Build A Portfolio

Get your hands dirty. Crises precipitate change.

You’ve hear them all before and it’s the key to reaching the next level in the field of AI. Find something that interests you and research the technology behind it. From there you should start to build it yourself.

Doing this will give you a healthy amount of challenge while learning a new skill set. It’s really the only way build a portfolio that will get you the attention you need to stand out in the hottest field in tech.

If you don’t want to work alone or don’t have any ideas then dive in to the open source community. It’s a great way to get really advanced experience for those that play well with others looking to contribute to something bigger than themselves.

Learn New Tools & Frameworks

Finding an obsession within the field of AI is fundamental to reaching the next level. Standing out amongst a sea of college graduates and career engineers.

When you sink your teeth into a great idea or project in the AI space you will start to see how all the pieces work within a codebase. These pieces are commonly organized as frameworks which are used with various tools. An example of this is using the TensorFlow framework for machine learning using Jupyter Notebook as a tool.

Think of these frameworks and tools as your utility belt. Commonly you will come across problems that require a specific something from your utility belt. The more tools you have in your utility belt and expertly use them, the more you’ll stand out.

Network & Collaborate

I hope you are starting to notice a common theme here. Get involved! You will learn more in a one hour conversation with an AI expert than you will learning on your own for an entire day.

One thing that is really exceptional about technology and programming is the openness of the network. Most people who make a living writing code or innovating new technologies have spent a lot of time learning on their own so they are always happy to share what they have learned.

You do not reach a level of competence in AI or any science related field without having a passion (or obsession) about it. Because of this you can easily find events and groups, in person and online, that are eager to welcome you in and share decades worth of secrets.

Write & Speak

Standing out requires one thing, mastery. There’s no one around it. Though a lot of people don’t understand that there are levels to mastery:

1. You understand the concepts
2. You can put the concepts into practice and produce results.
3. You can teach the results to others.

Pay special attention to the final level of mastery. The ability to teach. When you can take a concept and explain it to others you are in a way relearning the material. Engraining the lesson deeper into your memory.

This can easily be done without a classroom or webinar with 1 million attendees. Just sit in front of the computer and write to yourself. No one else. Document your work in public and you will be surprised the attention and fame you’ll receive.

Be Ethical & Responsible

While it may seem that everywhere you go there are software engineers, product managers, and tech founders it is actually a small field. Conduct yourself in a professional and ethical way to keep from being buried in bad reputation.

It really is incredible to hear the stories of someone you worked so hard to get recognition only to lose it all because they treated one person poorly. When you can reach a level of mastery while treating others in a respectful way others will take notice.

As you reach higher levels you will notice that everyone performs at a high level and that the actions of everyone you work with stand out. One thing that is hard to find though is a responsible and ethical leader.

Embody goodness and you’ll get good.

Want to double the LTV of your existing customers and launch your own AI software in just 8 weeks? Head over to my LinkedIn for gems you won’t find anywhere else.

All the best,

-Adrian