Kyle Tut is a cowboy who wrangles data on the frontiers of web3. The team at Pinata
Brewed From Within
Tinker
When technology moves so fast, we’ll always feel behind, but that is your invitation to tinker.
Instead of letting the unknown scare us, we can use curiosity to prompt action. Even when life feels occupied by existing responsibilities, there’s more room to push further. To prove it, hold your arm as high as you can. Now, hold your arm higher!
Tinkering requires initiative. Thankfully, we all have extra gears to avoid feeling like we left something on the table. Yes, the barriers of busy are unavoidable, comfortable feels safe, and easy is nice. But why not turn a few knobs to let that idea breathe, to see your idea twinkle in the wild.
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An early no beats a long, wrong yes.
It’s amazing how much happens by showing up and activating a few early moves. When we accept an invitation to tinker, financial capital can speed things up, but time is required to make something exist.
While more of everything will be needed to make it better, thinking about commercialization as being a season of exploration versus a strategic goal reduces weight and welcomes smaller steps toward progress.
If you’re having a hard time finding inspiration or if excuses keep you saying someday, avoid isolation and force yourself into environments where others are tinkering too. Activity within a startup community can provide energizing human, intellectual, and network capital. Conferences are cool, but when was the last time you attended a multi-day, hands-on hackathon? Classrooms, skill-building workshops, industry groups, maker spaces, coworking, and networking events also have people tinkering together.
As you create more than you consume around others doing the same, you’ll find energy, direction, and opportunities. You’ll feel less alone, surprise yourself, push past barriers, and collide with people able to help.
Whether it’s at home or in public, tinkering celebrates pure wonder and will nourish your innovative spirit. Even if the answer is no, at least you’ll know.
Brewed From Within
#69 📖 Technology
You Don't Need This Podcast
Blockchain Origins
Time travel with Jon Woodard! Founded in 1987, Wolfram Research is one of the world’s most respected computer, web, and cloud software companies, as well as, a powerhouse of scientific, mathematical, and technical innovation. Bask in the nerdy of this discussion on web3, blockchain, DeFi, NFTs, and artificial intelligence.
Jon started his work with Wolfram Alpha, helped establish Wolfram Blockchain Labs, and with new Wolfram integrations with Open AI, is now helping to active statistical, conversational AI into everything. He is also a generous Techstars mentor and is excited to continue supporting more innovators building tomorrow’s technology, today.
Personal
Wildly 41
I turn 41 at 1:41PM EST on May 19th, 2023.
As I reflect on a few recent birthday wishes, my 33rd birthday wish was granted, there’s less anticipation and a compelling sense of retirement from 39 remains on tap, and this year’s birthday definitely feels less poetic than Eclipsing 40, but I’m still here. Let’s celebrate.
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One word to sum up my work this year, is wild. I remain thankful for the privilege to perceptually learn through the art of connection, content creation, and exploration on the frontiers of technology. Here are a few ways we’ve continued to collaborate together!
- 52 writings threaded into Roasted Reflections.
- BEN BOT installed, robotic NFTs now minting.
- Pour Over Publishing sold 4,000+ of YDNTB.
- No Permission Required is really resonating.
- 10 years of 1 Million Cups every Wednesday.
- Visited 17 communities as @1MCMidwest.
- Co-lead the Techstars Iowa Accelerator.
- Billboard seen throughout Des Moines.
- FliteBrite has our beer festival app nationwide.
- Roasted Reflections on Discord is growing.
- Decentralized a gathering called web3dsm.
- Experimenting with ChatUX and Phygital.
- Firing up a weekly podcast. (coming soon!)
Along with the wild in my work, I’m just as grateful for the health and happiness of family and friends. There are countless milestones that have brewed joy in different ways. While most will remain cherished without sharing, here are a few memorable moments that have art to accompany the adventure. Stay wild my friends!
©1982-2023
Brewed From Within
ChatUX
Chatbots have a PR problem.
On one hand, conversational AI combines large language models (“LLMs”), vast data sets, and interesting influence layers to provide insightful ideas and answers to almost any question. Chatbots provide a personalized interaction with education, content creator, language learning support, financial advice, customer assistance, helpful reminders for important tasks, co-founder assistance, and even mental health therapy. These AI companions munch on mediocre and are always available to chat. ChatGPT is the most well-known example, but other content creation methods, bot building platforms, and layered tools, such as BEN BOT and ChatSpot, are being activated in creative ways.
On the other hand, when most humans hear the word “chatbot”, the word serves up a slimy aftertaste. We think of automated help desks that put us in circles, fake followers on social media, the search tool that can never quite find an question, or that lead generation form that only wants to guide you to the next sale. Even with the best intention, a history of hacks fuel mistrust and makes it hard to avoid the spammy connotation.
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Hallucinating is when AI confidently delivers inaccurate responses.
Chatbots may not be able to interpret complex interactions, decode user intent, express empathy, or keep up with the rapid pace of change in the world, but it feels naive to pretend that conversational AI is not efficacious.
As we continue learning how to interact with this innovation, we need a term that is more inviting. A term that evokes trust. One that describes an intelligent counterpart with no agenda. When the user experience is not misguided by motive and AI is truly conversational, “ChatUX” may be the term we seek.
ChatUX describes the interaction between humans and software, unlocked by conversational AI.
Chat is an informal conversation or to talk in a friendly and informal way. UX is short for User Experience, which describes how we interact with a product or service. It includes our perception of value, ease of use, and efficiency. “ChatUX” can help us understand how to interact with emerging technology, while also improving the chatbot’s image.
ChatUX is not spam. ChatUX won’t take your job, sell you something you don’t want, or take over the world. ChatUX requires ingenuity. It is translation technology designed to access endless insight, with an ability to communicate it effectively. It’s software that speaks our language while supporting a timely, interesting, accurate, unbiased, and meaningful experience for anyone curious and generous enough to build beyond the status quo.
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I’m hosting a new podcast! Stay tuned for more caffeinated conversations around technology, entrepreneurship, intrapreneurship, and community building.