Proximity Works

At SF TECH WEEK by a16z, we moved beyond the usual AI conversations during our “AI-in-action” strategy workshop. Instead of theorizing about potential, we focused on something more interesting → how companies (and our partners) are actually implementing AI today. When you put CTOs, CEOs, and founders in a room to discuss real AI deployments, the conversation naturally shifts from "what's possible" to "what's practical." We explored everything from Gen AI and Co-pilots to Model Fine-tuning and RAG — every tool that achieves specific business outcomes. Hope everyone who attended walked away with actionable insights. These are the kinds of conversations that move the industry forward! Here's what our Founder and CEO, Hardik Jagda had to say about leading this workshop. https://lnkd.in/dd58dYSU

Very few things beat the joy of starting your day with a refreshing dip in the pool.? That’s precisely what we did on Day 2 of our offsite! Everyone spent the first half of the day swimming, laughing, and soaking up the sunshine. After our morning of “aquatic shenanigans”, we shifted gears to connect on a deeper level, both emotionally and regarding our goals. We reflected on our journey over the past five years, celebrating our growth and the strides we’ve made in the US and UAE. Each team shared updates, highlighting achievements and setting the stage for what’s next. We spent quality time with leadership, gaining insights and aligning on future plans. The excitement peaked when everyone intently watched Hardik’s appearance on a freshly released podcast—it felt like tuning into a live game!?Many Proxonauts discovered trivia about him they hadn’t known before. Announcing promotions and recognizing everyone’s dedication brought both cheers and tears of joy. It was a heartfelt reminder of how much we’ve achieved together. They say time flies when you’re having a good time—and it truly has, not just during the offsite, but throughout these last 5 years at Proximity.

Remote work has a peculiar effect. You spend months talking to people via Zoom screens, only seeing the slices they present in meetings. Code reviews, design critiques, sprint planning—they’re all real work, but they’re not the whole person. That’s why teams must meet face-to-face, especially to celebrate milestones. Today, Proximity turns 5! What better way to mark Proximity’s 5th birthday than by bringing our team to Goa for our 2024 offsite? ?? It was the perfect place to unwind. The sea breeze carried conversations that had waited months to happen. People arrived in “waves” (??)—some in the afternoon heat, others as the day cooled. By the pool, we played a simple game: “How well do you *really* Know-Thy-Proxonaut?” Each Proxonaut wrote three facts about themselves, and all the other #Proxonauts had to guess who they were talking about. It was beyond fun to discover new things about one another. Some of us clearly knew more about our fellow #Proxonauts than others! The evening unfolded with conversations by the pool, drinks at the bar, and dinner together. We can’t overstate how important these in-person moments are. As travel fatigue set in, we drifted back to our rooms—super excited about what the next day would bring. More from Day 2—coming soon! ??

Excited to be joining INNO Summit Dubai to share insights and explore AI strategies – specifically how organizations can leverage AI as a strategic tool to drive innovation and accelerate growth. I’ll be speaking alongside some incredible minds, diving deep into the strategies, tools, and stories that have shaped our journeys. ?? Date: November 09, 2024. ?? Location: XDC Innovation Lab, Emirates Financial Towers, DIFC, Dubai ???? ?? Time: 6:00 PM Dubai | 10:00 AM Canada ?? Hosted by: XDC Network & INNOSummit ?? Register here: https://lu.ma/zmzp4fiv We'll be focusing on how organizations can utilize AI as a strategic lever – not just to improve efficiency, but to spark true innovation and drive sustainable growth. This topic is close to my heart, and I can’t wait to dive into practical insights, real-world examples, and answer your pressing questions. If you’re working to integrate AI into your growth strategy or simply curious about where the field is headed, I’d love to connect and explore these ideas together! A big shoutout to Mey Jahani, INNOSummit, District 3 Innovation, The First Institute of Canadian Inventors (FICI), Nicholas Rezzara, Farshad (Fred) Rouhani for making this happen! #startups #ai #innovation

While your teams are still debating AI use cases, your competitors have already slashed their operating costs by 30%. If you're a Founder, CXO, CTO, or senior executive hungry for a decisive edge, join us for AI strategy workshops designed to guide you on exactly what to build, where to deploy, and how to measure success — without the guesswork. Get ahead of the curve with our exclusive AI strategy workshops: ?? Bangalore | ??? November 27 → https://lu.ma/pxwm9mrx ?? Mumbai | ??? December 2 → https://lu.ma/zz2g1d68 Take a sneak peek into our SF TECH WEEK by a16z workshop, where we equipped founders with actionable AI frameworks that they could implement the very next day. Our workshops don’t just scratch the surface; they cover the complete AI journey — from identifying high-impact use cases and measuring ROI, to scaling Proof-of-Concepts into full-scale production. Seats are limited, so reserve yours now and start making AI work for you!

Llama 3.2 changes everything for enterprise AI. ?? Its 11B and 90B vision models offer open-source alternatives to traditional text models, outperforming closed systems like Claude 3 Haiku in image comprehension. But, the "Llama Stack" is setting new standards. Discover how Llama 3.2 is transforming the landscape with its powerful open-source models and versatile deployment options. __ ???P.S. — Check our our AI/ML Lead, Rahul's technical update here too → https://lnkd.in/grvkCeRM

OpenAI’s o1 model recently scored 120 in an IQ test — what’s the first thought on your mind? (Average humans have an IQ of about 100, and it’s nearest competitor, Claude, scored 90!) If your immediate reaction is awe or concern, read on ??

When you think about what Saket’s saying here — it's both obvious and startling. Obvious because we're already seeing tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Cursor AI transform how code gets written. Startling because it fundamentally changes who gets to create software. During our recent #TechTalk on “Using AI in a coding development workflow”, we found ourselves exploring how the very nature of coding is shifting. It’s creating an entirely new class of creators. This excites us. If you're curious about how AI is reshaping software development, join us for our next tech talk — comment below if you'd like to join and we'll share the details with you! ??

People who thrive in interdisciplinary fields make exceptional leaders. Our Sr. Engineering Manager, Saket Tawde, uses game development as an example of how it requires mastery across multiple disciplines, from balancing game mechanics to bringing virtual worlds to life (and everything in between). The unique blend of these skills also provides a blueprint for effective tech leadership. But, what do you think? #Technology #BusinessIntelligence

? Join Us to Empower the Next Generation of Web Developers! ? Proximity Foundation is looking for passionate volunteers to mentor underprivileged students in learning HTML, CSS, and Web Development. ?? What you’ll do: ?? Guide students through online resources ?? Provide mentorship and encouragement ?? Commit just 1-2 hours per week By sharing your expertise, you’ll play a key role in shaping future web developers and opening new career opportunities for these students. Ready to make an impact? Sign up today: ?? https://lnkd.in/gHind2vs #MentorTheFuture #WebDevelopment #VolunteerOpportunity #EducationForAll #EmpowermentThroughEducation #HTML #CSS #ProximityFoundation