Build vs. Buy

Matan-Paul Shetrit, Director of Product at Writer AI

Episode Summary

Matan-Paul Shetrit, Director of Product at Writer, joins Mang-Git to discuss the evolving AI landscape. Matan shares insights from his career in tech, highlighting his time at Flexport, Brex, and A-Team, and delves deep into Writer's offerings including AI Studio, no-code applications, and developer APIs. They explore the build vs. buy dilemma and the real costs and benefits of fine-tuning AI models versus using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Matan also touches on the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into large enterprises, and the importance of tailoring solutions to both technical and non-technical users.

Episode Notes

Matan-Paul Shetrit, Director of Product at Writer (www.writer.com), joins Mang-Git to discuss the evolving AI landscape. Matan shares insights from his career in tech, highlighting his time at Flexport, Brex, and A-Team, and delves deep into Writer's offerings including AI Studio, no-code applications, and developer APIs. They explore the build vs. buy dilemma and the real costs and benefits of fine-tuning AI models versus using Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Matan also touches on the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI into large enterprises, and the importance of tailoring solutions to both technical and non-technical users.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:43 Guest Background and Experience

04:14 Writer AI's Evolution and Offerings

06:48 Enterprise Solutions and Custom Applications

13:03 Build vs. Buy: Personal Insights

15:06 Challenges and Lessons from Flexport

22:51 Brex and Marqeta: Strategic Decisions

26:21 Navigating Spend Management Tools

26:35 AI Models: Build In-House or Use Vendors?

29:15 The Debate on Fine-Tuning AI Models

32:49 Cost Implications of Training AI Models

36:41 Balancing Simplicity and Usefulness in AI

41:52 Personal and Professional Reflections

45:04 Product Recommendations and Final Thoughts