The Shopping List for Your AI Prototype (Spoiler: It's Almost All Free)
Think you need a huge budget to get started with AI? The truth is the key components are free. I'll show you the serverless stack to get started without spending a dime.
Thinking about bringing AI into your business but held back by the idea that you need a data center and a massive budget? Get that thought out of your head. The reality is that getting started is more like building a high-end gaming PC with parts that the big brands give you for free to test out.
The 3 Key Components of Your Prototype
Every modern AI application is built on three pillars. You don't need to be an expert to understand them, just to know they exist and that, to start, they have no cost.
- The Engine (Compute)
- The Brain (AI)
- The Memory (Data)
Let's break down this "shopping list."
1. The Engine: "Serverless" Compute
Forget about the idea of "buying servers." Serverless technology is like using an Uber instead of buying a car: you only pay for the milliseconds of use.
- Platforms: Google Cloud Functions, AWS Lambda.
- Free Tier: Up to 2 million executions per month, completely free.
- The bottom line for your business: The "server" for your prototype will cost you exactly $0.00.
2. The Brain: AI as a Service (API)
You don't need to train a model from scratch or have a team of data scientists. You simply "ask" an existing one, like Google's Gemini or OpenAI's models.
- Cost: It's measured in "tokens" (pieces of words). A text analysis might cost $0.001. Peanuts.
- Free Tier: Both platforms give you thousands of requests or initial credits to experiment without risk.
- The bottom line for your business: Validating the "intelligence" of your idea will cost you less than lunch.
3. The Memory: "Serverless" Databases
You need a place to save and read information. Modern NoSQL databases scale on their own and don't require someone to manage them all day.
- Platforms: Google Firestore, AWS DynamoDB.
- Free Tier: 1GB of storage and +50,000 data reads per day, for free.
- The bottom line for your business: The "memory" for your prototype is free, secure, and scales automatically.
Your Zero-Cost Architecture, Visualized
This is what a real, functional prototype looks like. A simple flow that connects these free pieces to deliver immense value.
[Engine: Google Cloud Function] <---> [Brain: Gemini API] <---> [Memory: Firestore]
This "tech stack" solves 90% of the initial AI use cases in a company.
But... Having the Parts Isn't the Same as Having the Car Assembled
Now you know the components. They are accessible and free. But the real challenge was never the cost of the parts, but knowing how to assemble them in the most efficient way to solve a real business problem.
The Role of the Solutions Architect
My job is to be the engineer who takes this "shopping list" and turns it into a functional solution. The one who knows that this serverless function integrates best with this AI API to optimize your specific process. It's the difference between having a pile of parts and a running engine.
The Advantage Isn't in the Parts, but in the Blueprint
Anyone can open a Google Cloud account. Few know how to orchestrate its services to create business value from day one. The right architecture is your greatest competitive advantage.
What do you think?
This topic could spark a long and interesting conversation. I’d love to hear your opinion or if you’ve experienced something similar.
You can leave your comment below or, even better, join the discussion happening on Instagram. See you there!