Cyber Proficiency Center now part of Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub

HR Tech

2024-07-22

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Choosing the right path in startup development is crucial for the long-term success and sustainability of any new venture. This involves making strategic decisions about product development, market positioning, and resource allocation. A well-chosen path can lead to a competitive advantage, efficient use of resources, and the ability to pivot when necessary. It allows startups to build a strong foundation, attract investment, and scale effectively. Conversely, a misstep in the early stages can result in wasted time and capital, missed opportunities, and ultimately, failure to achieve market traction. Thus, careful planning, market research, and adaptability are essential components in navigating the complex landscape of startup development.

Therefore, no one is surprised that considerations on whether the chosen path was the right one are regularly the subject of reflections of all startup founders. I am also wondering whether the development path for cp.center that I decided on over a year ago is the most optimal. I make minor course corrections on an ongoing basis based on newly acquired knowledge and feedback from users.

Anyway, I’m super lucky because the main path in terms of the technology stack hasn’t changed over time. I decided to use OpenAI ChatGPT (currently using the GPT-4 model via API) for the AI services necessary to develop the platform. When it comes to cloud solutions, the obvious choice for us was the Microsoft Azure platform. There will probably be many people with different opinions on this point. I’ll surprise you, but I fully understand that depending on professional experience and project specifics, there are solid alternatives to ChatGPT and Azure.

Nevertheless, these two technologies are closest to us and I can use them effectively. This is certainly the most important factor to take into account at the early stage of a startup’s development. I am even more pleased to announce that the Cyber Proficiency Center has been accepted into the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub!

Banner of Micorosft for Startup hub program

For the development of the platform, this means incredible growth opportunities in the next 12 months. Many months ago, I decided to create ‘Practical Lab’ feature for live tasks based on virtual machines and containers used in assessments to verify skills in most practical way. The prototype of this feature was created by us a few weeks ago using Microsoft Azure and Pulumi (brilliant infrastructure-as-code software!). Now I’m going to complete the next stage and make this functionality available in the first assessments. Thanks to Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub my costs of ‘Practical Lab’ development will be next to zero.

Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub gives us also some free access to OpenAI services, but this is a topic for a separate post.

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