AI Made the Launch Video. Venture Capital Still Won't Make Us Heroes.
After a decade without VC, AI finally made a product launch video possible — and why that dream is already obsolete for under-represented founders.
If it were not for AI, I'd not be able to make this video.
For over a decade, I've dreamed of raising venture capital, so I could also have the resources to produce a product launch video such as this. A product launch video like this is actually outdated now, by the way.
But nevertheless, years ago, it was my wish to be able to launch a product and accompany it with a sick-ass video. But in over a decade, I raised little to no venture capital and that meant I could barely achieve the product milestones necessary for even producing a launch video, not to mention acquire and retain customers.
Like many founders who looked like me, venture capital was elusive, and that meant we spent years chasing something that was never meant for us. With it came the consequences of being outside of the 1% of venture capital that went to under-represented founders: unshipped software, unsigned customers, and financial ruin.
But thanks to AI, we can now ship production software, sign customers, and iterate fast enough to retain customers. And that also means we can create product launch videos.
I'm also quick to note that even though that launch video can now be produced, the desire from so many years ago is now obsolete. While a video like this would have been cool a decade ago, today, it barely registers as the innovation that it is. Hence, I regrettably recognize that under-represented founders are behind because they're just getting their dreams materialized.
There is often a loop for under-represented founders rather than the spiraling escalator our counterparts experience. AI is "the great equalizer." And while some of that is true, the reality is it depends. If it's an under-represented founder building a "billion-dollar" company, they will be woefully left out of that equation because venture capital will never accept them as the hero in the story. If they can harness it for some inconspicuous projects (though truly, it depends on personality types and risk levels; therefore, it may not always need to be an inconspicuous project), they have a chance at that upward spiral provided they are willing to remain under the radar for a long time.
I've done away with the could-haves and should-haves, and I've decided to see venture capital for what it is. In this same spirit, I'm working on projects that will remain a secret.