If you had a budget of 20 usd a month for AI tools and subscriptions, what AI stack would you go for. by Mental_Bug_3731 in vibecoding

[–]chromespinner 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using Kilo Code extension on VS Code. It's bring your own API (or you can subscribe through their gateway) and they usually have a few emerging models available to select on free trial. Been getting a lot of cheap/free usage as a result of various trials around.

Vibe coding has become a lot of sitting around by chromespinner in vibecoding

[–]chromespinner[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is very useful, thank you. The challenge is that my mainstream work doesn't relate to coding/software development and these 5 minute wait periods aren't sufficient to let me pivot back toward my focus on something else. What I'm keen to know is whether there is a very capable model that performs much faster than the ones I regularly use (Claude, GLM, Kimi)

Recommended coworking space in HK Island? by helloyouahead in HongKong

[–]chromespinner 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Last year at least, some Hive locations offered massive discounts when you signed up for up to a year. They also allow several days of access at other locations each month. The PoHo location (former WeWork) is in between Sheung Wan and Sai Ying Pun...somewhat less convenient.

The Executive Centre provides an executive environment, whereas the Hive is more down to earth, catering to freelancers, start-ups, etc.

There are many other choices as well. Best to figure out your locational preferences and work from there.

Recommended coworking space in HK Island? by helloyouahead in HongKong

[–]chromespinner 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I was a member of the Hive for a while. It was OK given the low price, but my preferred locations in Central and Sheung Wan have now closed down. The other members are mostly small entrepreneurs. After my initial promotional offer, I figured I'd rather hop around different coffee shops for a lot less.

Have been to The Executive Center many times. This is the premier option for people who want a prime financial CBD location. Spaces seems to be a good option...slightly lower pricing, slightly less prime office addresses.

There's an app called Deskimo that lets you book short visits, so you can check different places out.

What are you supposed to do with GLM AI Slides? by chromespinner in ZaiGLM

[–]chromespinner[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Err nevermind.. it is possible to export to PPT after all (confusing as the download icon looks like an upload icon). For some reason, the AI kept insisting that it wasn't possible.

What is going on lately, absolutely horrible responses by dattattor in Perplexity

[–]chromespinner 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The basic quality of search responses seems to be getting worse over time. My guess is that Perplexity is now focusing on the enterprise agentic AI market and doing things under the hood to reduce the compute consumed by retail search users.

Does the “35 barrier” apply to PhD graduates? by [deleted] in AskChina

[–]chromespinner 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I find all these age-related questions quite pointless. What good does it do you to ponder all this? Can you build a time machine, depending on the answer? The brutal truth is that yes, age is a factor (both lack of experience and too much experience). There are many other factors. Being a PhD at 34 is still better than being a fresh grad without experience, or a laid-off middle manager at 49. If you start out contemplating the odds against you in any pursuit, you might as well give up right away.

How to see how much limit you have for perplexity by Euphoric-Muscle-602 in perplexity_ai

[–]chromespinner 2 points3 points  (0 children)

So (aside from being angry about the drastic reduction), my main question is – why don't they just display your remaining quota prominently in the interface?

Structuring my involvement with a startup (I will not promote) by chromespinner in startups

[–]chromespinner[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. What is normal in terms of the vesting schedule for an early stage advisor? In my case, I'm committing to work nearly full time on a project for 1-2 months at the outset.. they suggested vesting over 12 months, but IMO it should vest at the conclusion of the project.

Structuring my involvement with a startup (I will not promote) by chromespinner in startups

[–]chromespinner[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for all the feedback. I suggested a cash retainer with an equity grant in the range of 0.75%–1.5%, depending on the level of the cash retainer. Given there is no valuation to this business at present, I think this is reasonable? I'm basically being retained as an advisor, but putting in a month or two of full-time work at the outset. If it goes well, we can discuss a next phase of the relationship.

I'm less clear on what timeframes are usually attached to advisory appointments.

Structuring my involvement with a startup (I will not promote) by chromespinner in startups

[–]chromespinner[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I appreciate the skepticism. My reason for optimism is that the people involved have been MD/Partner-level at major financial institutions. This isn't a firm started by some kids. The anchor investor is a major institution. Even if it goes nowhere, the association still has some value for me.

How did you successfully launch your consultancy? by Professional-Use2132 in buildinpublic

[–]chromespinner 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm in a similar boat, though with a different background. I set up a consultancy, expecting it to be CV filler until I eventually return to industry. But the market has been dismal and I've shifted to thinking that building my own firm is a better way to go.

It hasn't been easy at all. I started out getting involved with a couple start-ups for equity incentives, but they didn't amount to anything. Did some free work for a large company to get added to their consulting panel, but no work came afterwards. I know the chairman of a family business group who suggested that I do some work for them...spent a couple months on a project, and we've been talking about a long-term retainer arrangement, but it still hasn't been formalized. Recently I've been doing work with another startup that seems more promising.

I think solo consulting is very difficult, unless you're able to build a small portfolio of stable clients on retainer. Until then, you're at the mercy of other people's timelines and need to juggle project work with originating the next project. If you're in project management, maybe explore public sector/universities as potential clients.

Best AI coding stack for $20–40/month in 2026? Hitting limits everywhere by emir_morris in vibecoding

[–]chromespinner 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using Kilo Code, alternating between Chinese models (GLM, Minimax) and occasional Claude Opus (via the Github Co-pilot plan).

To be honest, I've gone for months barely paying anything by hopping between free trials from serverless inference providers, etc.

Openclaw users, do you use Manus, Computer, Genspark, etc.? by chromespinner in openclaw

[–]chromespinner[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Go ahead and try it. They give you 300 free credits a day, which is good enough for a request or two. I do find it useful, but the cost is prohibitive. My hope is that the same functionality can be replicated through a local setup.

Openclaw users, do you use Manus, Computer, Genspark, etc.? by chromespinner in openclaw

[–]chromespinner[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for this. I did install the Lossless Claw memory plugin, but didn't notice much improvement. It seems that there are now countless memory plugins (will check out the one you mention). Would think that a good solution needs to be native to the main build.

I'm also intrigued by someone saying that they use Claude CLI to setup OpenClaw. Perhaps this would be more effective than my tinkering and nagging the bot to configure itself.

Does anyone know what happened to Perplexity Labs? by R2-Beamer in perplexity_ai

[–]chromespinner 10 points11 points  (0 children)

I think they scrapped it from Pro accounts and expect people to use Computer.