Six months ago, I jumped headfirst into the deep end of the synthetic media pool. I’m talking about the world of AI-generated images, videos, and audio. As an investor in companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, I thought I had a pretty good handle on this stuff. I was wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.
I honestly had no idea what I was doing. My first attempts at generating a simple image of a cat looked more like a Picasso nightmare than a feline. It was humbling. But I’m not one to back down from a challenge. I’ve built and sold two companies, RemoteTeam and MovieLaLa, and I’ve learned that the only way to truly understand something is to get your hands dirty. So, I spent the next six months obsessively learning everything I could about synthetic media. I’m talking late nights, countless experiments, and a whole lot of caffeine. I’ve made all the mistakes so you don’t have to. And now, I’m sharing the 99 most important lessons I learned. Don't worry, I won't list all 99 here, but I'll give you the ones that really matter.
The “Aha!” Moments
Your Prompt is Everything (and Nothing). Everyone says “it’s all about the prompt.” Yes, a good prompt is your starting point, but it's not the end-all-be-all. I spent weeks trying to craft the “perfect” prompt, only to realize that the real magic happens in the iteration. My best results came from starting with a simple prompt and then refining it over and over again. It’s more like a conversation with the AI than a command.
Specificity is Your Superpower. The more specific you are, the better the result. Don’t just say “a futuristic car.” Say “a retro-futuristic flying DeLorean with chrome accents and glowing blue headlights, soaring over a neon-lit cyberpunk city at night.” See the difference? The AI needs details to work with. I once spent a whole day trying to generate a decent-looking logo, and it was only when I specified the exact Pantone colors and font styles that I got something usable.
Embrace the Chaos. Synthetic media is messy. It’s unpredictable. And that’s what makes it so exciting. Some of my best creations were happy accidents. I was trying to generate a photorealistic portrait and ended up with a surreal, dreamlike image that was far more interesting. Don’t be afraid to let the AI surprise you. As I learned when building my first startup, sometimes the best ideas come from unexpected places. You can read more about that in my post on how I became a top 1% angel investor.
The Tools Are Just Tools. There are a million and one AI design tools out there. Sora, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion… the list goes on. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of the latest and greatest tool. But here’s the thing: the tools are just tools. A great artist can create a masterpiece with a simple pencil and paper. It’s not about the tool, it’s about the artist. I’ve seen people create mind-blowing art with free, open-source tools. Don’t get distracted by the shiny new toys. Focus on mastering the fundamentals.
Taste is the New Skill. In a world where anyone can generate a technically perfect image, taste is what will set you apart. It’s about knowing what looks good and what doesn’t. It’s about having a point of view. This is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, especially in the context of AI. As the barrier to creation gets lower and lower, the value of curation and taste will only go up. I’m not just talking about aesthetics, but also about the ethical implications of what we create.
The Nitty-Gritty
Lesson 17: Negative Prompts are Your Secret Weapon. Sometimes, it’s easier to tell the AI what you don’t want than what you do want. I was trying to generate a picture of a serene beach, but I kept getting images with crowds of people. It was only when I added “-no people” to my prompt that I got the shot I was looking for.
Lesson 34: Understand the Uncanny Valley. The uncanny valley is that creepy feeling you get when something looks almost human, but not quite. It’s a real thing in synthetic media, and it’s something you need to be aware of. I’ve found that it’s often better to go for a more stylized look than to try and achieve perfect photorealism. Unless you’re a pro, you’re likely to end up in the uncanny valley.
Lesson 52: The Power of Inpainting and Outpainting. These are two techniques that have been absolute turning points for me. Inpainting allows you to select a part of an image and regenerate it. Outpainting allows you to extend an image beyond its original borders. I’ve used these techniques to fix mistakes, add new elements, and create massive, sprawling landscapes from a single image.
Lesson 78: It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint. Mastering synthetic media takes time. A lot of time. Don’t get discouraged if you’re not getting the results you want right away. It took me months of practice to get to a point where I felt comfortable with the tools. But the journey has been incredibly rewarding. It’s like learning a new language or a musical instrument. The more you practice, the more fluent you become.
So, What's the Point?
After six months, I’ve come to realize that synthetic media is not just about creating cool images and videos. It’s a new form of communication. A new way of telling stories. And it’s going to change everything. We’re at the very beginning of a new creative revolution, and I, for one, am incredibly excited to see where it takes us.
My biggest takeaway from all of this? Just start. Don’t wait for the perfect tool or the perfect prompt. Just jump in and start creating. You’ll be amazed at what you can do. And who knows, you might even surprise yourself. If you're interested in my journey as an entrepreneur, you can check out my book, Becoming Top 1%.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I implement all of these at once?
I'd strongly recommend against it. Pick the 2-3 items that resonate most with your current situation and focus there. Trying to do everything simultaneously is a recipe for doing nothing well.
Which item on this list has the highest impact?
It depends on your stage and context, but in my experience, the items near the top of the list tend to have the broadest applicability. That said, sometimes the less obvious items create the biggest breakthroughs for specific situations.
Are these recommendations still relevant in 2026?
Absolutely. While specific tools and tactics change, the underlying principles remain consistent. I update my thinking regularly based on what I'm seeing in the market and across my portfolio companies.