celebrates overnight success, but that’s not the reality I know. Most of the value is in the process—the nights iterating on a tricky model, the bug that makes you want to throw your laptop, the tiny breakthrough that makes the struggle worth it.
Austin Kleon’s book was a simple but powerful nudge: Don’t wait until you have the finished product. Share your process as you go. I wish I’d found that advice sooner, so—here we are. My goal is twofold:
- Document the rollercoaster of building my AI startup (failures included)
- Share the research and learning that gets me through it, for anyone walking the same path
Building Mark, a Business Analyst Assistant
Right now, my biggest project is Mark, a business analyst assistant powered by a Large Language Model (LLM).
Here’s what Mark AI does: Using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), it taps into company data via BigQuery and generates business insights in plain English—saving analysts hours of back-and-forth with dashboards and spreadsheets.
My Computer Science Learning Journey
Another lesson from the trenches: shortcuts don’t scale. My projects outgrew my “just Google it” approach, so I decided to invest in computer science fundamentals.
Right now, I’m diving into data structures, algorithms, and system design—the scaffolding that allows innovative ideas to grow beyond hacky prototypes. It’s humbling to realize how much I don’t know. But I’m convinced that revisiting these core concepts is the only way to build robust, creative tools that matter.
If you’re learning this stuff too, you’re not alone. I’ll share what works, what doesn’t, and the tutorials and resources I find helpful. Maybe together, we can make the climb a little less steep.
Conclusion: Let’s Build in Public
So, this is my first public step toward showing my work—successes, failures, and everything between. If you’re another founder, researcher, builder, or just curious about AI and technology, I’d love to connect. Share your thoughts in the comments, send me a message, or just say hi.
I’m not an expert (yet!), but I am a builder, a learner, and now—a sharer. Thanks for stopping by. Let’s build something great—out in the open.
Drop me a comment or reach out if you’re working on something similar, or just want to talk shop. I’m always up for swapping stories and learning together.