Karan Dhabalia

Pathways to Tech Week #2 at  Headstarter: Being surrounded by people who are building amazing software and companies is a truly inspiring experience. My favorite speakers were: • Tariq Ahmed: First Engineer at AppLovin ($30Billion IPO) • Julian Alvarez 🚀: CEO of Wisdolia • Hamza Ali: CEO of Olostep  Here's what I have learned from them: 𝟭- "𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁" Tariq, one of the first engineers at AppLovin, shared that AppLovin tried several things in their early stages that failed. However, the company had incredible success when it pivoted to mobile advertising; They didn't have expertise in the field. Today if you've experienced in-app advertising, AppLovin was likely behind it. 𝟮- "𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻." Julian runs Wisdolia a startup aimed at helping college students actively study. By simply asking what types of students they were. His team found that medical students were the ones the ones who converted the most into paying customers. It seemed evident because they were the most overwhelmed by the amount of information they had cram. But the evidence in their face was a lightbulb moment for Wisdolia. 𝟯- "𝗦𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗲'𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗮𝗿." Hamza, CEO of Olostep, describes his company as "a company that enables AI agents to browse the web just like humans". I was fascinated when I heard that, and as the Olostep team acquires more customers they value scrappy and people that initiative on board. Those qualities set engineers apart when building successful products.

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Distinguished Engineers (E9) at Meta make $4m/year. That's 16x the Bay Area median ($255k) Let's break it down [output = input x leverage] We all have 24 hours in a day, so there is a cap on [input] But hey, let's say they manage to have 2x-3x more focused time, so their [input] is 2x-3x There is still 5.3x-8x to go And that's [leverage] Here is the [leverage] they have: 1️⃣ Writing Every piece of text they write is clear to everyone, and they write a lot, for a lot of people 2️⃣ They create something from nothing And that something has clear value to the business 3️⃣ They influence other Engineers around them They are often described as having a "Midas Touch" in terms of their ability to uplift and develop other Engineers around them The best indicator is that the Engineers in their teams get promoted faster 4️⃣ They are well known and have an impact beyond Meta, promoting the brand 5️⃣ They have industry-leading experience in some areas There are rumoured to be <50 E9s at Meta

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Innovation or Invasion? Trump, Musk and Ramaswamy’s Power Play ->THE H1-B The H-1B visa program has always been a hot topic, but recent discussions involving figures like Trump, Elon Musk, and Vivek Ramaswamy have taken it to another level. Whether you’re an H-1B holder, a student on OPT, or simply someone following immigration trends, here’s what’s happening and why it matters: What’s New? Trump’s Shift in Stance: Once critical of the H-1B program, Trump now supports it, aligning with tech leaders like Musk. His focus? Leveraging global talent for U.S. innovation. Musk’s Advocacy: Elon Musk has called for reforms like raising the H-1B minimum salary to $120K and adding annual fees to ensure the program benefits the economy without being exploited. Internal GOP Debate: Pro-business Republicans back H-1B for filling skill gaps, while others argue it hurts American workers. The clash reflects a broader divide within the party. Who’s Involved? Elon Musk: Advocating for H-1B as a key to innovation. Vivek Ramaswamy: Highlighting its importance for tech competitiveness. Steve Bannon & Laura Loomer: Criticizing the program for allegedly undermining U.S. workers. Sriram Krishnan: Appointed by Trump, sparking conversations on the role of foreign professionals in tech. What Does This Mean for H-1B Holders? Opportunities: Support from influential figures like Musk could lead to reforms that streamline the process and enhance job security for H-1B holders. Challenges: Rising political tensions mean stricter scrutiny, possible salary hikes, and new compliance requirements. Why This Matters The H-1B program isn’t just about visas, it’s about fueling innovation, driving economic growth, and maintaining America’s competitive edge. As someone who’s followed immigration updates closely, I’m excited to see how these discussions shape the future of tech and talent in the U.S. What are your thoughts on the future of the H-1B program? Let’s discuss in the comments, this is a conversation worth having! #H1B #ImmigrationDebate #TechInnovation #CareerInTech #GlobalTalent #ElonMusk #DonaldTrump #VivekRamaswamy #innovation #management #digitalmarketing #technology #creativity #futurism #startups #marketing #socialmedia #socialnetworking #motivation #personaldevelopment #jobinterviews #sustainability #personalbranding #immigration #workvisa #H1B #studentvisa #globalmobility #visaapplication #visasponsorship #immigrationlaw #visa #immigrationservices

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From Grad School Buddies to Partnering on Big Ideas Seven years ago, Aishwarya and I were just two ambitious grad students navigating life at Columbia University. We first bonded as the most lively duo in the WhatsApp group for incoming Indian students, cracking jokes and making everyone feel welcome. Grad school brought us even closer—we lived nearby, shared moments of heartbreak, late-night study sessions, and the kind of deep conversations only two driven friends could have during those intense years. Today, I couldn’t be prouder to share that Aishwarya, now a 500k-follower powerhouse in the creator economy, is launching her new course—and I’m partnering with her as an affiliate to bring it to you, my LinkedIn fam. Why does this matter? Well, Aishwarya isn’t just an influencer; she’s a trusted voice in her space. She’s built her brand on authenticity and expertise, and her ability to not only educate AI career seekers about their myriad options but also distribute products and ideas… is unparalleled. For anyone building a startup, having someone like her in your network isn’t just a privilege—it’s a game-changer for product distribution and scaling marketing reach. And she’s an active engager with her community of followers, especially those who end up taking her courses like this one, that would not only help you learn about types of AI careers but also help you identify some AI career roles for your startups that might be interesting to consider. Definitely worth the money and time that you’d spend on this course. If you’re looking to gain value from someone who knows her stuff and supports AI career seekers with actionable, no-fluff strategies, this course is for you. Plus, using my affiliate link gets you a 12% discount—so don’t miss out! I’ve got the link and referral code in the comments below. #Partnerships #CreatorEconomy #InfluencerMarketing #GradSchoolFriends #Entrepreneurship #ProductManagement #Innovation

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Bias is still a big problem with LLMs. They’re trained on content created by humans after all… And human’s we’re… well… “really good at generalizing” to put it nicely… 😬 The fallout is that you need to be very careful when you’re asking AI to give you any kind of subjective output. Let’s look at a community example. Imagine you want to create a weekly digest of the best discussions that took place in your community. (Now you could reach out to us at Knobi to build/host/run that process for you! 😉 But let’s say you want to do it yourself.) You could pass multiple threads to an LLM and ask it to pick out the “best” for you. But you’ll find that even a task as simple as picking a “good convo” is going to fall prey to some bias. A conversation - for example - with incredibly interesting content might not be chosen if it also has a lot of typos or heavy use of slang. At worst you’re going to end up suppressing certain voices... ...and at best you still risk missing great content for dumb reasons. So what do you do? Ask for facts. Define what you mean by a good conversation. And ask the LLM to answer questions relevant to your definition and your community, like: - Is there industry news shared in this thread? - Did multiple users share perspective in this thread? - Did the OP thank someone for their contribution? etc… And rank content that way. (Note: Langchain’s “structured output chains” are one easy way to do this). We’ve got a long way to go re: bias in AI. And there are some cases where that's still too much of an issue to implement. But in the right context we can mitigate it. And we're making progress.

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CBO Interviews: Mladen M. Hoyss on Shaping the Future of Nothing OS | https://lnkd.in/eFyYx9n6 Getting the chance to talk with Mladen was a surreal opportunity, and I’m truly grateful to the Nothing community for choosing me to be their voice. It’s moments like these that bring my journey full circle. My history with Mladen’s work goes back to the early days of Blloc. While I couldn’t use the Zero18 phone, I’ve been following Blloc since the beginning. I got into the closed beta testing of Ratio, their minimalist launcher. At that time, I was heavily addicted to my smartphone. Ratio had a profound impact on my usage habits, significantly reducing my screen time. I was so impressed that I continued using it across three to four different phones, often proudly sharing screenshots of my reduced screen time on social media. When I heard about Mladen M Hoyss joining Nothing I thought, “This is a collaboration that was bound to happen.” The transition from Ratio to Nothing OS has been an evolution in my smartphone experience. It’s fascinating to see how Mladen’s philosophy has been integrated into a more comprehensive and fun environment at Nothing while still maintaining the core principles of mindful technology use. This interview has not only provided insights into Nothing’s design philosophy, but also allowed me to connect the dots in my personal journey with mindful technology use. I’m excited to see how Nothing continues to evolve and grateful for the opportunity to be part of this community-driven conversation about the future of technology. #NothingCommunity #NothingOS

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"I don't like leetcode style interviews!" See I wasn't making it up! Kurtis Nusbaum tells us more about why engineers don't like leetcode and the types of interviews that lead to a more enjoyable and effective interviewing experience.

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Elon should push the new republican administration to lift Green Card quotas for H1B visa holders. Green cards should be issued within a few months, not years. Benefits to republicans: 1. It's the right thing to do. 2. Support from tech industry 3. More republican voters in deep blue states. 4. Attract tech talent to support the growth. Democrats have no basis to object to this. It should pass with bipartisan support.

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AI is everywhere... startups building AI tools and looking for engineers with experience building ML systems. Big companies reporting on how they were able bump profits through cuts in headcount thanks to automations and benefits from AI. Facebook Groups of job seekers are discussing - how it possible that a LinkedIn Job Post got 600+ or 1000+ applicants in very short period of time. AI is everywhere remember? There is clearly a vertical of tools that allows Candidates to automate their application process using AI. Below is the screenshot from such tool. And while motivation on a Candidate side is clear - Get hired at their dream company ASAP The pressure on screening and hiring departments of companies grew exponentially. And thats only on the stage of getting applicants. But AI is present as a power-up on other stages as well - Zoom Interviews, Coding Assessments etc. Yep of course each ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) also will claim that AI is there too to help parse and filter resumes. Yet, we know all too well the issues that arise there (more on that in a future posts). The main objective of a hiring company is remains the same - Get right candidate efficiently and effectively. Thats why reason for using an external recruiting agencies shifted -> from: accelerating the growth of headcount during the hiring spree times to: cutting through the noise and hiring the best possible candidate for the role.

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In 2011, Meena Bakhai, a first-generation immigrant and former electrical engineer, took a bold step. She invested $10,000 in Nvidia at just $0.37 per share. Today, that investment is worth a staggering $3.5 million. What was her secret? A combination of technical expertise and long-term conviction. Ms Bakhai, leveraging her professional expertise as an engineer in the space, saw the potential in semiconductors and trusted her instincts. 💡 Her career knowledge created her conviction. ↩ 💡 Her conviction, in turn, allowed her to hold out over the past 13 years, through all the peaks and troughs. ↩ 💡 That conviction has created an enviable fortune for Meena and her family. The question is — what are you doing with your money to create such opportunities? You don’t need to be an engineer to make smart financial choices, but tapping into your own expertise can give you an edge. Whether it’s your industry knowledge or insights from your career, it’s about putting your skills to work and making your money do the same. Long-term strategy, thoughtful risk, and making informed decisions — these are the keys. What plans are you making to unlock your potential? #sydneyfinance #sydneyfinancialplanner #financialadviser #financialadvisor #financialfreedom #financialindependence #mindset #lifeplanning #nvidia #stocks #sharetrading #semiconductors

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I’ve been playing around with YC Founder Matching and it seems like everyone and their mother is interested either in 2-sided marketplaces or B2C businesses, even though they’re ostensibly the least profitable and hardest-to-get-off-the-ground business models there are. Why do people do this? You only have to take a glance at enterprise vs individual pricing to want to switch gears.

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I'm just going to say this as someone who has been around LLMs and other types of AIs now for about 9 years... AI is not going to be able to work on your non-trivial software, and it's not going to replace software engineers despite companies saying this publicly now. They have no clue either. Don't get me wrong, they have utility in software, but it's not writing code for complex systems, it's more acting as a rubber duck for software engineers. Believe I'm wrong if you want, whatever helps you sleep at night.

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How to Become the #1 SWE at Your Company. 👇 Most people believe you have to be more technically capable than any other engineer to be considered "the best," but they’re mistaken. Doing so is highly unlikely, because you'll be competing against a LOT of brilliant, analytical minds. But thankfully, there's a different path you can follow. To see it, we must first understand the concept of "skill stacking," coined by Scott Adams. Consider this example: If you want to be the best coder amongst 1000 engineers at your company, you have to be in the top 0.1%. That's a tall order. You might dedicate your whole career to that task and still never get there. But if you want to be the best coder who can also design distributed systems AND lead teams to implement them, you need only be in the top 10% of each skill. Mathematically, 1000 x 0.1^3 = 1000 x 0.001 = 1 Or, a higher proficiency in one skill might compensate for lower proficiency in another: 1000 x 0.2 x 0.1 x 0.05 = 1 The more things you're good at, the easier it is to be considered "the best" at that unique combination of talents. Thankfully, being a great software engineer isn't confined to a single skill stack. All SWEs will overlap on some stereotypical capabilities, like the ones bolded on your resume. But some of us will be better writers, persuasive speakers, or UX designers than others. The key is to look for complimentary skills that others in your shoes are unlikely to possess. Become proficient in these to set yourself apart in a league of your own. But we can take this one step further. If you truly want to become the #1 SWE at your company (think: CTO), you won't be able to do it alone. You'll be leading many teams of engineers, meaning your ability to ensure their success will be part of your own skill stack. So how do we give those teams the highest chance of success? We compose them of engineers with unique and complimentary skill stacks of their own. For example, you'll want one or two engineers who can optimize the observability of your systems, and others that really understand the infrastructure upon which they rely. You'd also need a couple engineers who are talented writers and presenters, so they're able to interface with other teams about technically complex topics. And so on. Whether you're designing your own skill stack or composing teams of them, think about which unique combinations of talents will set you apart. Then go cultivate those skills with intention. You can be great at many of them – not the best at any particular one – and still climb to the very top. P.S. What skills are you working on adding to your stack in 2024? Mine are already in the comments! #softwareengineering #programming #coding

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Here’s the #1 mistake EB-1A aspirants in tech make. ⚠️ They go outside-in versus inside-out. What does that even mean? It means they look externally for how other people built EB-1A profiles as a guide to how they should build their profile. I get it - if you don’t know where to start, makes sense to do what other successful applicants do, right? Wrong. This approach is breeding a generation of EB-1A’s that all look the same. 🐑 The whole point of the EB-1A process is to show why YOU are UNIQUELY recognized as among the best in your field. 💯 So how does it help to get all the same judging, awards, and media that everyone else is getting? ✅ You are supposed to stand out from the crowd, and show the impact of the work YOU are doing within the EB-1A framework. Plus, in tech, everyone has a different story to tell. How does it help to use someone else’s approach to tell your story? These EB-1A’s come across as fake - and you know who hates fakers more than anyone else? 👮‍♂️ USCIS. And when they see these applications they will profile you as a faker and completely disregard the parts that are deserving. We know because we (and many of our lawyer colleagues) are now being asked to help scores of tech workers who got their EB-1A’s denied after filling up their profiles with unimpressive awards and marketing exposes masquerading as media articles in 3rd rate publications. Question: since when do awesome tech employees ever get recognition of their expertise in the press? They don’t. Their employers do. So it looks weird that a generation of employees are now suddenly getting press coverage. ✅ Instead of an outside-in approach, go inside-out. First identify your unique impact proposition. What is your narrative? How are you uniquely amazing? Because if you are a senior employee at an innovative company, chances are you doing some incredible, impactful EB-1A-worthy work! Then, build your case from there in a way that honors that narrative. This is the formula we use in our course, and then in our law firm, that leads to a ~99% approval rate. Don’t be tempted to fake it! #immigration #eb1a #globalmobility -------- Do you work in high-tech, are stuck in long green card backlogs, and are looking to level up to an EB-1A? Our next attorney-led live EB-1A profile-building cohort begins on June 8. Apply now to secure your spot! The link is in the comments below.

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Elon Musk says there's a "permanent shortage of excellent engineering talent in the US." Wants to bring in top 1% talent to the US on H-1B visas and get this: Wants to pay them $70k/year Goes on to say tech talent shortage "is the fundamental limiting factor in Silicon Valley." Musk's counterpart Ramaswamy backs him up, writing that American culture "has venerated mediocrity over excellence," leading to a nation that does "not produce the best engineers." The MAGA supporters are furious about all this. So what is all this actually about and what will Trump do? → Check these Numbers: • 65,000 new H-1B visas yearly • 309,000 visa extensions approved • 70% from India • 10% from China • US produces 250k engineers annually • China: Millions of engineers yearly → The Divide Deepens: Team Tech (DOGE): • Elon Musk: "Will go to war" for H-1B • Vivek Ramaswamy: Fighting "mediocrity" • Sriram Krishnan: Pro-immigration AI advisor • David Sacks: Demanding global talent Team MAGA: • Steve Bannon: Leading anti-H-1B charge • Don Jr's circle: "H-1B destroys American jobs" • Laura Loomer: Fighting tech billionaires • Maga supporters: Demanding America First The Real Stakes: • AI revolution accelerating • Global tech race heating up • US losing ground to China • Time running out for US dominance Trump's Likely Moves: 1. The Compromise: • More H-1B for AI/tech • "America First" requirements • US worker training programs • Win-win messaging 2. The MAGA Play: • Restrict H-1Bs • Lose tech support • Protect US workers • Keep MAGA supporters happy 3. Most Probable: • Public anti-immigration stance • Private tech deals • Selective enforcement • Strategic ambiguity The Real Fight: This isn't about immigration. It's about: • Engineering costs vs China • US tech competitiveness • AI dominance • Global talent war Trump's Dilemma: He needs both: • Tech billions for AI • MAGA votes for power H-1Bs & AI are now both being leveraged massively to bring the cost of engineering way down. Elon Musk pledges "war" over H-1B visa program, is calling opponents racists. Will Musk and Trump get along, or will Musk get canned 1st day on the job? And 2nd question Does America actually need all the H1bs to stay competitive, or is this just a case of CEOs enriching themselves with cheap labor? What's your prediction here? Sources: • Musk's X posts • Trump advisor statements • MAGA influencer responses

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Anthropic just released their first Claude 3.5 family model, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and it looks promising. This new model outperforms competitors on key evaluations, operates twice as fast as Claude 3 Opus, and costs just one-fifth as much. Claude 3.5 Sonnet sets new industry benchmarks in vision, reasoning, and coding. It's particularly impressive in visual reasoning tasks like interpreting charts and graphs. Plus, it excels in graduate-level reasoning, undergraduate-level knowledge, and coding proficiency. The model also understands nuance, humor, and complex instructions while maintaining a natural tone. Try Claude 3.5 Sonnet for free at [claude.ai](https://claude.ai). Claude Pro and Team subscribers benefit from higher rate limits. The model is also accessible via the Anthropic API, Amazon Bedrock, and Google Cloud's Vertex AI. Versions of Claude 3.5 Haiku and Claude 3.5 Opus are to be released later this year, along with new business features and rigorous safety testing. #llm #anthropic #claude

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Ilya Sutskever confirmed at NeurIPS '24 pre-training scaling law will not be the same. Internet data, the AI fossil fuel, is running out. It is not the end of the AI hype, the rapid rise of foundational AI has outpaced our ability to fully grasp their long-term societal impact. AI agents and applications are poised to transform every facet of our lives, and we will see it happening in coming few years. There will still be improvements in model architecture, and synthetic data creation, so models will improve, just not at the lightning speed they did till now. Looking forward, the single most important milestone in AI is creating systems capable of advancing themselves—AI researchers that can innovate and improve foundational models autonomously. We need to assess how far are we from this stage.

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"AI won't take your job anytime soon" People say outside of SF... Meanwhile, Waymo just locked in $5.6 billion in fresh new funding to spread driverless robotaxis to more cities Here's the TLDR on Waymo and what's next: → Why Waymo is eating everyone's lunch - Motion planning smooth as butter (feels safer than human drivers) - 24/7 service while others stuck in "night mode" - Operating in complex urban environments others can't handle - Using DeepMind's AI tech (5+ year advantage) → The Numbers Don't Lie: - 10k ➡️ 100k weekly rides in 12 months - $11.1B total investment (latest round oversubscribed) - 25M+ miles without human drivers - Coverage spanning SF, Phoenix, LA (Austin & Atlanta next) → Why They're Crushing Competition: - Next-gen simulation tech (while others rely on road miles) - Wider operational domain (higher speeds, larger areas) - Smoother rides (actual customer feedback) - Google's unlimited compute + talent advantage → The Reality Check: - Still burning $1.1B quarterly - But scaling 2-10x faster than competitors yearly - First-mover advantage in regulatory approval - Already replacing human drivers at scale Here's the truth: While everyone debates whether AI will take jobs, Waymo quietly shows us how it's done. This isn't just about ride-sharing. It's a blueprint for AI replacing human operators across industries and not just white-collar jobs. People I talk to here in SF think we are 2-5 years away from AI taking white-collar jobs in masses and 10 year period for all other human jobs. Wild times... What's your take? Where do you see the next big opportunity in the new ERA of AI?

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I've been in my Gemini Era! #Geminibaby But I'm not just talking about being born in the most incredible month ever #June. I'm referring to Google's Gemini AI product. I wanted to share with my network the top 3 ways I use Gemini to help save me time, make life easier and even get discounts or gift cards when I've had a good or bad customer service experience. 1. Did you know Gemini can help draft customer service emails? Have you ever wanted to contact corporate, but felt you didn't have the time nor energy to articulate your frustration? In less than 3 mins. you can craft an email to offer feedback on if your food was cold, a flight was delayed, or even if a waiter spilled your espresso martini. 🍸 (true story) 2. Had an amazing hotel 🏨 experience? Recently I visited Nobu Los Cabos, and everything from the staff, service, food and coffee were amazing. They reached out several times asking for a review. I input everything I loved about my experience and voila! I had 3 paragraphs of goodness to share on hotels .com and a Google review. I was able to help amazing staff get recognized for my positive experience. 3. Need help with a quick day trip itinerary? While traveling, I like to see as much as possible. One of my personality traits is #maximizer. On a recent trip to Europe, I wanted to do a day trip to 🇨🇭 Switzerland. I input top things to see in 24 hours into the #Gemini search bar and it was able to flush me out a full itinerary. Mapped all of the places in Google maps - and started knocking things off my To Do list. I had fun, my plan was efficient, and even got to see the amazing views of the Grossmünster church. So go on and try it out. I know some folks are weary of how AI will affect our futures, but I wanted to share my experience on how it very much helps me in my regular day to day life. I hope these tips help someone! P.S. Be sure to catch the Google I/O in 10 mins. recap. https://lnkd.in/d4GB6UtH

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