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As a part of the Morning Lazziness sequence about empowering girls who encourage and do unimaginable issues with their concepts in society, I had the pleasure of interviewing Selda Seyfi.
Selda Seyfi is the founding father of Quantum Lane AI and a seasoned guide with 20 years of expertise serving to companies streamline operations and drive innovation. At Quantum Lane AI, she helps firms in integrating automation and AI in methods which are grounded, environment friendly, and genuinely helpful. She additionally writes Maximize Your Minutes, a e-newsletter with over 2.3k subscribers, the place she shares insights on productiveness, AI, and the real-life challenges of balancing work, tech, and household in at present’s fast-paced world. Selda lives in Surrey, UK, along with her husband and two kids.
What impressed you to change into an entrepreneur within the AI business, and what led to the creation of your present enterprise?
I used to be on maternity depart with my second little one after I reached out to my boss about returning to work, solely to study my place was not out there. It was actually fairly demoralizing on the time.
However then I found ChatGPT and was utterly blown away by what it might do. I began taking part in round with constructing my very own GPTs and even taught myself some primary coding to see what was potential. That’s after I realized I needed to begin an company serving to different companies construct AI options – principally turning what began as a tricky profession second into one thing a lot larger.
As a girl in tech and entrepreneurship, what distinctive challenges have you ever confronted, particularly within the AI house, and the way did you navigate them?
The most important problem is actually simply juggling the whole lot as a mother. I’ve a 6-year-old and a 2-year-old, and parenting is already a full-time job. Beginning a enterprise in such a fast-paced business when your consideration is continually pulled in several instructions is extremely robust.
The opposite problem is that I’m not your typical individual on this house. Many of the voices you hear speaking about AI are males, often younger tech bros working in darkish rooms with purple backlights, grinding away all hours of the night time. In the meantime, I’m working from my child’s playroom, making pasta at 5:30, and consuming leftovers off their plates. I actually can’t maintain my eyes open previous 9 pm as a result of I’m exhausted from the whole lot else.
Don’t get me mistaken – there are many younger girls in AI who can work across the clock constructing superb issues. However that’s simply not my actuality proper now, and that’s okay. It’s a distinct world with totally different challenges.
How do I navigate it? It’s actually a household staff effort. My husband additionally has a demanding job, so we continually swap duties. After I’m working, he’s with the children, and vice versa. We’ve needed to create a setup that works for our complete household, not simply my enterprise.
How do you handle the extreme calls for of constructing an AI-driven enterprise whereas sustaining private well-being and steadiness?
I’ve needed to settle for that at this stage of my life, I can solely dedicate a sure variety of hours to the enterprise as a result of my kids are extra essential to me than constructing an organization. However sustaining some stage of well-being is totally non-negotiable.
My saving grace is a 17-minute meditation each morning after the children go off to highschool and nursery. These 17 minutes earlier than I begin work assist me utterly reset and middle myself for the day.
I used to work out rather more than I do now – there’s simply no time for it. So I attempt to steadiness what I can between psychological, bodily, and emotional well-being. I examine in with myself weekly to verify I’m hitting at the least a few these areas, even when I can’t handle all of them without delay. It’s about being practical with what’s potential proper now.
What networking methods or communities have helped you most in constructing significant connections within the AI and tech ecosystem?
I’m a part of a number of AI communities on Skool, and actually, I couldn’t have carried out this with out them. I’ve met some actually unimaginable folks on this house – sure, plenty of them are males, however there are some superb girls on the market too.
One factor I made a degree of doing was actively searching for out the place the ladies in AI are, as a result of there aren’t that many people. However the ones who’re right here and dealing with this know-how – I wish to join with them, get to know them, and assist them nevertheless I can. It’s been actually essential for me to construct these relationships deliberately.
How do you strategy mentorship—each receiving it and providing it—and the way has that influenced your development as a founder on this house?
Mentorship is actually essential to me, and I’m actively searching for somebody who can information me by way of establishing and working a software program firm. My background is 20 years in administration consulting, so this tech startup world is fairly new territory for me.
I’d like to discover a mentor on this house who will help fill these data gaps. On the flip aspect, I’m positively taken with providing mentorship to others – although with my present time constraints, it could be difficult proper now. But it surely’s completely one thing I wish to do extra of sooner or later as soon as issues calm down a bit.
What methods have confirmed only in buying prospects or purchasers on your AI services or products?
My community has been by far the simplest strategy to purchase purchasers. Whenever you begin out as a younger guide, they all the time inform you that your community is your most dear asset – it truly is all about who you realize. I’ve been constructing and sustaining these relationships for 20 years, and I’m not about to cease now. Many of the work I’ve landed thus far has come by way of my community, and I feel that’s going to proceed being my major technique going ahead.
Which advertising methods (digital, content material, occasions, and so forth.) have labored greatest on your model, and the way do you measure their affect?
To be sincere, I’m nonetheless determining what works greatest for me. There are such a lot of totally different advertising approaches on the market, so I’m making an attempt just a few various things to see what sticks.
Talking at occasions and conferences has been actually efficient, and creating company-specific demos has labored nice too. As for measuring affect, I maintain it fairly easy – I monitor what number of leads I get from every exercise and whether or not they flip into precise conversations. That tells me what’s price my time and what isn’t.
Are you able to share a significant setback or roadblock in your AI startup journey, and the way you strategically overcame it?
My greatest roadblock was not understanding the complete answer growth lifecycle of an IT challenge. I might determine construct the precise answer, however then I’d hit a wall when it got here to getting it applied in a consumer’s infrastructure. That’s the place my consulting background didn’t assist me in any respect.
The way in which I overcame it was, as soon as once more, by way of my community. I related with some actually educated folks in my AI communities who really knew deal with the implementation aspect. I relied on their experience and discovered a ton from them. It’s an ideal instance of why constructing these relationships is so essential.
What’s one piece of recommendation you’d provide to girls who’re simply starting their entrepreneurial journey in AI or rising tech?
Don’t stop throughout these first 2-3 months while you really feel utterly misplaced and don’t know what you’re doing. That confusion isn’t an indication you’re on the mistaken path – it’s really a traditional a part of the method. For those who push by way of that uncomfortable interval, readability will ultimately come, and also you’ll begin to see what you’re presupposed to be doing. Issues get simpler till you hit the subsequent problem, and then you definately simply work by way of that one too. The hot button is recognizing that feeling misplaced at the start is totally regular.
Is there a quote, mantra, or philosophy that constantly guides your choices as an AI entrepreneur?
When issues get actually robust, I remind myself: “That is when most individuals stop.” Simply saying that to myself often stops me from really quitting. It helps me do not forget that the laborious moments are precisely the place I have to push by way of, as a result of that’s what separates the individuals who make it from those that don’t.
Right here is our major query. “What Are The 5 Issues You Want To Overcome Self-Doubt and Construct Confidence?” (If potential, please share a narrative or instance for each)
You’re all the time going to have self-doubt as a result of it’s human nature. I’m actually nonetheless figuring this out myself, however right here’s what’s working for me thus far:
- Discover somebody who can actually hearken to you. My husband is unimaginable at this. After I’ve tried to work by way of self-doubt by myself, typically it really works and typically it doesn’t. Having him as a sounding board to remind me of all of the issues I’ve completed makes an enormous distinction.
- Create a ritual to catch your self earlier than you spiral. I’ve discovered to note after I’m feeling off however can’t pinpoint why. That’s my cue to take motion earlier than it turns into an even bigger downside. My go-to is visiting my favourite pure spot, spending time there speaking to myself, and remembering all the nice issues I’ve carried out and what I like about my life proper now.
- Settle for that errors are okay, however don’t dwell on them. I give myself permission to have a correct rant for 10 minutes to half an hour when one thing goes mistaken, then I transfer on. What’s carried out is completed. Wallowing doesn’t assist anybody, so I attempt to get by way of that processing time as shortly as potential.
- Log all of your little wins and milk them for the whole lot they’re price. There’s one thing known as the reticular activating system in your mind – while you concentrate on one thing, you begin noticing extra of it in all places. I exploit this to my benefit by celebrating small victories. If somebody lets me merge in site visitors, I’ll assume “What a stunning, considerate individual!” and actually milk that constructive second to maintain myself in a greater temper.
- Keep in mind that everybody else is figuring it out too. After I’m doubting myself, I remind myself that even the individuals who appear to have all of it collectively are in all probability winging it half the time. No person has an ideal roadmap, particularly in one thing as new as AI. We’re all simply doing our greatest with what we all know proper now.
Okay, we’re almost carried out. You’re a individual of nice affect. For those who might encourage a motion that might carry essentially the most quantity of fine for the best variety of folks, what would that be? You by no means know what your concept can set off.
I maintain interested by what sort of world my youngsters will inherit and what jobs will even exist once they develop up. If machines actually do take over so many roles, our youngsters are going to wish utterly totally different abilities than what we had been taught.
I’d like to encourage a motion round making ready youngsters to be entrepreneurial thinkers – not essentially enterprise homeowners, however individuals who can create alternatives for themselves it doesn’t matter what the world throws at them. Abilities like studying shortly, pondering critically about whether or not an concept is definitely strong, and with the ability to adapt when the whole lot round them modifications.
I don’t have all of the solutions but – these are actually simply seedlings of ideas. However I take into consideration this on a regular basis as a guardian. What different abilities will they want? How will we educate resilience and inventive problem-solving? How will we put together them for a world we are able to’t even totally think about but?
Possibly that’s the motion – getting mother and father, educators, and communities to begin having these conversations now, earlier than it’s too late. As a result of our children deserve higher than simply hoping they’ll determine it out on their very own.
How can our readers additional observe your work on-line?
I write an everyday e-newsletter known as “Maximize Your Minutes” with 2.3k subscribers, the place I share my ideas on the intersection of AI, productiveness, and well being. I’m additionally very energetic on LinkedIn, so be happy to attach with me there. I’d like to proceed the dialog about AI, entrepreneurship, and navigating this house as working mother and father.
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