How I use ChatGPT to run my fashion business
Claire Vo interviews Yana Welander about her AI-native fashion startup, Yana Banana. Welander details how she leverages AI throughout the entire business process, from initial design sketches and sophisticated prompt engineering to manufacturing previously unmanufacturable garments with 3D printing and managing backend operations like website development, payment processing, and vendor sourcing. The discussion highlights AI's role in unlocking creativity and efficiency, while also addressing its current limitations, particularly in precise pattern generation.
- AI image models like Image 2.0 are exceptional at following precise visual directions from a sketch, but often render designs two-dimensional, losing realistic fabric flow. Read →
- Yana Welander, a non-technical founder, built Yana Banana's entire e-commerce infrastructure using AI tools like Codex and Browser Use, sidestepping the need for human engineers. Read →
- AI agents aren't killing SaaS; they're revitalizing it by interacting with existing software tools. Claire Vo admitted a "trough of despair" about SaaS, only to find agents excel at "pressing buttons" within applications. Read →