We're cofounders who left Amazon to build our own startup. We learned the hard way why Big Tech habits don't always translate. (www.businessinsider.com)

Two former Amazon employees, Shalini Aggarwal and Andy Ratsirason, co-founded the AI startup Tenafli after realizing the vast differences between Big Tech operations and startup dynamics. They discovered that they had to unlearn many ingrained habits from Amazon, particularly the "build-first" mentality which assumes demand will automatically follow. Their experience taught them the significance of early customer engagement and testing before extensive product development, helping them pivot their strategies to avoid wasted resources and better align with market needs. The duo leveraged AI tools to streamline operations and reduce headcount, allowing them to focus on customer interactions instead of labor-intensive research. They found that AI could handle foundational coding tasks, thereby minimizing the need for a larger team and expensive resources. For startups, their journey illustrates the shift towards a more frugal and efficient approach, emphasizing the importance of agile, demand-driven development in the rapidly evolving AI landscape. As they navigate these challenges, their story reflects the ongoing transformation within the AI/ML community, underscoring the benefits of adaptability and resourcefulness in entrepreneurial ventures.