They told me it was impossible. The so-called gurus, the ones selling courses on “growth hacking,” they all said you needed a Hollywood-sized budget to even think about using synthetic media. I built a nine-figure business proving them wrong. This is the story of how I did it, and how you can too.
People hear “synthetic media” and they immediately think of deepfakes or massive CGI productions. They think it’s a tool for the big players, the Disneys and Netflixes of the world. That’s a lie. A convenient lie told by people who want to keep the best tools for themselves. The real power of this technology isn’t about creating fake realities; it’s about creating millions of personalized ones.
The Lightbulb Moment at MovieLaLa
Back when I was building MovieLaLa, my second startup, we were obsessed with a single problem: how do you recommend the right movie to the right person? We had all this data on user preferences, what they watched, what they rated, who their favorite actors were. The standard approach was to just show them a generic movie poster and a trailer. It worked, kind of. But it was lazy.
My co-founder and I were sitting in our tiny Palo Alto office, surrounded by whiteboards, probably on our fifth cup of coffee. We had just raised a small seed round and every dollar was precious. We couldn’t afford a massive marketing campaign. We had to be smarter. The idea hit me: what if we didn’t show everyone the same trailer? What if the trailer itself changed based on who was watching?
Imagine you love action movies with Tom Cruise. Your friend loves romantic comedies with Julia Roberts. Why should you both see the exact same trailer for a new movie they’re both in? It’s inefficient. My trailer should be all explosions and car chases. Your friend’s should be all witty banter and meet-cutes. Same movie, completely different angle. We started experimenting with this manually, cutting different versions of trailers, and the engagement numbers went through the roof. We didn’t have the AI tools then that we have now, but the principle was the same. We were personalizing the marketing, not just the recommendation. That company was later acquired by Gfycat, and that principle is something I’ve carried with me ever since.
It’s Not Magic, It’s Data
This is the core of what I call hyper-personalized content. It’s about using AI to tailor every piece of content—your blog posts, your videos, your music, your ads—to the individual who is consuming it. It’s a one-to-one conversation at a global scale.
When I started angel investing, I saw the same pattern everywhere. The companies that were winning weren’t the ones with the biggest budgets. They were the ones who understood their users the best. It’s why I invested in companies like Scale AI and Hugging Face so early. I knew that the future belonged to those who could not just collect data, but use it to create better experiences.
Think about it:
AI Writing: I don’t have a team of writers for my blog. I use AI as a starting point, a creative partner. I feed it my ideas, my anecdotes, my opinions, and it helps me structure my thoughts. It allows me to publish consistently high-quality content without spending all my time writing. The key is that I’m the one guiding it, infusing it with my personal stories and voice. It’s my ideas, amplified.
AI Music: Imagine a podcast where the intro music is dynamically generated to match the listener’s mood. Or a workout app where the soundtrack adapts to your heart rate. This isn’t science fiction; the tools to do this are available right now. It’s about creating an emotional connection, making the user feel like the experience was crafted just for them.
AI Journalism: This one scares a lot of people, but it shouldn’t. The opportunity isn’t to replace journalists with robots. It’s to empower them. Imagine an AI that can instantly generate a localized version of a news story for every city in the country, complete with relevant data and quotes from local officials. It’s about making information more relevant and accessible.
The Data-Backed Truth
When we started testing personalized trailers at MovieLaLa, our click-through rates on recommendations jumped by over 200%. Why? Because we were showing people what they wanted to see. We were speaking their language.
This isn’t just about vanity metrics. This is about building a real business. A hyper-personalized approach leads to:
- Higher Engagement: When content feels like it was made for you, you’re more likely to pay attention.
- Increased Conversions: That engagement translates directly into sales, sign-ups, and whatever else you’re trying to achieve.
- Stronger Brand Loyalty: You’re not just another faceless company. You’re a trusted source that gets them.
I’ve seen this play out over and over again in my 200+ investments. The founders who embrace this mindset are the ones who build generational companies. It’s no coincidence that some of the biggest names in AI, like Anthropic and OpenAI, are companies I’ve backed. They understand that the future of technology is about personalization.
How You Can Start Today
You don’t need a PhD in machine learning or a multi-million dollar venture round to do this. You can start right now, with the tools you already have.
Start with your data. Look at your website analytics, your social media engagement, your customer feedback. What are people telling you? What do they care about? Start segmenting your audience based on their interests and behaviors.
Experiment with creative AI tools. There are amazing platforms out there that can help you generate personalized images, text, and audio. Don’t be afraid to play around. See what works for your audience.
Think like a user. Before you create any piece of content, ask yourself: Who is this for? What do they care about? How can I make this feel like it was made just for them?
The Future is Personal
Forget what the gurus are telling you. The future of content isn’t about bigger budgets or more elaborate productions. It’s about going smaller. It’s about creating a million tiny experiences that all feel unique and personal. It’s about treating every user like they’re your only user.
I didn’t build my career by following the rules. I did it by finding an unfair advantage and pressing it. For me, that advantage was understanding the power of personalization before anyone else. Now, I’m giving that advantage to you. The only question is, what are you going to do with it?
Frequently Asked Questions
How has this view evolved over time?
My thinking on most topics has changed significantly over the years. Early in my career, I held many conventional views that experience proved wrong. I try to update my beliefs when the evidence changes.
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.
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.