Happy Monday!

Welcome to the 9 new hungry minds who have joined us since last Monday! 🤯If you aren’t subscribed, join smart, curious, and hungry folks by subscribing here.

In this week's issue:

• 🗞️ Hugging Face raises $235M in Series D funding at $4.5B valuation, Python in Excel combines the power of Python and the ease of Excel, and Facebook introduces Code Llama, an AI tool for coding

• 🛠️ Explore the trend of multi-agent systems for AI-driven software development, script faster as a dev with 1 simple tool, and understand LLMs in simple terms and with a bit of math jargon

• 💡 Steal this business idea: RocketDev, the next generation of helpers for software engineers assisted by AI

Reading time: 7 minutes

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Food for Thought

Sharpen your mindset

Mindset: This quote reminds us that we have the ability to choose what we focus on and how we react to situations. Negative energy can drain us, distract us, and discourage us from pursuing our goals. By not entertaining negative energy, we can preserve our attention and use it to empower ourselves and others.

Example: One company that showcased this quote is Microsoft. The tech giant faced environmental issues and criticism for its carbon footprint. Instead of ignoring or denying the problem, Microsoft decided to invest in new technology, renewable energy, and green policies to become carbon-negative by 2030. By not entertaining negative energy, Microsoft turned a challenge into an opportunity and set a sustainability standard for the industry.

Action item: One tiny concrete action you can take today to apply this quote is to identify one source of negative energy in your life and avoid it. It could be a person, a situation, or a habit that makes you feel stressed, angry, or hopeless. Instead of giving your attention to that source, redirect it to something positive and productive that makes you feel happy, motivated, or inspired. Notice how this simple shift can improve your mood and energy level.

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The Weekly Pulse

Tech, AI, and business news worth your time

🐍 Python in Excel: Combining the Power of Python and the Ease of Excel (4 min)

Brief: Microsoft announces a Public Preview of Python in Excel, a feature that allows users to type Python code directly into Excel cells and run it in the Microsoft Cloud. Users can leverage the powerful analytics of Python and the popular libraries of Anaconda Distribution for Python, as well as the ease and familiarity of Excel's built-in connectors, formulas, pivot tables, and charts.

Takeaway: This feature is a significant evolution in the analytical capabilities available within Excel, as it enables users to create end-to-end solutions that seamlessly combine Python and Excel. Users can now access Python for visualizations, data cleaning, machine learning, predictive analytics, and more, all within Excel. This could open up new possibilities for creativity and efficiency across various industries and domains.

🤗 Hugging Face Raises $235M in Series D Funding at $4.5B Valuation (2 min)

Brief: Hugging Face, an AI company that provides a platform for AI developers to share code, models, and data sets, has raised $235m in a Series D funding round at a valuation of $4.5bn. The round was joined by several technology giants such as Google, Amazon, Salesforce Ventures, IBM, NVIDIA, AMD, Qualcomm Ventures, Intel and Sound Ventures.

Takeaway: This funding round reflects Hugging Face's ambition to stay ahead in the AI space and to provide tools for users to easily create and operate open-source AI models. Hugging Face supports the notion that most AI-related businesses will choose to build their own models or technology and will need tools to do so. Hugging Face aims to become an everyday tool for the growing number of AI builders who use its platform.

👓 Google's Project Moohan: A Failed Attempt to Catch Up with Apple's Vision Pro (4 min)

Brief: Google's Project Moohan, a collaboration with Samsung to develop an AR headset, was canceled after years of internal turmoil, leadership changes, and talent loss. The project was supposed to compete with Apple's Vision Pro, a revolutionary AR/VR device that was unveiled in 2022.

Takeaway: Google's failure to deliver a viable AR product shows its lack of vision and direction in the emerging AR/VR market, which is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade. Apple, on the other hand, has demonstrated its innovation and leadership in the field, creating a new standard for AR/VR experiences. Google will have to work hard to regain its relevance and credibility in the AR/VR space or risk losing out on a huge opportunity.

🌕 India Makes History with Successful Landing on Moon's South Pole (2 min)

Brief: India becomes the first country to land a rover on the Moon's unexplored southern pole, a region that may contain water ice and other scientific discoveries. The Chandrayaan-3 mission is India's second attempt to reach the Moon after a failed landing in 2019.

Takeaway: This achievement showcases India's space prowess and its ambition to explore the final frontier. The Pragayan rover will conduct experiments and observations on the lunar surface, which could reveal new insights into the origin and evolution of the Moon and its potential for future exploration.

👩‍💻 Code Llama: Facebook's New AI Tool for Coding (2 min)

Brief: Facebook released Code Llama, a large language model that can generate and discuss code from text prompts. Code Llama is based on Llama 2, Facebook's previous language model, but has been further trained on code-specific datasets. Code Llama supports many popular programming languages and can be used for tasks like code completion and debugging.

Takeaway: Code Llama is a remarkable example of how AI can enhance human productivity and creativity in the field of software development. By releasing Code Llama for both research and commercial use, Facebook aims to foster an open and collaborative approach to AI innovation. Code Llama could also lower the barrier to entry for people who are learning to code, as it can provide guidance and feedback along the way.

👩‍🎨 Snapchat to launch Dreams, a generative AI feature that lets you create your own fantasy scenarios (4 min)

Brief: Snapchat is working on a new generative AI feature called Dreams, which will allow users to take or upload selfies and generate new images of themselves in imaginative backgrounds. The feature will also include Dreams with Friends, where users can give permission to their friends to create these fantasy images with them. Snapchat may also offer Dream Packs for purchase, which could provide more options for the AI scenarios.

Takeaway: Dreams is Snapchat's latest experiment with generative AI, a branch of AI that can create new content and data from existing ones. The feature could appeal to Snapchat's young and creative user base, who are always looking for new ways to express themselves and have fun with their friends. Dreams could also give Snapchat an edge over other social media platforms, which are also investing in AI-powered features and tools.

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The Rabbit Hole

Tools, trends, and resources curated to get you ahead

DEV TIP (git commands) → Customize your git log command so that it stops looking ugly

TOOL (script anything) → An amazing tool to boost your daily workflows (automation, script, and shortcuts) at your fingertips

DEEP DIVE (game dev) → Ever wondered how game development differs from regular development? I got you.

TREND (devops GPT) → A multi-agent system for AI-driven software development: natural language to working software

TOOL (github gold) → Open source Foundational models from Meta for SOTA speech and text translation

DEEP DIVE (LLMs for normies) → LLMs explained in simple terms and with a bit of math jargon

ARTICLE (backend design) → A study on bottlenecks of resilience and observability from M. Fowler

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What If?

The business idea you should steal

What? A tool that uses AI to automate software development tasks based on natural language requirements. It would combine LLMs with DevOps tools to convert natural language requirements into working software.

How? The tool would use a multi-agent system that consists of several LLMs specialized for different aspects of software development, such as design, coding, testing, deployment, and documentation. The tool would take natural language requirements as input, parse them into structured specifications, and generate code snippets or commands for various programming languages and platforms. The tool would also use DevOps tools to integrate, test, deploy, and monitor the software.

Why? This idea aims to improve software development efficiency, quality, and accessibility. It would enable developers to focus on high-level logic and creativity rather than low-level details and syntax. It would also lower the barriers for non-developers to create software applications without coding skills. The tool could monetize by offering subscription plans based on features, languages, platforms, and support. The global software development market size is expected to reach USD 626.8 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 11.7%.

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Burp-A-Laugh

The most important meal of your day

That’s it for today! ☀️

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Thanks for spending part of your Monday morning with Hungry Minds.
See you in a week — Alex.