This Insane AI Video Search Technology Selected by NVIDIA and Snowflake | Twelve Labs, Jae Lee

What inspired the founding of 12Labs?

Jay Lee and his co-founders embarked on an intriguing journey that led to the birth of 12Labs. Raised in Seoul and having his formative years in Knoxville, Tennessee, Jay nurtured his curiosity in coding through interactions with his uncle, a PhD candidate. His education at Berkeley honed his interest in AI further.

During his mandatory service at the Korean Cyber Command, Jay met his future co-founders, SJ and Aiden. The trio shared a passion for artificial intelligence, finding inspiration amidst the unique environment of a military setting.

Their time in the Cyber Command was not just military service; it became a breeding ground for innovation and discussion. Together, they envisioned a venture that would push the boundaries of AI, focusing on video understanding. This shared enthusiasm for AI forged a strong foundation, ultimately leading them to create 12Labs. Their mission was driven by a desire to innovate and explore the untapped potential of AI in video technology.

How did 12Labs start with limited resources?

• Founders began with only $2,000, forcing them to be incredibly resourceful from the start.

• Early days were marked by improvised workspaces, including a bagel shop named Last Bagel near their military base. This served as their initial office where they conducted research and prototyping.

• After encountering unexpected challenges, like their temporary office space closing due to bankruptcy, they relocated to a tiny office the size of a dressing room.

• The team relied heavily on their passion and naivety, allowing them to take risks without being hindered by the fear of potential failure.

• Early development was driven by sheer determination, leveraging personal connections and low-cost resources to push through challenges.

What lessons were learned from acquiring early customers?

1. Optimize for the Right Fit: In the initial stages, finding the right customers was crucial. Early on, 12Labs discovered that pushing sales to those who weren't genuinely ready or passionate didn't yield good outcomes.

2. Trial and Error Leads to Insight: Experiencing setbacks taught them the value of trial and error in pinpointing the ideal customer profile. Learning from these experiences helped refine their approach.

3. Listen to Customers' Vision: They realized that innovative customers already have clear visions. Instead of overselling, it's efficient to let customers derive their use cases, enhancing alignment with product capabilities.

4. Embrace the "No": A crucial insight was to embrace rejections. It's better to focus on customers who have a clear vision and understanding of how to integrate new technologies, rather than laboriously converting a “no” into a “yes”.

Their learnings from early customer acquisitions bore similarities to strategies used by many successful startups, akin to those employed by Paragon, as described in this article.

Why is the best engineer not always the best coder?

Jay Lee emphasizes that greatness in engineering extends beyond coding skills. Core values and the effective application of abilities are crucial.

It's not just about writing perfect code. Perspective and groundedness matter. Being able to articulate a vision for the company's product and interfaces is invaluable.

The best engineers bring a unique viewpoint. They have a deep understanding of how to impact and evolve the company.

In Jay's view, anyone can learn to code, but those who can apply their principles and contribute to broader goals truly excel.

How did 12Labs secure partnerships with NVIDIA and others?

Strategic partnerships have played a vital role in propelling 12Labs forward. A significant breakthrough occurred when 12Labs was featured at NVIDIA's 2023 GTC. This exposure piqued the interest of NVIDIA's venture team due to their shared vision for the future of video understanding.

Backed by robust product compatibility, NVIDIA saw a natural fit with 12Labs. This alignment was vital because NVIDIA chips are ideal for the demanding tasks of video processing and understanding.

Simultaneously, 12Labs formed a valuable relationship with Oracle Cloud Infrastructure. They entered a multi-year compute partnership, allowing them access to cutting-edge media chips.

These collaborations are more than just financial. They provide mutual benefits in terms of technology development, enabling 12Labs to innovate rapidly in AI video understanding technology. Such alliances exemplify the synergy between groundbreaking startups like 12Labs and tech giants that share their vision.