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An AGI Lab, UX of Login Codes, Explore vs Execute and more

China's making solar energy from space happen.

Author

Charbel Zeaiter
January 17, 2025

Happy (windy and wet if you’re in Sydney) Friday!

Hope you’ve had a great week and have found some space to breathe. The world of digital doesn’t slow down, and there’s lots happening.

AI Labs are popping up (sniff: is that opportunity?) China has its sights on astral solar, and … I’ve been talking about the flood of UXers hitting the market for a while now, and it’s a problem that my founding leads and I are addressing at Faster Zebra - business, product and strategy is where we need to go to ensure strategic design moves closer to decision making.

Yours in Wonder,
Charbel
Founder of Velvet Onion, Faster Zebra and more to come …

Today’s Highlights

  • AI: François Chollet’s New AGI Lab: Ndea Steps into the Ring

  • Design: The UX of Login Codes: Why Does It Have to Be This Hard?

  • Science & Tech: Solar Energy From Space: China’s Ambitions

  • Founding: The Winning Formula of Discount Stores: Now Replicated by Retail Giants

  • Product: Explore OR Execute: The Founder’s Dilemma

  • Today’s AI image: AGI Lab: Creating Another Us

  • Quote for the day: A Simple Advice for Life

AI

François Chollet’s New AGI Lab: Ndea Steps into the Ring

François Chollet, the mastermind behind the widely acclaimed Keras framework, has joined forces with Zapier co-founder Mike Knoop to unveil Ndea, a cutting-edge AI research lab.

Their mission? To revolutionise the path to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) with a daringly unconventional approach.

Rethinking AI: A Smarter Path to AGI

  • At the heart of Ndea’s strategy lies a fusion of deep learning and program synthesis, designed to cultivate AI systems capable of learning and adapting with the finesse of a human mind.

  • Chollet and his team believe the prevailing trend of large-scale deep learning is hitting a ceiling, constrained by its insatiable hunger for training data.

  • Ndea doesn’t just dream big—it plans to build a “factory for rapid scientific advancement.”

  • This ambitious hub will tackle challenges on the cutting edge of innovation, from unlocking new realms in drug discovery to venturing into uncharted scientific territories.

  • The lab’s vision extends beyond traditional AI applications, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Why is this a big deal?

François Chollet is no small fry in the AI world, and his decision to carve out his own path with Ndea could shake up the AGI landscape.

With heavyweights like Chollet, Ilya Sutskever’s SSI, and others pursuing diverse research avenues, the finish line for AGI might emerge from unexpected quarters.

Buckle up. The competition is heating up, and the stakes have never been higher.

Design

The UX of Login Codes: Why Does It Have to Be This Hard?

Brad Frost, web design guru and author of Atomic Design, recently took to his blog to dissect the user experience of login codes.

While he kept it (relatively) short, his frustration was palpable.

The Pain Points: Where Login Codes Fail

Login codes often feel like a punishment wrapped in a digital bow. Frost highlights several common UX blunders:

  • The Waiting Game: Codes that take ages to arrive leave users stuck in limbo, desperately hunting for a “Resend” button.

  • Confusing Messaging: Overly verbose or cryptic text about phishing and security makes the entire process feel dodgy.

  • Unhelpful Input Fields: The dreaded single-digit boxes confuse more than they clarify. Can you paste the code? Will it auto-advance? Add dashes into the mix, and even seasoned designers are left scratching their heads.

  • Copy-and-Paste Woes: When codes can’t be copied easily, users are forced into a chaotic app-switching memory test, juggling digits like a circus act.

  • Overcomplicated Codes: Tossing in special characters and lengthy strings might look secure but ends up feeling like over-the-top theatre.

The Better Approach: Simple Fixes

Frost suggests practical tweaks to make the experience less of a hassle:

  • Quick Delivery: Codes should land in your inbox or phone before you even think to check.

  • Clear Messaging: Keep the text short and sweet—users aren’t here for a novel.

  • Highlight the Code: Make the code the star of the show with bold formatting or a “Copy Code” button, like Android Messages does so well.

  • Ease of Use: Allow seamless copy-pasting or, better yet, autofill the code and submit it without extra effort.

Why is this a big deal?

Frost argues that login codes, though unglamorous, are a critical touchpoint for any brand.

A clunky experience reflects poorly on your product and frustrates users repeatedly. He challenges designers to strike a balance between robust security and delightful usability.

Also in Design

Science & Tech

Solar Energy From Space: China’s Ambitions

China has unveiled an ambitious scheme to construct a colossal solar power station in orbit, designed to beam uninterrupted energy back to Earth via microwaves.

The project, likened to relocating the massive Three Gorges Dam to space, aims to revolutionise energy generation by harnessing sunlight in its most intense form—unfiltered by Earth’s atmosphere.

A Grand Undertaking

  • This 1-kilometre-wide solar array will be assembled in geostationary orbit, 36,000 km above the planet, using China’s new heavy-lift rockets.

  • Chief designer Long Lehao has likened the project’s significance to the iconic Three Gorges Dam, a hydroelectric marvel that produces 100 billion kilowatt-hours annually.

  • The energy potential of this space station, however, could eclipse the total oil reserves extractable from Earth in just one year.

  • While solar technology has become cheaper and more efficient, it still battles challenges like cloud cover and atmospheric interference, which reduce its effectiveness on the ground.

  • In space, sunlight is ten times more potent, making it a prime location for energy harvesting.

  • Yet, the sheer scale of the required infrastructure has stalled most attempts—until now.

A Glimpse into the Future

This audacious venture underscores the global race to develop sustainable energy solutions.

While the challenges are monumental, the potential payoff—a virtually inexhaustible energy supply—could redefine humanity’s relationship with energy and our planet.

As nations aim for the stars, the future of energy might just shine a little brighter from above.

Also in Science & Tech

Founding

The Winning Formula of Discount Stores: Now Replicated by Retail Giants

As inflation drives consumers to seek value, premium off-price retailers like TJ Maxx are standing out, outperforming even retail giants like Costco and Walmart.

This category, which includes players like Ross, has shown resilience and growth, outperforming broader retail trends.

The Core Pillars of Off-Price Retail Success

1. Affordable Inventory Access

  • Premium off-price retailers thrive by sourcing high-quality inventory at rock-bottom prices.

  • They benefit from an "inventory apocalypse," where brands and distributors offload excess stock to avoid devaluing their image.

  • For instance, TJ Maxx can acquire goods for as low as 40% of the retail price, thanks to its expansive brick-and-mortar network, making it a preferred partner for suppliers.

2. Maximised Sales Per Square Foot

  • With efficient store layouts and higher average transaction values, these retailers optimise their sales per square metre.

  • TJ Maxx achieves $427 per square foot, surpassing Macy’s ($210) and Kohl’s ($202), and even rivaling Nordstrom ($439).

  • Unlike dollar stores, which focus on low-margin goods, premium off-price stores balance affordability with premium brand appeal.

3. Lower Operating Costs

  • These retailers keep expenses low by prioritising no-frills store designs and lean labour models.

  • Instead of lavish store buildouts, they focus on functional spaces, reducing upfront costs and shortening payback periods for new locations.

  • The result? A profitable and scalable model that appeals to both cost-conscious shoppers and operational efficiency enthusiasts.

Entrepreneurs rethinking or building within this model should be encouraged to connect with the team to explore opportunities in this space.

Also in Founding

Product

Explore OR Execute: The Founder’s Dilemma

Transitioning from "Explore" to "Execute" after Product/Market Fit (PMF) is a dramatic cultural transformation.

Success demands ditching scrappy startup habits for scalable systems. Here’s how to handle it without imploding.

Why Founders Falter Post-PMF

  1. The Overconfidence Trap
    Founders often assume the strategies that brought early success will scale. They won’t.

    • Belief: “Our way worked; why fix it?”

    • Reality: Scaling needs new methods, teams, and mindsets.

  2. Arrogance vs Reality
    Early wins can inflate egos, leading to denial about the need for change. Ironically, those most convinced of their invincibility often stumble hardest.

The Explore Phase: “Chaos is a ladder”

The early stage is all about discovery: identifying the right customers, perfecting the product, and pivoting quickly.

It’s messy, fast-paced, and full of uncertainty—but essential for finding what works.

The Execute Phase: Scaling with Precision

After PMF, the focus shifts to operational excellence. It’s time to fix shortcuts, build teams, and prioritise stability over scrappiness.

Predictable processes and quality control become essential as rare issues now affect more customers.

Switching from “Explore” to “Execute” is tough but unavoidable.

It’s not just a new way of working. It’s a new way of thinking.

Success lies in getting along well with this shift and leaving behind what no longer serves the company’s growth.

Today’s AI Image

AGI Lab: Creating Another Us

Quote of the Day

A Simple Advice for Life

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."

Theodore Roosevelt

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Charbel

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