#founders - your first product may not be your best. Timing is key! #AI #entrepreneur #investing #ml

Introduction

When we first launched our company, our initial product was not what you might expect. It wasn’t a sophisticated speech-to-text tool; instead, it was a search product. This early offering focused on identifying and surfacing individual words, phrases, or ideas from audio content. However, our team soon realized that this approach created a significant gap in the market that potential buyers were not willing to bridge.

Reflecting on that period, the product we had developed resembled a combination of a vector embedding model and fuzzy search capabilities. Nowadays, these concepts are well understood and widely utilized in the tech industry. Despite this familiarity, we faced a crucial decision point in 2016: do we position ourselves as a niche company specializing in fuzzy databases and vector embeddings when there was seemingly little market demand?

Taking a strategic approach, we recognized that what customers were truly looking for was effective speech-to-text technology. Interestingly, our early engineering and research teams at Deepgram were somewhat hesitant. They were well aware of the advanced technologies on the horizon, such as embedding models and speech synthesis techniques. The challenge was clear: we needed to establish a strong foothold in one product domain before expanding into others. This focused approach allowed us to create the right foundation and earn our place in the broader AI landscape, ultimately giving us the credibility to explore new product domains over time.

In essence, our journey highlights a vital lesson for founders and entrepreneurs: the first product you launch may not be your most innovative or groundbreaking idea—but timing and market demand are critical. Understanding where to focus your efforts can make all the difference in establishing a successful venture.

Keywords

• First product
• Speech-to-text
• Search product
• Vector embeddings
• Fuzzy search
• Market demand
• Entrepreneurs
• AI

FAQ

Q1: What was the first product launched by the company?
A1: The first product was a search tool that aimed to identify and surface individual words or phrases from audio.

Q2: Why did the company pivot from its initial product idea?
A2: The company recognized a significant gap in market demand for their initial offering, realizing that buyers were more interested in speech-to-text technology.

Q3: How does the company describe their initial product in relation to current technology?
A3: They compare their initial product to a combination of a vector embedding model and fuzzy search capabilities, which are widely recognized today.

Q4: What is the key lesson for entrepreneurs mentioned in the article?
A4: The article emphasizes that the first product may not be the best one, and understanding market demand and timing is critical for success.