Diana Hu discusses her experience building a startup in the new market of Augmented Reality (AR). AR combines various disciplines and allows for rich information representation in the real world. Hu believes AR has the potential to become a first-class citizen in media. The future role of AR in media includes expansion beyond games. The discussion highlights three key technology trends that have enabled AR: infrastructure built by the mobile industry, advancements in computing power, and improvements in cellular network technology. Building a product in the AR/VR market is challenging, and finding investors can be difficult. Raising money for a new market requires finding investors who believe in the vision. After an acquisition, founders should find motivation in continuing to build the original vision and align cultures with the acquiring company. Immigrating to the US presents opportunities for growth and success, but also challenges. Immigrant founders possess a positive determinism mentality and intrapreneurial spirit. Participating in Y Combinator provides benefits such as overcoming early-stage challenges and networking with other founders.
Intro
- Diana Hu discusses her experience building a startup in a new market
- She talks about her company, Our Reality, being acquired
- She also mentions her subsequent work at Niantic
Getting into AR
Augmented Reality (AR) is a multidisciplinary field that combines computer vision, graphics, engineering, hardware optics, and more to create immersive experiences. It represents the next technological evolution after desktop and mobile, allowing for rich information representation in the real world. AR requires the collaboration of various disciplines to achieve something interesting. The speaker, Diana Hu, has a diverse technical background and is particularly interested in the possibilities of AR and blending information seamlessly into reality.
Key points:
- AR combines computer vision, graphics, engineering, hardware optics, and more
- AR allows for rich information representation in the real world
- AR requires collaboration across disciplines
- Diana Hu is interested in the possibilities of AR and blending information seamlessly into reality.
Her first exposure to AR
Diana Hu's first exposure to AR was characterized by the engagement with reality and the ability to tell stories with multiple layers of information. She has experience in helping startups build AR projects, including a 3D display without glasses. Hu believes that AR is a fundamental piece in changing the way we compute and process information. Additionally, there is potential for AR to become a first-class citizen in media, alongside video and photo.
AR's future role in media
Augmented Reality (AR) is currently in the early stages of development and is considered an installation type of technology. The necessary tooling and abstractions are still being built to enable the creation of advanced AR experiences. Creating AR experiences currently requires specialized knowledge in 3D environment development. The goal is to make programming AR as simple as creating a website. Niantic is actively involved in building the necessary infrastructure for the future of AR in media. The future role of AR in media includes its expansion beyond games and into other markets.
Deciding where to go with the product
Deciding where to go with the product in the context of augmented reality (AR) is the main focus of the video. The speaker highlights the challenges of determining the right direction and emphasizes the concept of product-market fit. They discuss the history of AR, from its early beginnings to its development in the 90s. The speaker stresses the importance of timing in starting a company and how advancements in technology have made now the right time for AR.
Innovations that enabled AR
The most profound aspect of the text is the discussion of three key technology trends that have enabled augmented reality (AR): the infrastructure built by the mobile industry, the advancement of computing power, and the improvements in cellular network technology.
- Infrastructure built by the mobile industry has made it easier to build AR devices, allowing for the production of AR headsets at a consumer-friendly price point.
- The advancement of computing power, often referred to as Moore's Law, has allowed AR to be implemented on tiny devices like smartphones, rivaling the performance of larger computers while consuming less power.
- Edmunds Law, which relates to the speed and bandwidth of wired and wireless connections, has ensured the necessary connectivity for seamless AR experiences.
- The transition from 3G to LTE to 5G has significantly improved data connectivity, allowing for more data-intensive AR applications with high-quality visuals and content.
- 5G infrastructure is expected to provide speeds up to 10 gigabits, which is crucial for the development and widespread adoption of AR.
Building a product in a new market
Building a product in the AR/VR market is challenging due to the unknowns and evolving nature of the industry. Focus on core technology and infrastructure companies that solve problems for developers. Finding investors who believe in these companies can be difficult.
- AR market is still in early stages, no clear "killer app" yet identified
- Focus on core technology and infrastructure companies
- Investors may view these companies as risky or not profitable
Raising money for a new market
Raising money for a new market:
- Found the right investors who believed in their vision and the future of augmented reality
- Connected with investors through demo day and introductions
- Brand reputation played a role in attracting investors
- Emphasized the importance of building a functional product and proving technology's capabilities
- Demo of a classic game in augmented reality received positive responses and connected with people
- Challenges of raising funds in an unknown and uncertain market
- Importance of finding investors who are independent thinkers and have a strong belief in the vision
- Once one investor commits, others tend to follow
- Keep trying despite rejections, eventually things will work out.
Advice for founders after an acquisition
Advice for founders after an acquisition:
- Find motivation in continuing to build the original vision
- Reframe the acquisition as an opportunity to learn new skills and be part of a hyper-growth company
- Build good relationships with leadership
- Execute tasks effectively
- Align cultures and find mutual respect between the acquiring company and the startup
- Have patience and faith in the long term to overcome cultural differences
- Benefit from access to more resources and ability to execute projects on a larger scale.
Immigrating to the US
Immigrating to the US can be a challenging experience, but it also presents opportunities for growth and success. Diana Hu's story of immigrating from Chile highlights the following key points:
- Diana's parents applied for a family visa lottery to seek a better life in the US.
- Despite the challenges of leaving their roots and starting from scratch, Diana saw this as an opportunity to pursue her interests in tinkering with things and math.
- Diana had to catch up on her education, but eventually excelled in English and calculus.
- The speaker discusses the difficulties of learning English and adapting to a new environment.
- Financial struggles are faced by both the immigrant and their family.
- Diana's determination to succeed led her to finish college early and pursue a career in engineering.
- The video aims to provide advice for other immigrants facing similar challenges.
Advice for Immigrant founders
The most profound aspect of the text is that immigrant founders possess a positive determinism mentality and intrapreneurial spirit in the US.
Key points:
- Immigrants have opportunities to explore and try new things due to the abundance and stability in the US.
- Challenges may arise depending on the type of company and the need to understand cultural norms and laws.
- Many big tech companies have been started by immigrants.
- Advice for current YC batch participants is to make the most of the program and not stress about what to do afterwards.
Advice for founders in/after YC
Participating in Y Combinator (YC) provides numerous benefits for startup founders, including overcoming early-stage challenges, gaining focus and direction, and differentiating themselves from larger competitors. YC also offers opportunities for fundraising and networking with other founders. It is important for founders to build relationships with other talented individuals in the industry.