From Rough Start to Million-Dollar Success: The Power of User Feedback & Agile Development

From rough beginnings to massive growth, Criti's journey is a testament to the power of user-centric innovation and adaptability in today's fast-paced AI era.

1. The first product developed by the speaker's company looked rough, but it was successful in terms of user growth and revenue.
2. The product had over 10 million downloads and generated over 10 million annualized revenue within a year.
3. The success of the product is not just due to its fantastic UI/UX or marketing, but also because of the results it delivers to users.
4. The speaker is Ella, founder and CEO of CRY AI, which has developed an agentic AI called Criti that helps create marketing videos at scale.
5. CRY AI has grown rapidly, with over 10 million downloads and over 10 million annualized revenue within a year.
6. The success of CRY AI is due to its network effect between influencers and music brands.
7. Ella started her career as a hardware engineer at Apple, where she worked on the first generation of AirPods.
8. At Apple, Ella learned the importance of understanding users' pain points when building a product.
9. She also learned that face-to-face user interviews are more effective than online surveys in understanding users' needs and preferences.
10. After leaving Apple, Ella pursued her childhood dream of turning communication, learning, and information gathering into video format.
11. When she first encountered generative AI in 2020, she believed it would change the world and help meet the growing demand for high-quality online content.
12. She also learned that sometimes it's okay to launch a product that is not perfect because things change quickly in the AI era.
13. The speaker's first product was called ZMO.ai, but she didn't really know why people needed it or what users wanted from it.
14. After encountering difficulties with ZMO.ai, she started talking to her customers and discovered that some people had a real need for the product.
15. She also discovered that these users were primarily marketers who needed content for their companies.
16. Based on this feedback, she decided to reposition ZMO.ai as a mobile app for influencers and brands.
17. The new product, called Creati, is not just a tool but also a community for both influencers and brands.
18. Creati has features and templates for both influencers and brands, creating a network effect between them.
19. The network effect helps both influencers and brands grow, with viral videos bringing more users to the platform and generating revenue from brands.
20. The speaker believes that CRY AI's focus on building an ecosystem for both influencers and brands sets it apart from other AI marketing tools.
21. She also believes that founders in the AI era need to adapt quickly and flexibly to changes in technology.
22. Talking to users every day and learning what won't change even as technology evolves is key to building a successful product in the AI era.
23. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding users' pain points and needs when building a product.
24. She also stresses that high-quality content is essential for meeting the growing demand from users who are shifting from offline to online activities.

Source: EO via YouTube

❓ What do you think? What are the most critical factors that contribute to a startup's success, considering both the founder's mindset and the rapidly evolving AI landscape? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!