Ah, that must have been tough, Zach. Sorry that it happened right in front of your client. Pickaxe works as a bridge between you and the AI model, so if the model slows down or gets overloaded, it can affect response time. It can also depend on prompt complexity, connected actions, or which model you’re using.
As a best practice for client calls, it helps to start with a short video showing how your Pickaxe works in an ideal setup. Then follow it with a live demo. In those rare moments when something slows or fails, your client has already seen the capability, and most understand that occasional hiccups can happen.
dang Ive been there. I usually like to ren a scenario before I go onto a demo zoom to be sure of the timing. I also am always ready to talk about something interesting while we wait for the response. Finally, I have been working on making shorter system prompts and being careful about connecting a HUGE knowledgebase as that seems to make everything run slower.
Another little trick I do sometimes is to use a faster model on a demo if possible