Thu, Oct 8, 2026 · 2:00 PM – 2:30 PM
You don't need billion-dollar budgets to build impactful AI tools. This talk explores how solo founders and small teams are shipping competitive AI products through smart architecture choices. We'll discuss cost optimization strategies, efficient model selection, and architectural patterns that maximize impact per dollar spent. Real examples show how open-source foundations and clever engineering solve problems previously requiring massive resources. Learn about on-device inference, caching strategies, and using models appropriately. Discover how constraint can drive innovation and how to build sustainable AI products as a bootstrapped founder. Aimed at solo builders and two-person teams. Every number in this talk comes off a real invoice, and the whole stack runs for less than the cost of a team lunch.