Meeting Title: PoolParts AI Agent Kickoff Date: 2025-05-13 Meeting participants: Miguel De Veyra, Amber Lin
WEBVTT
1 00:00:01.850 ⇒ 00:00:03.120 Miguel de Veyra: Fuck? Is this.
2 00:00:19.360 ⇒ 00:00:20.750 Amber Lin: Hi.
3 00:00:20.750 ⇒ 00:00:21.780 Miguel de Veyra: Hey! Amber.
4 00:00:22.290 ⇒ 00:00:24.160 Amber Lin: Long time, no talk.
5 00:00:24.990 ⇒ 00:00:25.660 Miguel de Veyra: Yes.
6 00:00:26.228 ⇒ 00:00:28.500 Amber Lin: How has it been.
7 00:00:29.520 ⇒ 00:00:35.940 Miguel de Veyra: Oh, it’s been pretty okay. The past, at least.
8 00:00:36.810 ⇒ 00:00:38.829 Amber Lin: Really busy, would you say.
9 00:00:40.534 ⇒ 00:00:46.625 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, yeah. And then, of course, it’s another set of changes.
10 00:00:48.060 ⇒ 00:00:49.280 Amber Lin: What do you mean?
11 00:00:50.510 ⇒ 00:01:01.760 Miguel de Veyra: Like the cause. Of course we had, like a culture going, not really a culture, but a mini culture. Between. You know me, you and Casey, and then now it’s it’s another culture.
12 00:01:02.180 ⇒ 00:01:06.430 Amber Lin: Oh, wait! What is it? What is it like? What’s the difference.
13 00:01:07.690 ⇒ 00:01:12.990 Miguel de Veyra: I think the main difference right now, compared to our meetings before, is, that
14 00:01:13.720 ⇒ 00:01:21.160 Miguel de Veyra: are the meetings right now are just like very, very quick like none of it goes beyond, I would say 20 min.
15 00:01:21.523 ⇒ 00:01:21.886 Amber Lin: And
16 00:01:23.630 ⇒ 00:01:25.929 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, it’s like, very straight to the point.
17 00:01:26.960 ⇒ 00:01:27.305 Amber Lin: Hmm.
18 00:01:28.230 ⇒ 00:01:29.490 Miguel de Veyra: Because we no.
19 00:01:29.490 ⇒ 00:01:36.351 Amber Lin: Better way, like ideally. I will also like the meetings to be 20 min, but I just don’t think I was able to.
20 00:01:37.170 ⇒ 00:01:41.860 Miguel de Veyra: No, I think the reason why we could do that with Putam is because, you know.
21 00:01:42.900 ⇒ 00:01:55.399 Miguel de Veyra: he knows what he wants to do. And basically, I think the the reason why we were having a hard time was we were technically guessing on what we want, what we want or what he wants to do.
22 00:01:55.960 ⇒ 00:01:56.900 Amber Lin: Hmm.
23 00:01:56.900 ⇒ 00:02:03.739 Miguel de Veyra: So having him there. Right? You know. Okay, do this. Do that. Do this. Then we we know what to do like we don’t have to second guess.
24 00:02:04.410 ⇒ 00:02:21.597 Amber Lin: I see, I see, because I I remember, like we had all these sources. But then I was like, what is the what is the deliverable is like, what what are we when are we shipping but that you guys didn’t know what we are shipping? So it was like, I can’t even ask when.
25 00:02:21.910 ⇒ 00:02:22.590 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, yeah.
26 00:02:22.590 ⇒ 00:02:24.290 Amber Lin: What we’re doing.
27 00:02:24.290 ⇒ 00:02:36.909 Miguel de Veyra: And then, yeah, it’s just a lot. Because before, if we can do something, you know, we have, you have. We have to explain it to you, and then you have to explain to them. And then there’s gonna be, you know. Details will be lost in the
28 00:02:37.310 ⇒ 00:02:55.580 Miguel de Veyra: in the translation, of course, and then go back, and it’s a long process. But right now, if if I don’t think it’s possible, I’ll just tell them. You know I’m not sure, if it’s possible. It’s it probably is, but it’s gonna take a lot more time, probably like 2 to 3 days. Do we want to do that? Probably not. Then don’t do it.
29 00:02:56.506 ⇒ 00:02:59.359 Amber Lin: I see. So I I think it says
30 00:02:59.590 ⇒ 00:03:14.010 Amber Lin: like one. He is the stakeholder and 2 he he is more immersed with the technology. So he can also say, like, Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s not do it. Also, he pays. So okay.
31 00:03:14.010 ⇒ 00:03:15.620 Miguel de Veyra: Also he pays the salary.
32 00:03:18.084 ⇒ 00:03:18.659 Amber Lin: So.
33 00:03:18.660 ⇒ 00:03:19.490 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, I know.
34 00:03:20.650 ⇒ 00:03:40.030 Amber Lin: I know I know it’s like it’s a lot easier for me to get motivated when Robert tells me to do something versus like I just have this task to do. But it it’s interesting, because most of the time I do work directly with them. So I guess I am motivated because they pay my bills.
35 00:03:41.450 ⇒ 00:03:49.410 Miguel de Veyra: It’s a lot, you know, like, Okay, if I don’t do this, or if something gets messed up, the per, the person who actually pays me will.
36 00:03:49.780 ⇒ 00:03:50.140 Amber Lin: We’ll see.
37 00:03:50.140 ⇒ 00:03:51.120 Miguel de Veyra: Very happy.
38 00:03:51.610 ⇒ 00:03:53.059 Amber Lin: Yeah, I know.
39 00:03:53.060 ⇒ 00:03:54.212 Miguel de Veyra: Good face of you.
40 00:03:55.620 ⇒ 00:04:03.140 Amber Lin: Do you think there’s a like a difference in communication, in in how the teams communicate right now versus before.
41 00:04:04.706 ⇒ 00:04:08.139 Miguel de Veyra: I think there’s a lot a lot less chatter, I would say.
42 00:04:08.750 ⇒ 00:04:09.550 Amber Lin: Oh!
43 00:04:09.550 ⇒ 00:04:13.379 Miguel de Veyra: Comes in there tells, hey, let’s do this. Do this. Do this.
44 00:04:13.670 ⇒ 00:04:21.059 Miguel de Veyra: Are there any blockers? Okay, here’s a blocker. I’ll tell him something. Okay, what can we do? Do we do we have to do this? No.
45 00:04:21.630 ⇒ 00:04:31.919 Miguel de Veyra: or is it gonna be? You know it’s gonna be. Is that blocker blocking anything else? If not, then let’s move on. If yes, then what’s the best way to approach this cause? It’s also technical, right?
46 00:04:32.530 ⇒ 00:04:34.380 Amber Lin: So he could help on that part.
47 00:04:35.190 ⇒ 00:04:40.440 Amber Lin: I see, I see, so it seems like he’s very. He’s very straightforward, and does it like?
48 00:04:40.620 ⇒ 00:04:49.369 Amber Lin: Are the questions somewhat sometimes uncomfortable to answer, because I’ve been trying to learn, and maybe I just need to ask more uncomfortable questions.
49 00:04:49.780 ⇒ 00:04:57.919 Miguel de Veyra: The thing for me is that I’m fine with uncomfortable questions. Casey is not really as good as handling it, and then I think most people are.
50 00:04:58.050 ⇒ 00:04:59.550 Miguel de Veyra: but it’s just, you know.
51 00:04:59.820 ⇒ 00:05:04.580 Miguel de Veyra: I went through a lot of abuse when I was a child, so I’m pretty much fine with it.
52 00:05:04.580 ⇒ 00:05:05.659 Amber Lin: Who is in this.
53 00:05:05.930 ⇒ 00:05:06.860 Miguel de Veyra: So I can have.
54 00:05:09.201 ⇒ 00:05:15.948 Amber Lin: You’re like, yeah, I went through abuse when I was when I was a kid. So I can handle abuse in the workplace, too.
55 00:05:16.230 ⇒ 00:05:25.349 Miguel de Veyra: That’s why, like most of the time, like, you know when things are hitting, heating up and stuff cause I remember one time, Connor, I’m not sure if you
56 00:05:25.610 ⇒ 00:05:28.440 Miguel de Veyra: if you were still here, if you were already here when Connor was here.
57 00:05:28.990 ⇒ 00:05:29.920 Miguel de Veyra: But basically.
58 00:05:29.920 ⇒ 00:05:30.670 Amber Lin: Think so.
59 00:05:30.670 ⇒ 00:05:43.659 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, him and utam were like butting heads and stuff. And then Casey was feeling the pressure. And then I was like, Yeah, that’s fine normal fighting. I mean that. But that’s how I was raised like everyone was always shouting everywhere.
60 00:05:44.080 ⇒ 00:05:45.370 Amber Lin: Oh, goodness!
61 00:05:45.370 ⇒ 00:05:47.819 Miguel de Veyra: So it’s fine for me, like, you know.
62 00:05:48.030 ⇒ 00:05:55.290 Miguel de Veyra: even with Casey. I tell him if you think something is not right, just tell me all, all, you know. Try not to be an asshole about it, of course, but.
63 00:05:55.290 ⇒ 00:05:55.940 Amber Lin: No.
64 00:05:55.940 ⇒ 00:06:05.480 Miguel de Veyra: Thought straight. That’s why I remember. I think the last time we had a call with Utam. You mentioned that, you know it was a pretty hard call. I was like.
65 00:06:05.830 ⇒ 00:06:07.487 Miguel de Veyra: yeah, it was okay.
66 00:06:08.216 ⇒ 00:06:09.029 Amber Lin: We’ve been.
67 00:06:09.030 ⇒ 00:06:09.630 Miguel de Veyra: No worries.
68 00:06:10.978 ⇒ 00:06:16.551 Amber Lin: I. I also have Asian parents, but I guess I was the I was the lucky one. I was like.
69 00:06:16.830 ⇒ 00:06:22.129 Miguel de Veyra: No, I was. I was, I think, the worst experience. Sorry. I’m like trauma dumping here, but the.
70 00:06:22.130 ⇒ 00:06:22.959 Amber Lin: No, it’s okay.
71 00:06:22.960 ⇒ 00:06:32.130 Miguel de Veyra: I had was when when we missed this space, my sister and I was reading, and we were basically told to get out of the house, for, like overnight, find a place to live in.
72 00:06:32.670 ⇒ 00:06:35.790 Amber Lin: Wait what you miss you missed, or what, and then.
73 00:06:35.790 ⇒ 00:06:42.430 Miguel de Veyra: Page like we were reading this encyclopedia. And then they just told us to basically get out of the house for the night. We were 4 years old.
74 00:06:42.430 ⇒ 00:06:43.600 Amber Lin: Parents.
75 00:06:43.600 ⇒ 00:06:44.180 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah.
76 00:06:44.760 ⇒ 00:06:46.419 Amber Lin: Excuse me.
77 00:06:47.250 ⇒ 00:06:49.700 Miguel de Veyra: That’s why I that’s fine. It’d be.
78 00:06:49.700 ⇒ 00:06:51.540 Amber Lin: Oh, my! Gosh!
79 00:06:53.310 ⇒ 00:06:53.960 Miguel de Veyra: But yeah.
80 00:06:53.960 ⇒ 00:07:00.370 Miguel de Veyra: I mean, eventually, I think we’re. I think once we come, you know, feels comfortable with how things are going.
81 00:07:00.830 ⇒ 00:07:12.320 Miguel de Veyra: I think eventually we’re we’re all gonna go back to working together. But I think right now, he also, I think there’s also a misunderstanding on what I have to do right, because I was very confused.
82 00:07:12.740 ⇒ 00:07:13.360 Amber Lin: Oh!
83 00:07:13.360 ⇒ 00:07:25.650 Miguel de Veyra: I was developing. I was helping, planning, and then I didn’t really want to overstep my, you know, Boundaries, because I know you might be so like. Should I tell this? Should I limit myself that that wasn’t clear to me?
84 00:07:25.650 ⇒ 00:07:47.209 Amber Lin: Oh, I see. Yeah, I cause for me. This is my 1st project management job, like, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I do whatever like is possible. And then, like, I don’t know what the lines are. So I guess we both didn’t know. So we’re both like, Okay, let me do a little bit of this and a little bit of that, and we both got really confused.
85 00:07:47.430 ⇒ 00:08:09.040 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, I think I opened up. I opened up with them about that like I’m honestly, I told him. I’m you know, honestly confused about my role. Am IA Pm, I’m not the Pm, obviously. But am I an engineering lead? Am I? You know, am I? Am IA developer, am I? This am I that like, I’m trying to do all at once. I’m also trying to do hiring, trying, planning technical. So I was like.
86 00:08:09.530 ⇒ 00:08:13.739 Miguel de Veyra: yeah, like, our progress is, gonna be slow, because there’s all that happening.
87 00:08:13.900 ⇒ 00:08:32.710 Amber Lin: Yeah, it was the same for me. Honestly, because I was trying to do I was trying to do all the client projects, and then I was helping with planning. And then I had this AI project and the sales go to market project. So I was essentially doing almost everything on the company, and that did not go well.
88 00:08:32.710 ⇒ 00:08:34.030 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, yeah.
89 00:08:34.799 ⇒ 00:08:53.960 Amber Lin: All of them kind of fell apart like the client projects, was like barely surviving. And then the AI team and the sales go to market team was not moving. So I was like, Okay, you know what? I have to give up something. So I totally understand how you feel. It just doesn’t like our brains. Just don’t have that much capacity.
90 00:08:54.200 ⇒ 00:08:57.979 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, honestly, I think I’m gonna be moving
91 00:08:58.110 ⇒ 00:09:02.000 Miguel de Veyra: pretty much most of my time on like sales engineering.
92 00:09:02.230 ⇒ 00:09:03.050 Amber Lin: Hmm.
93 00:09:03.550 ⇒ 00:09:04.399 Miguel de Veyra: Because, yeah.
94 00:09:05.030 ⇒ 00:09:11.509 Miguel de Veyra: I think I think honestly, that’s probably other than delivering compliance. That’s probably the most important part of the business.
95 00:09:11.710 ⇒ 00:09:22.039 Amber Lin: Oh, yeah, like, that’s I wanted to do sales, not because I like sales. I actually really don’t like sales. But it’s like, I’m not gonna get paid if we don’t get close.
96 00:09:22.040 ⇒ 00:09:24.201 Amber Lin: Yeah, if you don’t have sales right.
97 00:09:24.790 ⇒ 00:09:27.069 Miguel de Veyra: Like none. None of this matters.
98 00:09:27.390 ⇒ 00:09:34.180 Amber Lin: I know it’s like we have to do it. But I if there’s like better people to do it, I rather that they do it.
99 00:09:34.420 ⇒ 00:09:46.060 Amber Lin: What do you like? Because you said you were very confused on your roles like, what is it right now? What do you want it to be? Are you just gonna develop? Or do you want to go like
100 00:09:46.200 ⇒ 00:09:50.680 Amber Lin: hard for individual contributor? Do you want to like lead teams like, what do you want to do.
101 00:09:52.010 ⇒ 00:09:54.169 Miguel de Veyra: Right now, I think.
102 00:09:55.703 ⇒ 00:10:01.540 Miguel de Veyra: There’s a part of me honestly that wants to focus on, because I know we’re like more of a consultancy. But there’s a part
103 00:10:01.900 ⇒ 00:10:04.199 Miguel de Veyra: kind of wants to work on product.
104 00:10:05.610 ⇒ 00:10:12.980 Miguel de Veyra: So instead of you know, like, because right now, we’re basically developing like we’re developing products. But we’re not really focusing.
105 00:10:12.980 ⇒ 00:10:13.489 Amber Lin: What a single.
106 00:10:13.490 ⇒ 00:10:15.960 Miguel de Veyra: You’re perfecting a product, right?
107 00:10:15.960 ⇒ 00:10:17.110 Amber Lin: Yeah.
108 00:10:17.300 ⇒ 00:10:23.689 Miguel de Veyra: Like. That’s so. I think that’s also what happened with Nico. Right like he he went the product manager.
109 00:10:23.830 ⇒ 00:10:27.759 Miguel de Veyra: Ralph. That’s why he’s like working a few hours with us, only now.
110 00:10:27.980 ⇒ 00:10:28.950 Amber Lin: With who.
111 00:10:28.950 ⇒ 00:10:29.750 Miguel de Veyra: Nico.
112 00:10:30.160 ⇒ 00:10:34.870 Amber Lin: Oh, yeah, yeah, he was. He’s doing a product manager right now.
113 00:10:34.870 ⇒ 00:10:38.520 Miguel de Veyra: Shared that to me. And then I was like.
114 00:10:38.660 ⇒ 00:10:43.450 Miguel de Veyra: huh! That’s interesting cause I think that’s probably you know
115 00:10:44.190 ⇒ 00:10:50.559 Miguel de Veyra: what I want to do long term. That’s I mean that kind of fits, the sales engineering part. Because I’m basically developing products. There.
116 00:10:51.160 ⇒ 00:10:53.509 Amber Lin: Yeah, yeah, that’s true.
117 00:10:55.390 ⇒ 00:11:00.009 Miguel de Veyra: But yeah, what what about you? Are you like going all the way? Pm, or are you like.
118 00:11:00.010 ⇒ 00:11:00.399 Amber Lin: I don’t.
119 00:11:00.400 ⇒ 00:11:01.430 Miguel de Veyra: The waters.
120 00:11:01.430 ⇒ 00:11:29.129 Amber Lin: I don’t think I would say forever as a Pm. Because the Pm. You never have authority. You’re just. You’re you’re a colleague, but you have to lead everyone as honestly like I can serve. I like. I don’t know if I like the lifestyle. I can do pretty well in that lifestyle. I I have some analysis work from pool parts a few days ago, and I was like dang when I do this I forget to eat, and I don’t know if I like that
121 00:11:29.130 ⇒ 00:11:34.510 Amber Lin: like it’s it’s very engaging to do individual contributor work.
122 00:11:34.510 ⇒ 00:11:54.279 Amber Lin: But then it it takes up so much of my energy like doing. Pm. Is very natural, and like I can talk to clients, it doesn’t drain me, but if I if I do, I did like I was planted in 2 h, and then I happen to be 4 h, and I had to also do 3 h on a weekend. I was like Gosh!
123 00:11:54.340 ⇒ 00:11:55.620 Amber Lin: I don’t know if I want.
124 00:11:55.620 ⇒ 00:11:56.050 Miguel de Veyra: Other people.
125 00:11:56.050 ⇒ 00:11:58.089 Amber Lin: A data analyst anymore.
126 00:11:59.760 ⇒ 00:12:02.370 Miguel de Veyra: Like, maybe this, wasn’t it?
127 00:12:02.640 ⇒ 00:12:08.779 Amber Lin: I know you know they when I when Robert hired me he was gonna hire me as an analyst.
128 00:12:08.940 ⇒ 00:12:10.070 Amber Lin: and then and I need.
129 00:12:10.070 ⇒ 00:12:18.259 Amber Lin: and and then I talked to Uton. I was like, Please, please, please, I’m gonna be a Pm. I think you don’t have Pm’s. You need me as a pm, so
130 00:12:19.010 ⇒ 00:12:23.480 Amber Lin: yeah, like, I’ve never done it before.
131 00:12:24.200 ⇒ 00:12:28.519 Miguel de Veyra: Oh, I see. Yeah. Oh, yeah, I mean, I’m I don’t know.
132 00:12:28.700 ⇒ 00:12:39.439 Miguel de Veyra: It’s it’s like, so we’re obviously I like, I tried talking to with him about the product stuff like earlier when I was parting. But then he said, he doesn’t really want to do
133 00:12:39.650 ⇒ 00:12:40.830 Miguel de Veyra: product stuff.
134 00:12:41.700 ⇒ 00:13:00.379 Amber Lin: I mean, isn’t the internal AI stuff like, aren’t we thinking and product sizing that? And especially, I think you’re working on the most probable thing that will get turned into a product like the sales go to market is the most likely thing that will become a product. I think the second one is all of our internal agents.
135 00:13:01.284 ⇒ 00:13:11.340 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, I mean, but I was looking for something like, you know, I want to build something like figma help build something like figma. You know, those big products, big stuff.
136 00:13:11.340 ⇒ 00:13:11.980 Amber Lin: Oh!
137 00:13:12.700 ⇒ 00:13:13.710 Miguel de Veyra: Like cause.
138 00:13:13.850 ⇒ 00:13:26.209 Miguel de Veyra: Honestly, it’s a bit hard when you’re like working on different products all the time, like you just lose like I’m working on sales. Then now I I will work sales engineering right? And then I’ll work on pool parts.
139 00:13:26.500 ⇒ 00:13:29.890 Amber Lin: And then I will work. I’m working on any. Then, for the Asians.
140 00:13:30.130 ⇒ 00:13:39.519 Miguel de Veyra: Like I feel like long term like, unless you’re like, very good like, you’re not really gonna excel in one part, you have to be a specialist
141 00:13:39.880 ⇒ 00:13:42.850 Miguel de Veyra: at the end of the day, and at least in the development field right.
142 00:13:43.530 ⇒ 00:14:11.440 Amber Lin: Yeah, you’re so right like, that’s what Utah has been telling me as well, because, you know, I spread myself so thin the past month, and I was like, I don’t think I accomplished anything. And now that I’m just doing client projects plus strategy like, I feel like I can do a lot more like, I think 2 focus areas is the Max to do well, like if I have 4 like the, it’s just, I’m just. I’m just hustling.
143 00:14:11.980 ⇒ 00:14:13.300 Miguel de Veyra: Yeah, you just, you know.
144 00:14:13.750 ⇒ 00:14:18.940 Miguel de Veyra: And then there’s like it. It always feels like you’re doing a lot of shit. But you’re not getting shit done
145 00:14:19.210 ⇒ 00:14:20.829 Miguel de Veyra: which is not good.
146 00:14:20.830 ⇒ 00:14:26.809 Amber Lin: I know, I know. Yeah, feeling crazy. I’ve learned that just feeling crazy is not the right way to go.
147 00:14:27.030 ⇒ 00:14:34.500 Amber Lin: Okay? So you want to do product like, do you want to do like AI product or just product in general? I can be on the lookout for you.
148 00:14:35.695 ⇒ 00:14:38.430 Miguel de Veyra: I mean, I’m fine either way.
149 00:14:39.818 ⇒ 00:14:48.139 Miguel de Veyra: But yeah, honestly. I’m not sure if I should mention it in this call, because this is recorded.
150 00:14:48.499 ⇒ 00:14:53.170 Amber Lin: I can stop the I’ll stop the recording. Let me stop the recording.
151 00:14:53.500 ⇒ 00:14:53.950 Miguel de Veyra: Okay.