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Its difficult to convince users to switch search engines. Thats one reason why public search service startups rarely succeed. Another is that its expensive to index a huge number of websites (Google has an estimated tens of billions of pages indexed), but one Y Combinator-backed company, Andi, is undeterred forging ahead to build an AI assistant that provides answers instead of links when searching online.

Andi was founded by Angela Hoover, who registered for YCs Startup School after dropping out of college and got into YCs Winter 2022 Batch. After working overseas in construction and with Microsoft as a data center project administrator, Hoover met Andis co-founder, Jed White, at the Denver airport upon her return to the U.S.

Hoover and White who had a background in AI and search, specifically content quality ranking, querying and classification talked about how bad web search had become for things like travel and what it would take to build a new type of search engine from scratch.

Gen-Z hates Google. To us, search is broken. We live on our phones in messaging apps with visual feeds like TikTok and Instagram, Hoover told TechCrunch in an email interview. Shes not conjecturing Google execs have admitted as much. I hear my friends say constantly that Google sucks. Search results are overwhelmed with ads, SEO spam and clutter. Gen-Z is so desperate for an alternative that were using TikTok as a search engine. We hate the invasive creepy ads, and how Google is Big Brother and surveils everything.

Image Credits: Andi

Hoover offers Andis AI-powered assistant as an alternative. The general-purpose system attempts to find and extract answers to questions, combining large language models akin to OpenAIs GPT-3 with live web data.

Behind the scenes, Andi extracts information from web results ranked for relevance to the question being asked as well as overall quality (although its not clear how Andi defines quality). Depending on the subject matter, the platform uses different AI systems tailored for specific verticals (e.g. factual knowledge, programming or consumer health) and language models that generate answers by combining knowledge across multiple sources (e.g. Wolfram Alpha, Forbes, The New York Times, etc.).

Its one step beyond Googles featured snippets, which pull text from webpages to answer commonly asked questions, and closer to so-called cognitive search engines such as Amazon Kendra and Microsoft SharePoint Syntex that draw on knowledge bases to cobble together answers. Startups like Hebbia, Kagi and You.com also leverage AI to return specific content from the web in response to queries as opposed to straightforward lists of results.

So what sets Andi apart? Unlike some of its competitors, Hoover claims it doesnt charge for its service nor record personally identifiable information. Andi also doesnt log and store searches or the results people read or click on, only using coarse location data to improve the relevance of search results.

Even when we add the option for user accounts in future, we will only collect and retain sufficient data to help our customers use the service effectively, when they want to create an account or be remembered between devices and sessions, and to improve the service we provide, Hoover said. Users tell us that Andi can save them 15 or 20 minutes searching, and have been asking us to let them use it with their own team and personal data As we improve the question answering tech and add support to connect to private data sources, we think this has massive potential.

Image Credits: Andi

To filter out info that might be misleading or patently untrue Hoover says that Andi uses techniques including blocklists and ranking metrics. Misinformation is an evolving issue, of course one Google itself has struggledwith. But Hoover expressed confidence in the technical steps Andi has taken to mitigate the impact.

Every other new search startup out there is making yet another weaker copy of Google with the same cluttered page of blue links targeted at a web browser, with more or less variation on ads and privacy practices, she averred. The content you see in [Andis] results is retrieved from the source live wherever possible, rather than from a stale index. The question answering is improving rapidly, and in many areas is already excellent.

In a quick experiment, I fed a couple of controversial queries into Andi and found that the search engine handled them quite adeptly, consistently pointing to factual sources. A search for Who really won the 2020 election? yielded the answer Joe Biden, while the query Are COVID-19 vaccines fake? pulled an article from Forbes debunking pandemic conspiracy theories.

Andi is still very much in alpha and intends to stay lean while it iterates based on feedback from early users, Hoover says. The startup will have tough decisions to make. As a New Yorker notes, search algorithms are susceptible to various biases, for example only prioritizing websites that use modern web technologies. They also open the door to bad actors. In 2020, Pinterest took advantage of a quirk of Googles image search algorithm to surface more of its content in Google Image searches.

As it wrestles with these issues, Andis team continues to suss out its business model. While the core service will remain free, Hoover says that Andi will eventually offer paid pro and business plans with premium features and API access, letting customers use Andis search and question-answering capabilities with paid content, personal data, and internal company and team data.

Image Credits: Andi

Paid features are probably the right route to go, considering Googles share of the global search market has held steady at more than 90% for most of the past decade. Bing trails with 3.4%, followed by Yahoo! (full disclosure: TechCrunchs parent company) at 1.34%, according to Statcounter.

To fund the development of these features and potential partnerships with alternative search engines, Andi recently raised $2.5 million, which including backing from YC, Gaingels, GoodWater Capital, K20 Fund, Acacia Venture Capital Partners, Fepo Capital and BBQ Capital, as well as a small family and friends round.

Weve kept our burn rate low, working as digital nomads out of Mexico to extend our runway, and staying frugal. Even after we add AI developers and increase our model training costs, we have well over two years of runway, Hoover said. Were using the funds to improve our proprietary generative AI for complex question answering, and the search of vertical searches and APIs tech that Andi uses to combine large language models with live data, especially: AI model development and training, adding some more AI developers to our team and hosting and inference costs as we start to grow usage once we get closer to product market fit At this early stage, were focused on making really great search that our users love, ahead of generating revenue.

Andi doesnt collect detailed metrics, but Hoover estimates that the search engine has around 5,000 users at present. Andi plans to add a full-time AI developer before the end of the year, which would bring its total headcount to three, including Hoover and White.

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Employers must provide health insurance for full-time workers depending on the companys size. Did you know that some employers extend coverage to part-time workers, too? Tap or click here for 10 employers offering health insurance for people working less than 30 hours per week.

Whether youre looking for full or part-time work, the right skills will help you stand out to employers. While employment history is the first thing that comes to mind when crafting a resume, there are other, more practical strengths youll want to include.

Here are 10 skills employers look for to help you land your dream job.

Most people cant rely on a friend or family member to open the door to a job position or interview. Even if you do know someone, its not as important as what you have to offer.

LinkedIn compared the top skills professionals had in 2015 to those they have for the same jobs today. The result was a list of 20 skills found in 78% of jobs posted on LinkedIn from May 1 to July 31 worldwide.

The skills were divided into two categories: soft and hard.

Soft skills relate to how you work. Are you good with people? How well do you communicate and listen? Are you a team player, or do you work better independently?

Soft skills are difficult to measure and define. Its more of a general sense of what type of person you are and how it affects your performance. Reading the room is an essential soft skill.

No matter what you do, however, soft skills are important. Lets look at a common situation. Two people are employed at a company for roughly the same amount of time doing similar work. An opportunity for promotion comes up, and both are interviewed.

Employees with superior social skills can make a better case as to why they deserve the job. They know how to present themselves and their abilities. Theyll likely be the ones to land the new gig.

RELATED: Best gigs for seniors to make extra cash without a 9 to 5 job

Hard skills are easier to define. These are what you know and come from job experience and training. Are you good at taking dictation? Do you have experience using social media? How good are you with spreadsheets?

Hard skills can generally be measured for example, how many words per minute you can type or how proficient you are at a foreign language.

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10 skills you need to land the job you want right now - Komando

Six years ago, I wrote an article, How I Used My Law Degree To Get Out Of Law, in the HuffPost. I was a contributor to the platform and at the very beginning of my full-time journey from lawyer to entrepreneur. That article set the wheels in motion for me to openly share my story with the world that yes, you can leave law and find success in doing something else that you love.

Since then, Ive responded to hundreds of messages from dissatisfied or frustrated lawyers who want to do something else with their legal career besides traditional practice at a law firm. I know that feeling all too well in addition to the sentiments that my parents reiterated to me, Choose a job you will love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

That specific Confucius quote sat in a frame and hung on the wall in my dads office for more than 15 years, and it became the impetus for me to seek out my own career happiness and fulfillment. To him, it meant that while every day wasnt perfect, doing work should bring you energy and joy.

If youve reached a career crossroads, whether youre at the beginning, middle, or tail end, ask yourself: is it the environment or the work thats truly the root of the issue? For example, you might not fit in with the culture of Biglaw, but you might thrive in an in-house environment. You might enjoy the work of complex M&A transactions but feel more at ease if its not contingent on the billable hour or high-volume work.

It takes a special type of personality to thrive in a law firm environment, especially in a highly competitive and cutthroat one such as Biglaw. I knew early on it wasnt for me based on my own negative experiences. And, while I excelled at smaller and midsized firms tackling big motions and hearings, the billable hour debilitated me. Firms said they didnt have strict billable hours, but the reality was quite different: if you didnt bill more than 200 hours per month, you were questioned. Vacations were also nonexistent and frowned upon. A sick day just meant working from home and still being expected to bill 12-plus hours a day. I was simply a cog in the wheel permeating an unsustainable way of life.

It wasnt until I gained a glimpse of what in-house counsel work entailed that I truly thrived and felt the career love, along with collaboration, leadership, and a human-first culture that I yearned to encounter. For the first time in my legal career, I took a vacation without guilt and without question. I brainstormed with colleagues, and we worked in a copacetic fashion rather being gaslighted, disrespected, and undermined. I worked closely with other leaders in the business and became exposed to various personalities that worked for the common good of the business.

I share this because if law firm life isnt for you, consider exploring other legal environments that might offer you something different before you decide to exit. This means networking with lawyers who are corporate counsels or in other nontraditional legal roles such as contracts managers, compliance officers, or even legal and management consultants. Find people who are where you want to be (or may want to be) now, five years from now, and 10 years from now. They will have different insights at different steps in the journey. In doing so, you can explore alternative legal careers as compared to traditional practice. Remember, you have wide access to networking with these professionals on LinkedIn. Take advantage of it.

Additionally, there will be common themes you find within your legal career that speak to your strengths and the parts of your work you enjoy the most. For example, in high school, I spent my weekends competing at local, state, and national debate tournaments. In college, I did pro bono writing and tutoring. In law school, I took electives that were focused on writing and analysis. In my legal career, I was always the designated brief writer and deeply enjoyed the process of researching and writing the dispositive and discovery motions, and then arguing them in court.

Each of these examples point back to my strengths and passion for analysis, writing, and public speaking all of which are present in my current work. Writing has been my forte for as long as I can remember. I expanded that skill set in a different arena: professional writing and coaching. This has required me to continue to advance and deepen that skill set through my own professional development and training (such as getting certifications in resume writing, career coaching, and personal branding to elevate my skills).

The other side to this is that running my own successful writing and coaching business isnt easy or glamorous I work an unbelievable number of hours to consult with potential clients, coach current clients, and write their resumes, bios, and LinkedIn profiles. These aspects of running a business were pieces I had to acclimate to and were the deciding factors for why I remained a solopreneur instead of scaling up to run a business with a team (the latter is more common in my industry). If youre thinking of going solo or opening your own business, talk to someone whos done it and has been successful at it, financially and professionally, for seven or more years. Find out the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Have a question about finding happiness or joy in your legal career? Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn.

Wendi Weiner is anattorney, career expert, and founder ofThe Writing Guru, an award-winning executive resume writing services company. Wendicreates powerful career and personal brands for attorneys, executives, and C-suite/Board leaders for their job search and digital footprint.She also writes for major publications about alternative careers for lawyers,personal branding, LinkedIn storytelling, career strategy, and the job search process.You can reach her by email atwendi@writingguru.net, connect with her onLinkedIn, and follow her on Twitter@thewritingguru.

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How To Find Joy And Fulfillment In Your Legal Career - Above the Law

Power Moves is a column where we chart the comings and goings of talent across the region. Got a new hire, gig or promotion? Email us: pittsburgh@technical.ly.

Cassie Guerin describes herself as a boomerang.

The Pittsburgh native has left the city before, but always ends up returning. And in her professional life, she told Technical.ly that she always tries to return to pursuits that make her sing. Throughout her career thats happened as a yoga instructor, putting her environmental studies degree to use as a green infrastructure researcher, and founding Miror, a virtual hosting platform focused on mental health.

As a big believer in therapy, she noticed a problem when people were feeling especially isolated in 2020: There were a lot of people who needed to talk, but they didnt necessarily know where to go to seek support. While Miror isnt specifically a therapy app, Guerin said, it does convene people who are tackling similar issues related to cultural, social and mental health topics. The startup has participated in the local AlphaLab accelerator.

Although she said she never saw herself in the tech field, shes enjoyed being able to use the platform to bring people together. In 2021 she met Lynsie Campbell, founder and managing director of Better Work Ventures, a startup studio that partners with overlooked founders to create community-driven tech companies, when Campbell attended one of the gatherings Guerin was hosting called Fempreneur for women entrepreneurs. Campbell felt the sense of community Guerin was cultivating was just what Better Work Ventures was looking for, and the two began collaborating professionally.

Now, in between her training to become a counselor herself and running her startup, Guerin will be joining Better Work Ventures to take charge of facilitating meetups for members of the orgs Community, as well as helping to create the orgs 12-month strategic plan.

Whether its through yoga or tech, Guerin wants to go wherever shell be able to help people improve themselves and their relationships with those around them.

I am excited to have conversations about the human [and] the personal aspects of starting and running a company, the entrepreneur said. Its easy to find conversations about accounting and legal and SEO, its harder to find a place for honest discussion about the personal challenges around being an entrepreneur finding balance between purpose and financial success between family and business success. People are at the core of companies. Lets talk about being human, not just a founder.

Black Tech National Ventures partners (L to R) Kelauni Jasmyn, Sean Sebastian and David Motley. (Courtesy photo)

Pittsburghs Gainvest and Black Tech Nation Ventures, respectively an investing startup and a venture capital firm, have been tapped by Google to receive funding.

For Gainvest, the funding comes through its Google for Startups Black Founders Fund. That fund was launched in 2020 with the goal of easing the constraints on Black-led startups and closing the racial funding gap. Recipients come to the fund via nomination or participation in a previous Google program and receive $100,000 in addition to hands-on support to aid them in their growth.

For Nashid Ali, the CEO and cofounder of Gainvest, the funding presents the chance to make up for missed opportunities.

I planned to sell Gainvest last year and part of me regretted not doing so, Ali said in a statement. Now, with this opportunity from Google, we have several new partnerships that will be announced before the end of the year 2022. These partnerships, along with Googles support, will help us remove some growing pains and finally scale to the powerful, mighty Gainvest.

Meter Feeder, the Pittsburgh startup founded by technologist Jim Gibbs, also received a $100,000 investment from Google for Startups Black Founders Fund in 2021.

Black Tech Nation Ventures is receiving an undisclosed amount from Google through a different program from parent company Alphabet. The org is one of six Black-led venture capital firms in the country to be selected for such funding as a part of $60 million that has been allocated from the CapitalG investment fund. The news comes amid Black Tech Nations own efforts to raise $50 million for Black and underserved startup founders.

Last week, Seegrid CEO Jim Rock announced that after eight years, hed be stepping down from the robotics company for personal reasons. While his next career move remains to be determined, hes not stepping away from the company entirely: As Joe Pajer, a seasoned CEO whos run three companies in the past decade, takes the reins, Rock plans to stick around as a shareholder and member of the Seegrid board of directors.

I have tremendous respect for, and confidence in the team, and want to thank everyone involved in growing Seegrid, including current and former employees, customers, partners, advisors and investors, Rock wrote in a public LinkedIn post. While I contemplate options for the next chapter of my professional life, I will continue to enthusiastically champion for Seegrids continued success in the burgeoning robotics and automation space.

This leadership changeup follows the August news that Seegrid had both raised $30 million of a planned $75 million round, and laid off around 90 employees.

Module Design Inc. has a mission to address the displacement due to the rising rents in many Pittsburgh neighborhoods by building affordable, energy-efficient homes. Now, after a few years of filling vacant lots across the city with sustainable housing, the South Side-based startup is one of six startups across the country to have been chosen to participate in the 2022 Housing Lab Cohort.

The accelerator which is hosted by The Housing Lab, a program of the California nonprofit Terner Housing Innovation Labs at UC Berkeley was founded in 2019, and the 11 startups the cohort has supported have received an estimated $340 million in funding since. With regard to cohort participants, they can look forward to receiving $75,000 in funding and six months of technical support and coaching.

The ventures selected for the 2022 Housing Lab Cohort address some of the root causes of our housing affordability, equity, and climate crises in the U.S., said Carol Galante, cofounder and CEO of The Housing Lab and founder and advisor of the Terner Center, in a statement. Their models and solutions are diverse, innovative, and can be scaled to reach communities all over the country, not just in their metro areas of origin.

Module earned third place and $250,000 at the Richard King Mellon Foundations first pitch competition in early 2022.

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Power Moves: Cassie Guerin joined Better Work Ventures and two Black-led orgs got Google funding - Technical.ly

London, Sept. 05, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ignite SEO offer skilled search engine optimisation services for businesses looking to boost their online credibility, rank higher and be more readily accessible on google, increase their brand awareness and to achieve a higher percentage of sustainable traffic.

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Whether you are a large, small or start-up business,Ignite SEO Londonhave the skills and experience to boost your search engine rankings, help you tap into the local market and stand out from your competition.

Their SEO London services have a variety of strategies to help improve your businesss online presence, and include:

More information

To find out more about Ignite SEO London and to see their full list of SEO services, please visit their website athttps://www.igniteseo.co.uk/services/seo-consultant/.

Source:https://thenewsfront.com/after-running-successful-seo-training-sessions-across-the-uk-ignite-seo-are-now-offering-their-expert-seo-services-in-london/

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After Running Successful SEO Training Sessions Across the UK, Ignite SEO Are Now Offering Their Expert SEO Services in London - GlobeNewswire