Resident Showcase: Price Insight with Anton Hughes

Angus Pauley interviews co-founder of Price Insight, Anton Hughes.

Price Insight is a pioneer in Explainable Artificial Intelligence in finance. For many traders and investors several hours research is required before making each trade. Price Insight saves traders time by finding and delivering trading opportunities in real time via our mobile app. 

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Are there any thought leaders in AI you would recommend people read/listen up on?

There is so much happening in the AI field. Its hard to suggest a single thought leader.

What is a common misconception or something which people often get wrong about AI? Is there a piece of bad advice you hear often?

The main misconception is in thinking that AI is close to human level intelligence. While AI research and development is rapidly progressing we are still a long way from this level of intelligence.

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How do you feel about the doomsday prophecies of AI (a la Skynet)?

That is a very interesting question. For people who are not working with AI they often think of Terminator like scenarios. Or perhaps worry about losing their job to AI. These concerns are real and are being discussed. AI is still very early in its development. However - even at this early stage there are risks. Samsung, for example, famous as a mobile phone manufacturer, also manufactures an autonomously fired gun - it can detect and decide to shoot people.

The risks of AI are real. Fortunately there are organizations working to contain these risks. The UN has opened a center specifically around monitoring the risks of AI from rogue states and organized crime. Also Elon Musk has founded the OpenAI project in an effort to bring about safe AI.

Is there a particular application of AI outside of financial investment that you are particularly excited about? Or a particular application of AI you seem to talk to others more than any other?

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One of the biggest developments in biotech is CRISPR/Cas9 which makes gene editing much easier and cheaper than previous approaches. Machine Learning and Artifical Intelligence is being applied to CRISPR/Cas9 with the aim of significantly advancing the area of gene editing. This could potentially bring about some really mind boggling developments.

What were you doing before Price Insight? 

Prior to Price Insight I co-founded another fintech startup. And before that I was working in for a bank in Scandinavia, in both the business and technology related areas of the bank.

Was there a particular moment of frustration or an a-ha moment in which you came up with the idea for Price Insight? What was that moment like?

There was not one - but many - moments of both frustration and eureka. Founding a startup is an rollercoaster ride made up of 100s of these moments.

How large is the Price Insight team? How did you meet your team?

Besides myself there are 6 others including AI experts, data scientists, researchers and software engineers.

If you could recruit one famous person to Price Insight right now, who would you recruit? Why? 

That's an interesting question. There are plenty of smart minds that have helped develop AI. But I dont know how these people are to work with. I dont know how they would fit in with the team. Also, typically software, and AI developers are a team effort. So if I could recruit a team it would be Deepmind guys. This is the group who developed AlphaGo, the AI that beat the world Go champion.

Did you have a particular moment or group of moments at FoundX that you tend to remember when you look back on the night?

No one single moment. I would say most memorable aspect of the evening was the strong community spirit of the night. It was great to sense, and be part of, the growing Dunedin startup community.

How do people currently solve the problem, Price Insight solves? 

Typically active traders and investors will spend several hours analysing market data looking for trading opportunities. Price Insight finds trading opportunities using various AI methods, such as Reinforcement Learning. We also provide an explanation for the opportunities that we discover. Simply put, we save investors a of time.

What is the most frustrating part of building a digital product?

Marketing. Its incredibly hard to get awareness.

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If you could time-travel – what advice would you give yourself about starting Price insight? 

Meditate more.

Do you have a strange habit or something you do which you consider absurd/odd? For example I always touch the outside of a plane for good luck before flying.

I also do that!

Finally, If you could put anything on a billboard that would be seen by millions of people, what would you choose?

This -

INTERVIEW BY ANGUS PAULEY

#9

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FEATURE ON THE STARTUP DUNEDIN BLOG CONTACT US AT HELLO@STARTUPDUNEDIN.NZ

The Distiller Resident Showcase: Kitt with Aleks Dahlberg

Aleks Dahlberh - Co-founder of property management software, Kitt.

Angus Pauley interviews "Co-founder and Dark lord Sauron"  of Kitt; Aleks Dahlberg, on everything from AI to the heart warming speeches of Bernard Hill and Viggo Mortense.

Kitt is property management software which simplifies property management for landlords and investors. They make communicating with tenants, maintenance, expenses, tracking rent and finances easy and inexpensive. Kitt is built on top of an AI driven banking API and harnesses leading automation software which allows them to do it all.
 

What were you doing before Kitt? 

Kitt has been multiple things. It actually started off as a product called Venturestay (or Wonderstay, you decide), which was sort of similar, but for landlords who rent specifically to working-tourists. It turned into a similar platform called Stayrs. However, after we became more serious and met with serious people - we saw the problem vividly and pivoted to Kitt.

Before that?

Previously I made a bunch of not-so-great web products that didn’t do much, and ran another web-design/graphic company to keep myself afloat. I also did another ‘start-up’ called Haggle with Kitt’s current CTO, David, back in 2014 (I think). That didn’t really go anywhere. 

And before that?

Before start-ups I was up to no good; just being a piece of work really. I knew I always wanted to run my own companies but delayed it to focus on causing trouble.

Was there an 'a-ha' moment in which you came up with the idea for Kitt? 

There was no ‘a-ha’ moment. I don’t even remember starting it. The first I thing I remember is Sam and I building it. That’s all I recall.

How did you come across The Distiller?

I first heard of The Distiller after Startup Weekend 2015. I came in a couple of times, but I didn't make much use of it then, which was probably unwise since the last 6 months here have been great!

What does the start of your day look like at The Distiller? 

I set up my laptop and then go through scribbles I made on a piece of paper the night before; reading my thoughts and to-dos. Then I remember I've already written them in my note book and procede to make a coffee.

How do people currently solve the problems Kitt solves?
Through either a pad and paper (which I am not against at all), or by using property agencies which are probably on average 500% more expensive than Kitt per month. 

How did you plan those initial conversations with landlords and property investors? Do people generally fear AI, or have you found it a good talking point?
To be honest when we first started talking to people, we winged it. Eventually, we knew what to talk about. 

In regards to AI: People like hearing the acronym AI, that’s all I’ve noticed.

How did you meet your team for Kitt? 
Good question.

Sam, I went to Highschool with. He was the only person I knew who did any web stuff outside of school. Naturally, we developed a bond.

David, I met through the PC game Counterstrike. We were in the same server and I asked if anyone knew how to code. Eventually, I got to know him.

Eugene, I met when I was working for someone else. He came in for a job interview. I met up with him afterwards and convinced him to work for me instead (for no money).

Scott, I have been friends with since highschool. He’s my flatmate now and is contracting to do some minor coding as well as clean up our messy front-end.

If you could recruit one famous person to the Kitt team, who would you recruit and why?

Probably Bernard Hill or Viggo Mortensen to give us heart warming, motivational speeches from The Lord of the Rings adapted to fit Kitt.

Something like the below:

This explains the second language listed on your Linkedin Profile. 
Correct! Sindarin is one of the Elven languages in Tolkien’s Arda (Lord of The Rings). 

@aleksdahlberg - Gram 1

You have an impressive Instagram boasting over 4000 followers. We've cherry picked a couple of images for you to give some more context to - can you explain these grams?
I post images on Unsplash and they often get posted elsewhere - that's where most of my followers have come from.

The first one (top left) is Seane (my girlfriend) contemplating a triple back-flip off of the rock at Tunnel Beach fully clothed - which is impressive.

@aleksdahlberg - Gram 2

The second (bottom left) is a piece of ice I found at Mackenzie that had scratches in it resembling the outline of the mountains in the foreground.

What would you caption this article when we share it on Instagram to make it go viral?
“Please don’t let this go viral” - post the question as well.

What’s next on the horizon for Kitt?
We are launching sometime in January. We're also raising funds again in the next few months.


And finally, if you could put anything on a billboard what would you choose? 
Some glue, so someone can attach some advertising to it.

AUTHOR: ANGUS PAULEY

#4

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO FEATURE ON THE STARTUP DUNEDIN BLOG CONTACT US AT HELLO@STARTUPDUNEDIN.NZ. 

Resident Showcase: Angus Pauley

Angus Pauley - Credit: Kat Hill Photography

An Interview with Startup Dunedin's marketing coordinator, Angus Pauley, about everything from Starting-up to cold showers. 

Angus Pauley is the marketing coordinator for Startup Dunedin. He is the youngest resident of the Distiller and will graduate next week with an arts degree majoring in Psychology. This week he sat down and gave us some insight into his life and journey at The Distiller. 

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How did you come across The Distiller and how long have you been a part of the space?

I didn't stumble across Dunedin's startup scene until my final year of University. I was lucky enough to be selected for Venture Up and spent most of my 2016/17 summer holiday building a disruptive digital marketing business with four other co-founders. Venture Up was hosted at AUT in Auckland and run by the Wellington-based CreativeHQ. When I came back to Otago I was looking for a co-working space that shared the same vibes as the accelerator and the then named "Startup Space" fit the bill. To be fair, I think the natural SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) of Startup Dunedin helped a fair bit!

What was your first visit like?

I came in for a fifteen minute chat with Casey to see if it was a good fit. That fifteen minute chat quickly turned into a well-over-an-hour chat. Needless to say we hit it off and I haven't looked back since. 

How do you start your day when you arrive at the Distiller?

I used to be quite strict on using Tim Ferriss style time management as I was trying to juggle business with full-time study and part-time work. This meant starting my day by carefully prioritising my to-do list and aiming to get the top two or three things done before I went to my first lecture of the day.

Now that I'm full time with Startup Dunedin I still do the same prioritising but will usually look after a couple of things within the Distiller first.

What book(s) have you gifted most to other people?

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F@#$ by Mark Manson. It really cuts through the BS and came to me during an important time in my life. It focuses on integrity, but in a very unorthodox way. It is anti-self-help - very raw and very honest. 

What makes you feel most relieved after a day's work?

It's a cliché but, exercise. Whether I go for a run, play some footy or head to the gym; it always gets rid of tension. I've actually just started playing twilight cricket on a Monday night with some of the lads from work. I've never looked forward to Mondays so much!

What purchase of $100 or less has most impacted your life most in the last 12 months? 

I'll cheat a little bit and say my flight to Auckland to my best friend's 21st. It was a small gathering of family and friends and I was really happy I could be a part of it. 

If it had to be a physical product then I would say the Honey/Apple Cider Vinegar/Cinnamon I started buying 4 months ago. Even as a psych grad I can't exactly identify the mechanisms this concoction works on but I've slept like a rock ever since I started drinking it. 

What is something you consider absurd that you love to do?

Anyone that has met me at The Distiller will know I'm big on cold showers. I absolutely love them and I can't leave the shower without having it all the way cold for at least a minute or two. If you're sceptical on the benefits I would recommend reading the research papers or at least looking up Wim Hof. 

Finally, if you could put anything on a billboard that could be seen by thousands of people, what would you choose?

"By definition, not everyone can be exceptional. And that's okay. Start anyway."

I'm mostly riffing off of the book question with this one. Sometimes it takes moving your attention away from being bigger, faster and stronger, to remember how to enjoy life now - and in a paradoxical way that can often get you to your goals faster.

...can you tell I took some Philosophy papers? 

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If you would like to feature on the Startup Dunedin blog contact us at hello@startupdunedin.nz.