Writing

I always look for high quality courses and Stanford University just did something rare: They put their full LLM course online. Free. On YouTube. It is Not a “thread summary.” or a watered down webinar. The actual Autumn curriculum: Transformers & Large Language Models (9 lectures). If you want to build real AI products in 2026, you don’t just need prompts, you need to understand the architecture. Here’s the full playlist, lecture by lecture: • Lecture 1 — Transformer https://lnkd.in/ggtaFmRC • Lecture 2 — Transformer-Based Models & Tricks https://lnkd.in/gjeWHtUw • Lecture 3 — Transformers & Large Language Models https://lnkd.in/gBCdrmtt • Lecture 4 — LLM Training https://lnkd.in/gs7zvdRg • Lecture 5 — LLM Tuning https://lnkd.in/gA6duJHj • Lecture 6 — LLM Reasoning https://lnkd.in/g-aad_xW • Lecture 7 — Agentic LLMs https://lnkd.in/gQdTMUDD • Lecture 8 — LLM Evaluation https://lnkd.in/gxaVe869 • Lecture 9 — Recap & Current Trends https://lnkd.in/ghVxfa4r My take (the part most people miss): In 2026, “AI engineering” splits into two camps: 1-People who can prompt models 2-People who can debug models And the winners will look a lot like old school engineers: They’ll understand where errors come from data, training objective, decoding, context, eval, tooling not just vibes. (no hate!) Because the biggest failures won’t be “the model is dumb.” They’ll be silent failures that look correct… until money, trust, or safety is on the line. So this course isn’t just learning Transformers. It’s learning where reality breaks in LLM systems and how to build guardrails before production teaches you the hard way. My workflow (simple, but insanely effective): 1-Watch one lecture per week 2-Pull the transcript into NotebookLM 3-Ask it to generate: • a visual mind map of the lecture • a one-page detailed infographic (key concepts + diagrams) • a “teach it back” summary in your own words 4-Build something small from it (even a toy RAG / eval script / fine-tuning experiment) You’ll learn more in 2 hours with this method than 20 hours of passive watching.

A group of IIT'ans from Gurgaon have built an app to report complaints to the government called Raasta Fix... and this starts a whole new avenue for startups to build in... CivicTech... There are two problems of complaining about these problems to the government: 1/ You don't know which agency to write to 2/ You are afraid to disclose your details as you think a disgruntled officer could make your life miserable As an example, the Haryana Govt has several avenues to lodge consumer complaints... there is a CM Window, a Mera Pariwar portal, a CP Gram Portal, eSamadhan, Swachhta App, Jan Sahayak App... And the issue is that some grievances fall under the municipal authority of Gurgaon... MCG, the GMDA, HUDA... and people are confused which portal to go to for which kind of complaint... Now, when I open RaastaFix . com on my device, it asked for my location, and asks you to upload a picture of the problem with a categorization such as garbage dump, stray cattle, electric hazard, stagnant water, construction debris... And the platform automatically submits the complaint to the right authority with geo tagged and timestamped proof without having to disclose the complainant's details. Integration with the backend dashboard of the Government is still pending, and I would hope this resolves problems for the residents of Gurgaon who are tired of poor drainage and road construction among garbage woes. And this brings another opportunity for other states too... If a Zomato like listing platform could be built for cities with ratings and live imagery of potholes, number of days that they have been ignored by the administration, which adds to a social audit of the cleanliness and state of civic sensibilities across cities and states... We might see some transparency and accountability from the administration. The app could monetise from ad placements... and can become a bootstrapped business as a social enterprise. If there are any such built for different cities in India, let me know in the comments please, would love to see. #casarthakahuja

70% use words that undermine their authority. Especially in work emails. 9 phrases I'm retiring from my emails: (and what I plan to use instead) “So sorry for the delay” → “Thanks for your patience” “What works best for you?” → “Could you do…?” “No problem/no worries” → “Always happy to help” “I was just wondering if we…” → “I propose we…” “I hope this looks ok” → “I look forward to your feedback” “Hopefully that makes sense?” → “Let me know if you have questions” “Just wanted to check in” → “When can I expect an update” “Ahhh sorry my bad, totally missed that” → “Thanks for letting me know” ”So sorry to bother you but…” → “I wanted to discuss…” —- Most don’t realize this, Our words shape perceptions. The key is recognizing ones that diminish authority. Then replace them with clear, confident language. Small changes can make a big impact. Start communicating confidently today! Do you find yourself using any of these phrases? Let me know. --- Reshare ♻ to help others communicate more confidently. And follow me for more posts like this.

We analyzed 4 million recruiting emails sent through Gem. Most get opened. But only 22.6% get replies. Half those replies are "thanks, but no thanks." We dug into what actually works. Here are 8 factors that drive REAL responses: 1. Strategic timing beats everything else - 8am gets 68% open rates. 4pm hits 67.3%. 10am lands at 67% - Most recruiters blast at 9am when inboxes are flooded - Avoiding peak times alone can boost your opens by 7-10% 2. Weekend outreach is criminally underused - Saturday/Sunday emails get ≥66% open rates consistently - Why? Empty inboxes. Zero competition. Candidates actually have time - Yet few recruiters send on weekends. Their loss is your gain 3. Keep messages between 101-150 words - Shorter feels spammy. Longer gets skimmed - You need exactly 10 sentences to nail the essentials - Every word beyond 150 drops performance 4. Generic templates kill response rates - Generic templates: 22% reply rate - Personalized outreach: 47% increased response rate - Even adding name + company to subject lines boosts opens by 5% 5. Subject lines need 3-9 words - Include company name + job title for highest opens - "Senior Engineer Role at [Company]" beats clever wordplay - 11+ words can work if genuinely intriguing, but why risk it? 6. The 4-stage sequence is optimal - One-off emails are dead. Send exactly 4 follow-up messages - You'll see 68% higher "interested" rates with proper sequencing - After stage 4, engagement completely flatlines. Stop there 7. Get the hiring manager involved - Having the hiring manager send ONE follow-up boosts reply rates by 50%+ - Yet most recruiters don't use this tactic - Weekend advantage: Minimal competition for attention 8. Leadership involvement is a cheat code - Role-specific timing (tech vs non-tech) matters - Technical roles: 3 of 4 best send times are weekends - Engineers check email differently than salespeople. Adjust accordingly TAKEAWAY: These aren't opinions. This is what 4 million emails tell us. Most recruiting teams are stuck in 2019 playbooks wondering why their reply rates won't budge. Meanwhile, recruiters who implement these 8 factors see dramatically better results. The data is right there. The patterns are clear. The only question is: will you actually change how you operate? Or will you keep sending the same tired emails at 9am on Tuesday? Your call.

Want to write like a CEO? Cut the fluff. The best leaders communicate with: ✅ Clarity ✅ Brevity ✅ Impact They don’t send long, rambling emails. They don’t hide behind corporate jargon. They get to the point fast. I have written four books and have advised 300+ CEOs on their communications. Here’s the 5-part writing framework top executives use: 1 – The Subject Line Should Say It All Before you write anything, ask: ➡️ What’s the ONE thing I need them to know? ➡️ What’s the ONE action I need them to take? If you can’t answer this, don’t send it yet. 2 – Lead with the Bottom Line Busy people don’t have time for long intros. 💡 Start with the main point, not the backstory. ❌ “Hope you’re doing well! I wanted to reach out because we’ve been working on…” ✅ “Here’s the update: [Key message in one line].” 3 – Cut the Fluff High-level executives don’t read wordy emails. They scan. ✂ Remove “just,” “I think,” and “wanted to.” ✅ “We should move forward.” ✅ “The results show a 20% increase.” 4 – Be Direct, Not Rude Great leaders are clear, not cold. 🚫 “Per our last discussion, I believe this approach might be beneficial.” ✅ “Let’s move forward with this approach. Thoughts?” 5 – Always End with a Clear Ask ❌ “Let me know what you think.” ✅ “Can you approve this by Thursday?” 6 – Add Warmth Charismatic people are both competent and warm. If you follow 1-5, you may come across as competent but it may be hard to connect. Therefore, add some warmth at the end. ❌ “Looking forward to your response.” ✅ “Appreciate your time on this—excited to hear your thoughts!” 📌 Follow me Oliver Aust for daily strategies on leadership communications.

There is an art to grabbing an investor’s attention. My emails and DMs are inundated with approaches about investments. I open all of them, and I try to answer as many as possible, but I never have the time to get through them all. And I’m not alone. Every investor I speak to says the same: they get thousands of requests every month, they read many hundreds of pitches every year, and they actually invest in a very small fraction - probably less than one in 1,000. So with such long odds and so much competition, how can you stand out when it comes to writing that first message to ask an investor for their time to pitch a new business? 1. Think about the length of your message. Keep it short, succinct and make your sentences super crisp. Word count matters! Most recipients will scan the length of a note before they start at the top. Too long and they’ll close it to “read later” (or not at all). 2. Cut the waffle and get to the point in the first few sentences. Tell me exactly what your business does, how it makes profit and how it outperforms its competitors. Use simple language. If an investor senses any ambiguity or uncertainty they’ll start to edge away. 3. Polish up your campaign medals. If you have a proven track record in the sector an investor will likely lean forward. If not you need to work hard to show you have operational credibility. 4. Highlight the unique opportunity. Be clear about your USP. What makes your proposition stand out? Why is it a/ different and b/ better than your rivals? 5. Ask for an investor’s time not money (at this stage). Your first message to an investor should be designed to win 15 or 20 minutes in front of them. Does that sound too short to you? If it does then your pitch is probably too long. Plan for a scenario where you get there and only have five minutes to pitch your concept. What are your top tips for winning the time and attention of busy professionals?

Inaccessibility is all around us - but sometimes we’re doing it without even realising. I’ve made every one of these mistakes in the past. It wasn’t until someone took the time to point them out that I learned how inaccessible I was being - despite having good intentions. Here are 5 ways you might be being inaccessible, without even knowing: 1. Long LinkedIn headlines or overuse of emojis. Screen reader users hear your full headline every single time you post or comment. Every. Single. Time. Even when it’s truncated visually. That can mean hearing your full job title, emojis, and taglines multiple times before even reaching your post content. Try to keep your headline under 100 characters or two lines max - it makes a huge difference. 2. Long email signatures, HTTP links, and unlabelled images. Screen readers will read out every line - including things like “H-T-T-P-colon-slash-slash…” for full URLs. Images without alt text are completely invisible to screen reader users. Keep it short and simple, and use alt text wherever you can. Put only essential info in your email signature and put two dashes at the top to signal your signature is starting. And remember, it’s not your marketing tool. When was the last time you actually bought something from an email signature?! 3. Not running documents through the accessibility checker. You run a spell check, so why not an acceeeibility check? It’s a quick step, but it can flag things like heading structures, contrast issues, and missing image descriptions. It takes seconds and makes a big impact. 4. Using colour alone to convey meaning. For example, “I’ve marked the important cells in green” doesn’t help if someone can’t perceive colour easily. Neither does “I’ve shaded the cells for our RAG status”. Always add a label, icon, or another indicator. 5. Using all lowercase hashtags. #thisisnotaccessible - screen readers can’t parse where one word ends and another begins. Use camel case instead - #ThisIsAccessible - so screen readers pronounce the words correctly. Small changes, big impact. If you’ve made some of these mistakes before - welcome to the club. We learn, we improve, we do better. #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Adjustments #DiversityAndInclusion #Content #A11y

What if I told you your cover letter's first and last sentences determine whether you get interviews? Recently, I was reviewing cover letters with a client who couldn't figure out why she wasn't getting callbacks for marketing positions. After looking at her application materials, the problem became immediately clear. "Your cover letter is killing your chances." Her opening line was the classic "Please accept my resume for consideration of the Marketing Manager position within your organization" — and she never actually asked for an interview at the end. So, how do you write cover letters that actually get read? Use these powerful techniques instead: S — Use a sticky hook Forget "To Whom It May Concern" or "I'm writing to apply for..." Instead, try one of these attention-grabbing marketing-focused openers: "If your company is struggling to generate qualified leads despite increasing ad spend, I have the solution you've been looking for." "Innovation. Growth. ROI. If these marketing priorities align with your vision for the Digital Marketing position, we should talk." "Do you need a content strategist who can double your organic traffic and boost conversion rates by 35% within six months?" W — What's in it for the employer? Hiring managers are reading your letter thinking, "Can this person drive results?" Make it clear from the start that you understand their marketing challenges and can provide measurable solutions. I — Information This is where you provide brief, compelling evidence of your marketing qualifications and accomplishments. For example: "By implementing a targeted social media campaign for XYZ Corp, I increased engagement by 78% and drove $125K in new revenue within 90 days." F — Fast segue Transition smoothly to your request for an interview. For example: "With this proven marketing expertise in mind, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how I can contribute to your customer acquisition strategy." T — To-Do Here's the #1 cover letter secret that DOUBLES your chances of getting interviews: actually ASK for the interview! "I'm excited about the Marketing Director position with ABC Inc. and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss how my experience driving successful campaigns can deliver similar results for your brand. Please call me at (number) to schedule an interview at your convenience." By simply asking for the interview, you've shown initiative and clarified what you want — something most candidates completely overlook. What cover letter techniques have worked for you? Have you tried asking directly for the interview?

I recently came across a thought-provoking article challenging the prevalent use of 'precolonial' in describing African history and experiences. It sheds light on how this term, while often applied solely to Africa, might not accurately depict the diverse and complex nature of the continent's history and cultures. The piece aptly highlights the dangers of homogenizing Africa, treating it as a monolithic entity devoid of diverse histories, institutions, and experiences. The term 'precolonial' often misleads and obscures rather than illuminates the rich tapestry of African societies and their evolution through time. It's crucial to acknowledge that while terms like 'pre-Roman Britain,' 'pre-moorish Spain,' or 'pre-Columbian America' exist, their usage differs significantly from the exclusive application of 'precolonial' to Africa. This discrepancy raises questions about the underlying assumptions and motivations behind such categorizations. As we navigate historical frameworks, it's essential to be mindful of the context and the implications of the terms we use. Rather than relying on oversimplified labels, let's strive for a nuanced understanding that respects the complexities and diverse narratives within African history. The concept of 'precolonial' Africa deserves critical examination, challenging the inherited narratives and striving for a more inclusive and accurate portrayal of the continent's rich and varied past. What are your thoughts on the usage of 'precolonial'? How can we reshape historical discourse to better represent the complexities of African history and cultures? #AfricanHistory #HistoricalNarratives #ContextMatters #DiversityInHistory #DecolonizingHistory

The difference between a good design doc and a great one is usually clarity. Technical writing should be crisp and to the point. So, it is always better to treat every sentence like it has a cost. After writing, cut aggressively. Remove extra words. Then check if a line can go. Sometimes even a full paragraph is unnecessary. One thing I always do is to start the doc with the conclusion; this way, the reader/reviewer knows where we are heading. This is contrary to how most engineers write docs - listing every approach first and only concluding at the end. That slows readers down. I avoid this because long explanations make people lose track; most readers want the conclusion quickly. So, always start with the answer and why it matters. Then add details and alternatives below for those who want depth. A habit that helps is a quick editing pass like this: - Remove filler words and repeated ideas. - Break long sentences into smaller ones. - Prefer bullets when listing options or steps. - Check if the first section clearly states the outcome. - Add a link or short explanation where a reader may pause. Empathy matters more than most people realize. Try to read your document as someone new to the topic. Ask yourself what might confuse them. Add the missing context. Add the helpful link. Let the ideas evolve naturally from problem to solution. This skill develops over time. Use simple language and fewer buzzwords. The goal is to communicate, not impress. Simple documents get read more. More readers means better alignment and better visibility for the work. Finally, always provide enough context. A short setup about the problem, constraints, and prior decisions goes a long way. It helps readers understand why the decision exists, and, of course, it prevents unnecessary back and forth later. Hope this helps.