From Hallucinations to Hard Truths - Building AI Systems in Fast-Growing Companies

Learn from real-world AI implementation challenges through candid insights from scaling AI engineering at a high-growth FinTech startup. Discover the harsh realities of building AI products beyond the initial excitement, including critical mistakes, unexpected system failures, and costly lessons learned during a year of AI development at GoodLeap. Understand how AI fundamentally transforms hiring practices, development processes, and production system operations rather than simply adding another technology layer. Gain practical knowledge about the organizational and technical shifts required when implementing AI at scale, including what breaks, what causes burnout, and specific strategies for avoiding common pitfalls. Access honest guidance for navigating the complex, messy reality of building AI systems in fast-growing companies, moving beyond theoretical approaches to actionable lessons from actual implementation experience.