Don't put all your eggs in one basket - pick a few really nice baskets!

March & April Newsletter!

May 13, 2023

Hey everyone! Welcome back to my monthly newsletter! My hope with this newsletter is that I’m able to inspire each one of you to persevere through life by sharing various life lessons and mindsets I’ve come across. If you missed last month’s newsletter feel free to check it out here:

Jan - March Newsletter!

Theme of the month: Learning to say no and prioritize! (How Chat GPT became my life coach)

The past eight weeks have felt really busy, but also not busy at all - weird right? And no, this isn’t one of those cliche catchphrases that’s supposed to teach you a life lesson but really ends up leaving you more confused. It’s genuinely the feeling that I have been encountering and according to ChatGPT here’s why:

Let me preface this discussion by saying never in a million years would I have thought to ask an AI to give me life advice and well.. here I am today doing exactly that! Pretty incredible!

Nevertheless, the truth is that Chat GPT is right! My contradictory feelings were a result of all of the above but particularly my unnecessary multitasking and disconnected sense of perception and perspective!

This month I took on way too many tasks (many of which you’ll read about in this newsletter) in the hope of being able to come out successful with all of them - which sadly resulted in the opposite. I let my emotions and FOMO or Fear of Missing Out overtake my judgement resulting in my inability to put forth my full effort into anything that I did. Don’t get me wrong I don’t regret doing any of them and I definitely learnt a lot but I think if I could go back I would definitely make the difficult decision to limit the number of things I took on to optimize my time and ensure the maximum return on investment or maximum result!

In short, I learnt to limit the amount I exercise the saying “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket” by coming to the realization that everything works in moderation. Take the stock market, for example. Oftentimes, many will say that the best way of investing in a risk-free manner is to diversify - meaning to invest in as many stocks as possible. However, what many experienced investors also know is that excessive diversification can also have its drawbacks. In fact, as arguably one of the most successful investors of all time, Warren Buffet has also put this process into action with roughly 70% of his portfolio lying within a mere four companies; Apple Inc, Bank of America, Chevron Corp and Coca-Cola.

In short, what I’m really trying to communicate is that sometimes it’s best to pick a few really great baskets, stocks, or in my case activities and commit fully to them!

So if you’re interested in learning more about this analogy I highly recommend you check out this podcast:

Building a live face detection model with AI! 🤖

Have you ever wondered how your smartphone camera can quickly yet accurately detect faces?

Well, as simplistic as the process may appear, behind your camera is a series of advanced machine learning algorithms — trained on large datasets of facial images to analyze and identify human faces based on specific facial features. Deceiving, right?

In recent years, the world has seen an explosion in the use of face detection technology, from unlocking our phones to identifying criminals on the street. This technology, made possible by advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning, has revolutionized the way we interact with devices and each other.

Interested in learning more? Check out my article on how I built a live face detection model using Python and Deep Learning!

Github repo Code

Creating a deep audio classifier! 🔊

I’ll be honest, for the longest time, I was terrified of digital voice assistants. I mean think about it, they remain silent, hidden in the corners of our house, constantly monitoring our conversations and listening for their wake word to be prompted for assistance. Suspicious right?

Well, after some deep exploration into the crossover between Deep Learning and Audio Classification, I think I’ve finally come to terms with the technology behind it all. For now at least…

Deep learning, a subset of machine learning, has rapidly advanced in recent years and is a powerful technique for audio classification, revolutionizing the way audio data is processed and analyzed. With the increasing prevalence of smart speakers and digital voice assistants in society today, deep learning techniques are being leveraged to enable these devices to better understand and respond to human voice commands, making our lives more convenient and efficient.

Check out another article that I wrote on my deep audio classifier!

Github repo Code

Working to solve one of Amazon Alexa’s biggest struggles!

Between the late weeks of February and the early weeks of March, my team of Shanzeh, Reeya, Tehseen and I got the opportunity to develop a recommendation deck for the team of executives at Amazon Alexa to help solve their growing problem of the lack of interest among the Gen Z population.

Problem: By failing to tap into the market of Gen Z, Alexa is missing out on over 1.24 billion potential users, impeding their potential for growth and market share expansion.

However, interestingly enough, 40% of Gen Z consumers consider convenience an important factor in the food they choose to eat! So we thought, why not put two and two together and augment Amazon Alexa to guide the Gen Z population through an optimized kitchen experience?

And together, after working for tireless hours we put together a project entitled Alexa In the Kitchen. Here’s the breakdown:

Our comprehensive recommendation includes three immersive features for integrating Alexa into your kitchen: Inventory Management, Recipe Suggestions, and Smart Shopping.

Inventory Management: With Alexa, managing your pantry, fridge, and freezer inventory becomes incredibly convenient. By either scanning grocery receipts or verbally listing your available items, Alexa takes care of the rest, ensuring effortless tracking.
Recipe Suggestions: Simplify meal planning and reduce food waste with Alexa's advanced Generative AI technology. Alexa offers personalized recipe options tailored to your unique dietary restrictions and preferences, ensuring meals that meet your specific needs.
Smart Shopping: Alexa goes beyond recipe recommendations and helps you shop smarter. By providing suggestions for complementary grocery purchases, Alexa enables a more sustainable and budget-friendly lifestyle.

To learn more be sure to check our slide deck below and the app prototype: