About

Hi! My name is Manan. I'm new to using AI. Honestly, getting started with it was a major challenge. I didn't have a clear use case at work, I didn't have a need at home, and anyway I prefer solving problems on my own. So I ignored it.

However, as time passed, I got the feeling I was falling behind the curve. There's clearly a lot of power in AI tools. Sometimes that power feels like it's drowned by the intense hype surrounding it. Sometimes it feels scary because of reports of misuse or environmental damage.

Despite the concerns, AI seems like it's here to stay. Sitting on the sidelines was making me antsy. So, I started this project. Gaining Context is an exercise to keep me honest. Writing out my journey will force me to reflect and internalize what I learn. I also hope this is a helpful resource for others. Whether you're seeking inspiration, looking to learn, or just want to know that others are in the same boat, I hope this blog can help.

I'm structuring this blog like a public lab notebook. Each project covers a unique objective or task I'm experimenting with. At the heart of each project are notebooks. These contain the details - what I did, what prompts I used, how it worked, what my takeaways were, etc. Notebooks will largely be chronological and will help me keep you updated over the course of larger projects I take on.

I'm glad you're here, and I'm excited to share what I'm learning. If this is your first time here, a great place to start is my first ever project. If not, then welcome back, and come check out the latest things I've been working on!