Two of my portfolio companies had opposite approaches to behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural. The one you'd expect to win didn't.
Everyone thinks procedural animation is about complex algorithms, but they're dead wrong. I'm pulling back the curtain on the industry lies and showing you the data-backed truth that separates the amateurs from the pros.
What I've Learned From 31 Companies
After investing in 200+ startups and running two companies to successful exits, I've developed a pretty clear picture of what works with behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural.
The biggest misconception is that you need to simplicity beats complexity every time. That's backwards. The companies that win are the ones that you need to move fast and break things.
I remember sitting with the Anthropic team early on and discussing how they thought about behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural. Their approach was counterintuitive but brilliant.
The Framework That Actually Works
I'm going to share the exact framework I use when evaluating behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: the best solutions are often the simplest ones This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: you need to move fast and break things Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies in my portfolio that nail behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural are the ones that treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
The Counterintuitive Truth
Here's what surprised me most about behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural: the best practitioners do less, not more.
When I was building MovieLaLa, we tried to do everything at once. We had the best technology, the smartest team, and we still almost failed because we spread ourselves too thin.
The lesson I took from that experience, and from watching hundreds of other companies, is that you need to move fast and break things. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.
Lessons From the Trenches
I want to share a few specific lessons I've picked up over the years. These aren't theoretical. They come from real companies, real failures, and real successes.
Lesson 1: The best time to start thinking about behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural was yesterday. The second best time is now. Don't wait until you have the perfect plan.
Lesson 2: Hire for attitude, train for skill. The best behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural practitioners I've met weren't the most technically gifted. They were the most curious and persistent.
Lesson 3: Your competitors are probably getting this wrong too. That's your opportunity. While everyone else is following the same playbook, you can zig when they zag.
This connects to broader themes around AI filmmaking, creative AI tools, AI game design, AI writing that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
The Bottom Line
Look, behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural isn't rocket science. But it does require intentionality, consistency, and a willingness to learn from mistakes.
If you take one thing from this article, let it be this: start now, start small, and iterate. The founders who win at behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural aren't the ones with the best strategy on paper. They're the ones who execute, learn, and adapt faster than everyone else.
I've been doing this for over a decade. The patterns are clear. The companies that take behind the scenes of my first 10-figure procedural seriously outperform the ones that don't. Every single time.
If you're working on something interesting in this space, I'd love to hear about it. Drop me a line.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.
What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.
How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?
Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.