Built article intelligence system, created social media presence, established digital marketing foundation

date: 2025-06-25 time started: 10:08 AM time ended: 5:15 PM —

The Morning Momentum: From Planning to Execution

Day 1 begins with a clear agenda and a sense of urgency. The YC deadline of August 8th looms large, and I’m determined to make every day count. Today’s focus is split between media/marketing tasks and technical implementation - a balanced approach to building both the product and the brand.

Media & Marketing Foundation: Building Digital Presence

The Social Media Strategy

I’ve decided to establish a consistent social media presence across multiple platforms. The goal isn’t just visibility - it’s about documenting the journey and building an audience that can provide feedback and validation.

Timing: Media/marketing tasks scheduled for 3-4 PM to maintain focus on technical work in the morning.

Completed Tasks:

  • ✅ Instagram Page Created: Set up the foundation for visual content sharing
  • ✅ LinkedIn Company Page: Established professional presence for B2B connections

Pending Tasks:

  • Post about Day 0: Share the journey’s beginning with the community
  • Post about Day 1: Document today’s progress and insights

The Content Creation Dilemma

I’m grappling with a personal challenge: I’m not comfortable sharing that it’s me building this. This creates an interesting dynamic - I want to document and share the journey, but I’m hesitant about personal exposure. The solution? Focus on the product, the process, and the insights rather than the individual behind it.

The Plan: Use whatever platform I have to push content out, focusing on value delivery rather than personal branding.

Technical Implementation: The Article Scraping Workflow

The Core Problem

I identified a personal pain point: I don’t read enough. There’s a constant stream of relevant articles, but I struggle to shortlist and consume them effectively. The solution? Build an intelligent workflow that does the heavy lifting.

The MVP Vision: Article Intelligence System

Based on the Briefs project, I’m implementing a comprehensive article management system with these core features:

1. Fetch: Automated Article Collection

  • Source Strategy: Initially, I’m thinking NOTHING - no pre-filtering of sources
  • Coverage: Major tech, AI, data, and startup news sources
  • Question: How do you shortlist sources effectively?

2. Deduplicate: Intelligent Content Merging

  • Challenge: Merge duplicate/similar stories from different sources
  • Approach: Summarize first, then identify overlaps
  • Question: How does this deduplication process work in practice?

3. Summarize: Smart Content Condensation

  • Requirements:
    • Include article titles
    • Highlight important quantifiables in both title and summary
    • Provide short, clean summaries
  • Goal: Quick comprehension without losing critical details

4. Curate: Intelligent Content Management

  • Like System: Allow “liking” articles for later reading
  • Storage Strategy: Don’t store articles in memory initially - just maintain links
  • Reading Workflow: When I actually read a liked article, mark it as “read” and store the full content with a more verbose summary
  • Future Use: This stored content will be used for content creation

5. Track: Avoid Repetition

  • Goal: Never show the same news twice
  • Implementation: Smart tracking system to prevent duplicate consumption

Current Progress

  • ✅ Base Version Ready: Pulls real articles with good linking system
  • ✅ Better Summarization: Improved content processing and discarding
  • ✅ Streamlit Deployment: Successfully deployed to Streamlit for easy access
  • Social Media Integration: Push curated content to social platforms

YC Research: Understanding the Application Process

The Research Mission

I’ve been diving deep into YC’s application process, trying to understand:

  • YC success stories and how people got in
  • What separates successful applicants from others
  • How applications should be structured
  • YC’s validation process
  • Networking opportunities with YC alumni
  • Whether a complete plan is necessary

The Emotional Reality: I am scared

This admission is important. The YC application process is intimidating, and I’m being honest about that fear. But fear doesn’t mean avoidance - it means preparation.

The Critical Question: Why Apply vs. Stay Focused?

I’m wrestling with a fundamental question: Why should I even apply to YC versus staying focused on what I set out to do?

This isn’t about doubt - it’s about strategic alignment. The goal is to ensure that applying to YC serves the broader mission rather than becoming a distraction.

Content Strategy: Leveraging Daily Work for Social Media

The Daily Content Loop

I’m planning to create a sustainable content creation system:

  • Daily Updates: Update GitHub MkDocs every day
  • Content Generation: Use information collected each day to create social media posts
  • Platform Utilization: Leverage all available platforms to push content

The Anonymous Approach

Since I’m not comfortable with personal exposure, the strategy is to focus on:

  • Product development insights
  • Technical challenges and solutions
  • Market research findings
  • Industry trends and analysis

The Article Shortlisting Challenge

The Problem

My original plan was to manually shortlist articles I want to read about, but this creates a new problem: I have to shortlist a whole lot.

The Solution: Agent/Workflow Automation

The answer lies in building some sort of agent/workflow system that can:

  • Automatically identify relevant content
  • Pre-filter based on my interests
  • Present curated options for final selection

Key Insights and Learnings

The MVP Mindset

Today reinforced the importance of building something that works, even if it’s not perfect. The article scraping system is a perfect example - start with basic functionality and iterate based on real usage.

The Balance Between Building and Sharing

I’m learning to balance technical implementation with content creation. Both are essential for building a successful startup - the product and the story around it.

The Fear Factor

Acknowledging fear is the first step to overcoming it. Whether it’s YC applications or personal exposure, being honest about discomfort allows for better strategic planning.

Next Steps: From Day 1 to Day 2

  1. Complete Social Media Posts: Share Day 0 and Day 1 content
  2. Enhance Article System: Add social media integration
  3. Continue YC Research: Develop a clear pros/cons list for application
  4. Plan Day 2: Structure tomorrow’s priorities

The Journey Continues

Day 1 has been about laying foundations - both technical and strategic. The article scraping system is taking shape, social media presence is being established, and I’m gaining clarity on the YC application decision.

The key insight from today: Progress happens when you balance execution with reflection. Building the product is essential, but so is documenting the journey and sharing the learnings.

Day 1 complete. The momentum builds.

This post is part of my startup journey documentation. Follow along as I navigate the challenges of building an AI startup from scratch.

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