Stephen Solka, CTO and co-founder of Standd.io, joins Elixir Wizards Owen and Charles to share the journey of building an AI-native deal intelligence and due diligence platform. Designed to streamline document analysis and text generation for venture capital firms, Standd.io leverages large language models and AI tools to address key customer pain points in document workflows.
Stephen explains how Elixir and Phoenix LiveView enabled rapid UI iteration and seamless integration between the front-end and back-end.
The conversation also explores the human side of startup life. Stephen reflects on balancing tech debt with customer demands, the value of accelerators in building networks and securing funding, and the challenges of pricing in early-stage startups. He emphasizes the importance of validating ideas with potential customers and learning from the hurdles of growing a business.
Tune in for insights on leveraging AI in Elixir, solving real-world problems, and navigating the journey from concept to company.
Topics discussed in this episode:
The journey from self-taught programmer to CTO
The perks of Phoenix LiveView for rapid UI development
Integrating front-end and back-end technologies
AI tools for code generation
How early adopters balance functionality with product polish
Validating ideas and understanding customer needs
The impact of accelerators on networking and fundraising
Approaches to managing pricing strategies for startups
Balancing technical debt with feature development
The role of telemetry and error reporting in product development
Creating collaborative and supportive tech communities
Educating users on AI’s capabilities and limitations
The broader implications of AI tools across industries
Links Mentioned
Contact Stephen & Julie at Standd:
[email protected]https://www.standd.io/
https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/gangs-of-four-gof-design-patterns
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/code-completesteve-mcconnell/248753/item/15057346/
https://aws.amazon.com/sagemaker/
https://www.anthropic.com/
https://getoban.pro/
https://kubernetes.io/
https://www.apollographql.com/
https://aws.amazon.com/startups/accelerators
https://accelerate.techstars.com/
https://aider.chat/
https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider
https://neovim.io/
https://ui.shadcn.com/
https://tailwindui.com/
https://www.ycombinator.com/
https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/close-to-the-machine-technophilia-and-its-discontentsellen-ullman/392556
Special Guest: Stephen Solka.
