KC Tech Enthusiasts

Kansas City's own, Ryan Day, just published this very timely and useful book for O'Reilly. I've already learned a lot from it since Ryan does a great job walking you through specific setup and implementation helping you avoid lots of roadblocks and making good choices on specific technologies.

From Amazon:
Are you ready to grow your skills in AI and data science? A great place to start is learning to build and use APIs in real-world data and AI projects. API skills have become essential for AI and data science success, because they are used in a variety of ways in these fields. With this practical book, data scientists and software developers will gain hands-on experience developing and using APIs with the Python programming language and popular frameworks like FastAPI and StreamLit.
As you complete the chapters in the book, you'll be creating portfolio projects that teach you how to:

• Design APIs that data scientists and AIs love
• Develop APIs using Python and FastAPI
• Deploy APIs using multiple cloud providers
• Create data science projects such as visualizations and models using APIs as a data source
• Access APIs using generative AI and LLMs

Join us for KC Tech Enthusiasts' next book club meetup!

The Lean Startup by Eric Ries introduces a scientific, systematic approach to creating and managing startups in conditions of extreme uncertainty. Drawing inspiration from lean manufacturing, Ries advocates for rapid experimentation, frequent customer feedback, and iterative product development. Instead of relying on elaborate business plans, entrepreneurs are encouraged to develop hypotheses about their business ideas, test them with real customers using MVPs, and adjust their strategies based on data rather than assumptions.

The book is structured around three core themes: Vision, Steer, and Accelerate. “Vision” defines what it means to be an entrepreneur and introduces the concept of validated learning. “Steer” details the Build-Measure-Learn loop, emphasizing the importance of data-driven decisions and adaptability. “Accelerate” focuses on techniques for scaling innovation and sustaining growth. By following this framework, startups—and even established organizations—can reduce waste, increase efficiency, and improve their chances of building successful, sustainable businesses