Going All-In On AI
Photo by Philip Oroni on Unsplash
We here at WLCM are full steam ahead on generative AI, and we believe in the undeniable innovation it will bring to the world of web and mobile applications — and far beyond that. We believe it will profoundly change the way we do business and navigate our lives.
We believe that change can be for the better.
OpenAI’s new app store gives me that deep-in-my-gut feeling I had when the App Store first launched in 2008. The advent of custom GPTs presents a new frontier of possibilities.
I’ll be the first to point out the risks of AI — the problem of traceability, the potential for deception, and the influence of Big Tech on AI’s evolution.
In light of these factors, it becomes more important than ever to keep doing what we’ve been doing at WLCM: building apps right, thoroughly and thoughtfully, from every angle.
Consider this your call to action. WLCM is open for business in building apps for OpenAI’s GPT marketplace. Whether you’re a first-time entrepreneur or you’re looking to inject AI into an existing product, WLCM is here to get you off the sidelines and into the AI game.
It’s never too early to start the conversation. I encourage you to reach out to us here.
In the coming weeks, we’ll write more about what you need to know in regards to AI, and how to think about your product in new ways.
But for now, here’s what you should be thinking about:
GPTs will change the way we interact with apps.
You can think of an app as a library. You enter it, find what you want, consume the content or perform the function, put it back on the shelf, and leave.
Think of a GPT as the librarian. Instead of searching for what you need, you just tell the GPT and the GPT brings it to you. But librarians aren’t just book-retrievers. They can provide you with the best results, which you may not have found searching on your own. GPTs are the expert custodians — the oracle — of the library. That’s the promise of a GPT.
Now let’s zoom out a little bit.
Think about the AI-powered hardware receiving hype in the tech world, particularly Humane’s AI Pin and the Rabbit R1. These devices provide essentially an AI overlay that saves the user from hopping from one app to another to conduct their business.
Rabbit describes the model behind their product as a “large action model.” This description paints the difference between generative AI and the traditional AI we’ve had for decades. Generative AI has the ability to make decisions, to perform actions.
In this scenario, your digital life is the library, and each app is a book. You tell the GPT AI what you want, and they bring you the exact passage in the book you need. The GPT knows the library and it knows you.
That’s the power: navigation, decision, and user-specific knowledge.
Simple UX will become even more essential.
Some claim that the advent of such devices promises the death of UX. After all, if a GPT is navigating apps and bringing answers from the app to the user, what role does the individual app’s UI/UX have to play?
There are some apps where you simply must see the UI. Using Uber, for instance, you need to see your driver getting closer. I predict these UIs will function inside a frame of the presiding GPT’s UI.
To keep users from getting lost in the layers, apps must be singularly focused and radically simple.
Simplicity is anything but easy. Simplicity is often the product of mastery. I recall a quote attributed to Pascal: “I would have written a shorter letter, if I’d only had the time.”
We understand the promise of the technology.
The whole reason I started WLCM was to help entrepreneurs navigate the treacherous world of development and serve as a trustworthy technical partner. We live and die by honesty, transparency, and ruthless quality — even above growth — because that’s how world-changing software gets made.
I fear that in the wake of AI, dishonest agencies will have a new flavor of snake oil to sell. I beg you, vet your potential partners to the Nth degree. Our life-long clients and award-winning work speak volumes on behalf of WLCM.
At WLCM, we’re equipped to execute.
Like all new technology, AI has a hill to climb in terms of reliability. We’re refining a process for building, testing, iterating, and scaling reliable GPTs. We wouldn’t offer it if we weren't up for the challenge.
Too many organizations hope to strike gold by sprinkling some vague AI fairy dust on their product. We’ll help you discern how AI can provide the most value to your users and apply it to your product in targeted, intentional ways — both for new ideas and existing products.
You don’t just need a development resource, you need a technical partner. That’s who we are at our core. We look out for you, your product, and your vision in the long-run. Whatever comes next, we’ll keep our eye on the ball to help you stay ahead of the curve.
The world is changing before our very eyes. As the development of AI accelerates, those who are late will be left. We want to be part of your journey. We want to empower your contribution to the world and the future of tech.
And we’re ready to get started right now.
There’s no time to waste, friends. If you have an idea burning in your dreams, we’d love nothing more than to hear about it.
