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CTO @ Story.com

Democratizing Storytelling with AI

A New Beginning: Story.com

Time Flies: we've heard this so many times, but there's only so many moments in life when you actually feel it. HF0, was one such moment. "It's going to be one of the most productive 12 weeks of your life", they said. And they were right. It was an intense experience, a roller-coaster of emotions. 11 weeks - we focused purely on building the product - growing the platform, getting traction. The 12th week - "The Demo Container" was nothing like the first 11. It was intense, it was crazy, it was - lively. All the teams were dead focused on their demo pitches. We were no longer founders staying in a mansion, but actors on a production stage. And then, the day arrived - 19th March, where all the efforts of the last 12 weeks were to be showcased. There was no winner to be announced, because we all had won already ; and this, was just the beginning...

HF0: The Tech Orgy House

Fast forward to January 2024, and here I am, at the cusp of an exhilarating transition. We're gearing up to join HF0, or as Steve's wife calls it - 'the tech orgy house'. It's more than a fellowship; it's a powerhouse of innovation where the top 10 teams converge in a mansion for 12 weeks, diving deep into a productivity frenzy. Our goal? To evolve StoryBird.ai into Story.com. It's not just a rebranding; it's a rebirth.

San Francisco Chronicles

September 2023 was a month of big moves, literally. I packed up my life and relocated to San Francisco, stepping into my role as Co-Founder of StoryBird.ai. It wasn't just about changing my address; it was about committing to a dream. San Francisco, with its tech buzz and startup vibe, felt like the perfect launchpad for our ambitious journey. Every street corner buzzed with potential, every café conversation was an idea waiting to be discovered.

"The Talk"

August 2023 was a month filled with pivotal moments, but none as defining as "The Talk". Steve and I embarked on a two-week business tour across San Francisco and Seattle. Amidst back-to-back meetings, we found time to connect with nature. I remember vividly one hike with Steve and our new friend, Jatin, we met in Seattle. Both in their 40s, they scaled Mount Si with an ease that belied their age, while I, in my mid-20s, struggled to keep pace. Gasping for breath, feeling like a novice in their experienced company. It set a new benchmark for my future hikes! Towards the end of our tour, back in San Francisco, Steve and I had 'The Talk' that would change the course of my professional life. We were having lunch at Harajuku Sushi - SF, a place that had been on my wishlist for the SF tour. It was there, with the savoring menu in my hand, that Steve expressed his belief in my potential. He saw in me not just the Head of Engineering but a future Co-Founder for StoryBird.ai. This conversation wasn't just a career shift; it was a moment of profound realization of my capabilities and the trust placed in me. It marked the beginning of a new chapter, not just for me, but for the entire trajectory of StoryBird.ai.

Rocketing Growth

A crucial phase of growth, thanks to joining two accelerators - Amazon Generative AI and VercelAI. It was like being thrown into a melting pot of ideas, innovation, and insane networking. The insights gained and the connections made during this time weren't just invaluable; they were the rocket fuel that propelled StoryBird.ai into new orbits of growth and possibilities.

StoryBird.ai's Pivot and Peak Growth

Once again, StoryBird.ai hit a sweet spot - 8,000 stories a day! Our journey took a pivot as we realized our platform wasn't just for kids' stories anymore. It had morphed into a canvas for diverse narratives - from personal healing journeys to language learning adventures.

The Engineering Command

Come July 2023, and I found myself steering the ship as the Head of Engineering. It was more than a promotion; it was a trial by fire. Overseeing a team brimming with talent and ideas, I navigated through the challenges of maintaining a rapidly growing platform.

Good Problems to Have

June 2023 was a milestone month - our ChatGPT plugin went live, and oh boy, did it make waves! The surge in traffic was a pat on the back and a slap on the face at the same time. Our servers were gasping for air under the load. It was chaos, but the good kind - the kind that screams 'success.' I dove headfirst into scaling solutions, ensuring auto-scaling capabilities to never miss a beat.

Crafting StoryBird's AI Backbone

My StoryBird.ai saga began in May 2023, fresh-faced and eager as an AI Software Engineer in New York. Tasked with overhauling the AI pipeline, I was in my element, weaving together code and creativity. Those early days were a blend of long nights, breakthroughs, and the first taste of transforming a fledgling idea into a tech marvel. It was here that I first realized: we weren't just building a platform; we were crafting the future of digital storytelling.

The Beginning

My journey with StoryBird.ai was quite unique and interesting. Steve - my then employer was in search of a tech engineer. As a part of the hiring process, he hired multiple engineers to do the same task over a week's time. The project wasn't any tricky coding assessment, but rather a real world scaling challenge. Dealing with real-time APIs, load-balancing and robustness. In Steve's words: 'Deep was one of the 2 engineers that actually completed the task, and the only one who did it not only quickly but also with high quality.'