Let's Build an AI Saas from Scratch - Ep. 2 Webscraping and AI Summaries

Summary

In this video, we continue building an AI-driven lead generation platform. We set up a server with Hono, integrated Drizzle for the database, and used the Brave Search API to fetch profiles based on job and location. The results are displayed in a user-friendly dashboard. We also discuss future plans to integrate AI for personalized cold outreach messages and use Notion as both authentication and a CRM tool for lead management. The video covers the technical setup, challenges with APIs, and future ideas to enhance the platform for automated lead management and outreach.

Takeaways

• 😀 The AI micro-set was set up using Hono for the server, Drizzle for the database, and Wrangler for deployment, with some initial troubleshooting resolved by an update.
• 😀 The plan for this video involves building AI capabilities and scraping, with a focus on using Notion for authentication and data storage rather than Google.
• 😀 A new idea is to allow users to import scraped results directly into their Notion database, creating individual entries for clients or leads.
• 😀 The video introduces scraping using Brave Search API, which offers 2,000 free queries per month, making it a cost-effective alternative to Google Search API.
• 😀 The scraping is targeted at finding profiles in specific job categories (e.g., realtors or fintech professionals) with location-based queries (e.g., Madrid, Lisbon).
• 😀 The process includes handling Google-style search queries but avoiding issues like bot detection by using APIs designed for web scraping.
• 😀 Search results from the Brave API are returned in JSON format, focusing on web URLs, titles, and descriptions, and these results are displayed in a frontend interface.
• 😀 The search function is being expanded to include multiple filters, such as job title and location, to refine results and improve the user experience.
• 😀 While displaying results, the goal is to integrate an intelligent system for summarizing individual profiles, possibly combining AI insights for more detailed outreach.
• 😀 The author envisions using this system for cold outreach by generating customized messages, potentially integrating with LinkedIn and leveraging Notion for CRM functionalities.
• 😀 Future plans include refining the AI components for personalized outreach, improving the user interface, and testing with AI-driven features for faster content creation and video production.

Q & A

What is the main issue the creator faced when setting up their development environment?

The creator faced an issue with Wrangler, which was resolved after an update, allowing them to proceed with their setup.

Why did the creator decide to use the Brave Search API instead of Google's regular search?

The Brave Search API was chosen due to its cost-effectiveness, offering 2,000 free queries per month, compared to Google's potential capture detections and higher pricing for API access.

What feature of the Brave Search API does the creator focus on for their scraping process?

The creator uses the Brave Search API to perform searches based on specific keywords (like 'Realtors' or 'fintech') and retrieves results such as profiles, company names, and URLs.

What was the creator's initial plan regarding the AI feature and how did it evolve?

Initially, the creator planned to use AI for summarizing results and improving cold outreach. They later explored a Gro API for better AI summaries, but ended up adjusting their approach due to limitations with the Brave API's capabilities.

How does the Notion integration fit into the project’s workflow?

The creator plans to use Notion for user authentication and as a CRM tool. This would allow users to import scraped data into Notion, where leads could be stored and managed directly.

What are some potential benefits of using Notion for CRM purposes, as suggested in the video?

Using Notion as a CRM provides a simpler and more affordable solution for indie founders or small businesses that do not require a complex CRM system, enabling them to manage leads and outreach more efficiently.

What type of results does the creator expect from using AI in this tool?

The creator expects AI to help summarize profiles, generate personalized outreach messages, and provide insights based on the scraped data, potentially improving the quality of cold outreach.

What challenges did the creator encounter when using the Gro API for AI summaries?

The creator faced issues with the context length in the Gro API, which led to errors. They had to adjust the model used to handle larger amounts of data and ensure a successful API call.

What is the creator's approach to storing scraped data from the search results?

The creator debated whether to store the results internally or directly push them into Notion. The decision is still pending, but they are considering direct integration for ease of use.

How does the creator handle errors or API limitations in the project?

The creator handles errors by adding try-catch blocks in their code to ensure that any API issues, such as invalid tokens or exceeded limits, are caught and displayed appropriately. They also monitor rate limits to avoid service disruptions.