🦉
AI Engineering Handbook
About
  • Hey
  • Tech Stack
  • ML to AI Shift
  • Agentic Systems
  • Anti Patterns
  • AI Engineer
  • Roles Reimagined
  • Dream Team
  • System
    • Architecture
    • Start Simple
    • Enhance Context
    • Implement Guardrails
    • Add Routing and Gateway
    • Optimise with Caching
    • Enable Agent Patterns
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On this page
  • 🏗️ Basic Architecture
  • 🤔 Why Start Simple?
  • Easy Entry
  • Validate Problems
  • Fast Iteration
  • Avoid Waste
  • 🔧 Initial Steps
  • Start with Prompts
  • Test and Improve
  • Add Examples
  • 💰 Cost Benefits
  1. System

Start Simple

PreviousArchitectureNextEnhance Context

Last updated 6 days ago

User query → AI model → response. No frills. Just working code.

Build this first. Add complexity later.

🏗️ Basic Architecture

imple flow:

  • User sends query

  • App forwards to AI model

  • Model responds

  • User gets response

Use third-party APIs (OpenAI, Google, Anthropic) or self-hosted models. No context, guardrails, or optimisation yet.

🤔 Why Start Simple?

Easy Entry

APIs make AI accessible. Anyone can start. No code sometimes.

Validate Problems

Ask these first:

  • Is this app needed?

  • Does this need AI?

  • Must I build this?

  • Am I forcing AI where it doesn't fit?

Fast Iteration

Quick demos. Fast feedback. Real usage data.

Avoid Waste

Cool demos ≠ profitable products. Simple prevents:

  • Complex architecture costs

  • Premature model development

  • Wasted resources

‼️ Invest in data and models after proving value.

🔧 Initial Steps

Start with Prompts

Prompt engineering = easiest adaptation. Write instructions. No model changes. Success examples:

  • Jasper AI - Content platform via prompts

  • Copy.ai - Marketing copy via GPT wrappers

  • Notion AI - Productivity via prompt integration

Prompts alone build profitable businesses.

Test and Improve

  • Test different prompts

  • Improve results

  • Fix bad processes

Add Examples

If prompts fail, add few-shot examples:

  • Show desired behaviour

  • Watch context limits

  • Mind the costs

💰 Cost Benefits

Simple = cheap:

  • Use existing models (no training)

  • Pay per API call

  • No infrastructure

  • No premature scaling

Focus on product validation first.

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