Large Language Models

I used AI to watch an hour-long lecture

and it can understand everything.

Benedict Neo

Published in

bitgrit Data Science Publication

13 min readApr 19, 2024

Google recently just released Gemini 1.5 Pro. to the public on their AI Studio.

Gemini Pro 1.5 has a 1,000,000 multimodal token context size.

This is a huge leap over existing models such as Claude 2.1 (200k) and GPT4-turbo (128k)

To test how well a model is able to retrieve content from its long context, we use the needle-in-a-haystack test.

And Gemini 1.5 pro achieves >99.7% recall, even up to 10M tokens!

Aside from reasoning about long documents and complex codebases, what I find to be most interesting is its ability to analyze and reason about videos.

In their demo, they fed the model Buster Keaton’s silent 45 minute “Sherlock Jr.” movie.

And using one frame per second, turned it into an input context of 684k tokens.

The model than can answer fairly complex questions (See below)

You can watch the full demo here: Multimodal prompting with a 44-minute movie | Gemini 1.5 Pro Demo

This opens up so much possibilities.

For example, Simon Willison had the creative idea of took a 7 second video of his bookshelf and Gemini was able to return a JSON array of the book titles and authors.

Given this, I wanted to test it for myself.

Test Drive

I’ve had this video in my watch-later list for a while, and I figured why not use Gemini to answer the question of “How to build a product that scales into a company?”

After I obtained the mp4 of this video.

I went to the Google AI Studio.

I uploaded the video using the video tab.

At first it gave me an error “Video Too Long”

So I had to trim it down to exactly 59:59 minutes.

I tried again, and after ~5 minutes, it was uploaded.

It contains a whopping 946,800 tokens!

Which using OpenAI’s calculation of 100 tokens ~= 75 words, amounts to 710,100 words.

So after speeding through the video, I tested it on a few questions.

Here’s a table of contents.

1. What is the rule of 40/20/20?
2. What is the minimum viable segment?
3. How to check on your value proposition?
4. Why would a VC say no to your product? ❌
5. List down all the questions asked in this talk and what the speaker responded as a suggestion/solution ❌
6. Did the speaker say anything about how to name your product? ❌
7. Provide a detailed summary for this lecture.
8. Provide a glossary of all the terms mentioned in the video that is worth knowing and remembering.
9. What are all the important lessons mentioned?
10. What are 10 questions I should ask myself when scaling my product into a company?

Let’s start!

What is the rule of 40/20/20?

I first started with a short prompt asking it to return the timestamps for the answers so I can fact check them.

The rule of 40/20/20 is a financial metric used to measure the health of software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies. It states that a company’s combined revenue growth rate and profit margin should be equal to or greater than 40%. Additionally, the rule suggests that sales and marketing expenses should be around 20% of revenue, while research and development and general and administrative expenses should each be around 20% of revenue.
The speaker discusses the rule of 40/20/20 at the following timestamps: 09:04–09:14.

Let’s check if 09:04 mentions this rule.

Sure enough it does!

On to the next one.

What is the minimum viable segment?

The minimum viable segment is the smallest group of customers that you can dominate with your product. This group should have the same needs, pain points, budget, product use case, and customer profile. By focusing on this small group, you can quickly learn what works and what doesn’t, and then iterate on your product to make it even better. Once you have dominated this segment, you can then expand to other segments with similar needs.
The speaker discusses the minimum viable segment at the following timestamps: 19:44–20:05 and 31:27–31:34.

Awesome! Both mentions this term!

How to check on your value proposition?

To check on your value proposition, you need to ask yourself the following questions:
- Is it “BLAC” and white? BLAC stands for Blatant, Latent, Aspirational, and Critical. Blatant needs are obvious and painful, and customers are actively looking for solutions. Latent needs are not as obvious, but they are still important. Aspirational needs are things that customers would like to have, but they are not essential. Critical needs are essential to the customer’s business or personal life.
1. Is it simple to use and install? Customers should be able to easily understand how to use your product and get it up and running quickly.
2. Is it low to no initial cost? Customers should not have to pay a lot of money upfront to try your product.
3. Does it provide instant and ongoing value? Customers should see the value of your product immediately and continue to see value over time.
4. Does it play well in the ecosystem? Your product should work well with other products and services that your customers are already using.
The speaker discusses how to check on your value proposition at the following timestamps: 13:09–13:33.

Why would a VC say no to your product? ❌

There are a number of reasons why a VC might say no to your product. Some of the most common reasons include:
- The market is too small. VCs are looking for companies that have the potential to grow into large, billion-dollar businesses. If your target market is too small, it will be difficult to achieve that kind of scale.
- The problem you are solving is not valuable enough. VCs want to invest in companies that are solving big, important problems. If the problem you are solving is not valuable enough, customers will not be willing to pay for your product.
- Your product is not differentiated enough. There are a lot of companies out there competing for VC dollars. If your product is not differentiated enough, it will be difficult to stand out from the crowd.
- Your team is not strong enough. VCs invest in people as much as they invest in ideas. If your team does not have the experience and expertise to execute on your vision, VCs will be hesitant to invest.
The speaker discusses why a VC might say no to your product at the following timestamps: 38:10–38:44.

I was expecting it to mention something around 25:48 where one of the students mentioned a VC might say no and how you can take that as a value judgement of the company. But I suppose the question was vague to begin with.

But the segment 38:10–38:44 does not mention anything about VCs saying no.

List down all the questions asked in this talk and what the speaker responded as a suggestion/solution ❌

Here are all the questions that were asked by the audience in this talk, along with the speaker’s suggestions/solutions:
Question 1: How can you make your product simple to install? (41:45)
Speaker’s suggestion: There are a number of ways to make your product simple to install, such as:
- Making it self-service. This means that customers should be able to install and use your product without any help from your team.
- Providing clear and concise documentation. This documentation should walk customers through the installation process step-by-step.
- Offering a free trial or demo. This allows customers to try your product before they buy it, which can help to reduce their perceived risk.
Question 2: What is one gain your product can offer to provide instant value? (53:29)
Speaker’s suggestion: To provide instant value, your product should solve a critical need for your customer. This means that your product should help them to:
- Increase revenue
- Reduce costs
- Save time
- Reduce risk
- Gain a competitive advantage
If your product can do one or more of these things, customers will see the value of it immediately and be more likely to buy it.
Question 3: How do you find product-market fit? (54:31)
Speaker’s suggestion: Finding product-market fit is a process of iteration and experimentation. You need to start with a small group of target customers and get their feedback on your product. Then, you need to use that feedback to improve your product and make it more valuable to your target market. This process can take time, but it is essential for building a successful company.
Question 4: How do you know when you have product-market fit? (58:51)
Speaker’s suggestion: There is no single metric that can tell you definitively whether or not you have product-market fit. However, there are a few signs that you can look for, such as:
- Customers are using your product and getting value from it.
- Customers are willing to pay for your product.
- Your product is growing organically through word-of-mouth.
If you are seeing these signs, it is a good indication that you are on the right track to finding product-market fit.

Questions 1 and 2 are real questions that were in the video, but questions 3 and 4 are not. It also missed out on the rest of the questions in the lecture.

Did the speaker say anything about how to name your product? ❌

Yes, the speaker briefly mentioned how to name your product at timestamp 33:07. He said that the name of your product should be:
- Memorable
- Easy to spell and pronounce
- Descriptive of what your product does
He also said that it is important to make sure that the domain name for your product is available.

So this is a hallucinated answer, I went to 33:07 and the speaker doesn’t mention this at all.

Provide a detailed summary for this lecture.

This lecture is about how to build a product that scales into a company. The speaker, Chris Gardner, is a partner at Underscore VC, a venture capital firm that invests in early-stage startups.
Gardner begins by talking about the “product-company gap.” This is the gap between having a great product and having a great company. Many startups fail because they focus too much on their product and not enough on the other aspects of building a successful company, such as go-to-market strategy, business model, and team.
Gardner then talks about how to design for “product-go-to-market fit.” This means making sure that your product is solving a valuable problem for a specific target market, and that you have a way to reach those customers and convince them to buy your product. He suggests starting with a “minimum viable segment,” which is the smallest group of customers that you can dominate with your product. By focusing on this small group, you can quickly learn what works and what doesn’t, and then iterate on your product to make it even better.
Gardner also shares two “startup secrets” for building a product that scales into a company:
1. Friction-free products that SLIP: This stands for Simple to install and use, Low to no initial cost, Instant and ongoing value, and Plays well in the ecosystem. By designing your product to meet these criteria, you can make it easier for customers to try, adopt, and deploy your product, which can lead to faster growth and lower customer acquisition costs.
2. Co-create a win-win via strategic partnerships: By partnering with other companies, you can leverage their resources and reach to get your product in front of more customers. This can be a great way to accelerate your growth and build a lasting company.
Gardner concludes by emphasizing the importance of focusing on your core value and providing proof of value to your customers. Don’t just tell customers that your product is valuable, show them. Use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact that your product can have on their business or personal life.
By following these lessons, you can increase your chances of building a product that scales into a lasting company.

Provide a glossary of all the terms mentioned in the video that is worth knowing and remembering.

Here is a glossary of terms mentioned in the video that are worth knowing and remembering:
- Product-company gap: The gap between having a great product and having a great company.
- Product-go-to-market fit: Making sure that your product is solving a valuable problem for a specific target market, and that you have a way to reach those customers and convince them to buy your product.
- Minimum viable segment (MVS): The smallest group of customers that you can dominate with your product.
- Friction-free products that SLIP: Products that are Simple to install and use, Low to no initial cost, provide Instant and ongoing value, and Play well in the ecosystem.
- Product-led growth (PLG): A go-to-market strategy that relies on the product itself to drive customer acquisition and growth.
- Whole product: The complete solution that your customer needs, including your product, complementary products and services from partners, and customer support.
- BLAC: An acronym that stands for Blatant, Latent, Aspirational, and Critical. It is used to qualify customer needs.
- Blatant need: An obvious and painful need that customers are actively looking for solutions for.
- Latent need: A need that is not as obvious, but is still important.
- Aspirational need: A need that customers would like to have, but is not essential.
- Critical need: A need that is essential to the customer’s business or personal life.
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC): The cost of acquiring a new customer.
- Freemium: A business model that offers a basic version of a product for free, but charges for premium features.

What are all the important lessons mentioned?

Here are some of the important lessons mentioned in the video:
- It’s not just about the product. While having a great product is important, it’s not the only thing that matters. You also need to have a strong go-to-market strategy, a solid business model, and a great team.
- Design for product-go-to-market fit. This means making sure that your product is solving a valuable problem for a specific target market, and that you have a way to reach those customers and convince them to buy your product.
- Make your product friction-free. This means making it simple to install and use, low to no initial cost, and providing instant and ongoing value.
- Co-create a win-win via strategic partnerships. By partnering with other companies, you can leverage their resources and reach to get your product in front of more customers.
- Focus on your core value. Don’t try to be everything to everyone. Focus on the one thing that your product does better than anyone else, and make sure that your messaging and positioning are clear and consistent.
- Provide proof of value. Don’t just tell customers that your product is valuable, show them. Use data and metrics to demonstrate the impact that your product can have on their business or personal life.
By following these lessons, you can increase your chances of building a product that scales into a lasting company.

What are 10 questions I should ask myself when scaling my product into a company?

Based on the video, here are 10 questions you should ask yourself when scaling your product into a company:
Product-Market Fit
1. What is the core value proposition of my product?
2. What is the minimum viable segment (MVS) for my product?
3. Have I achieved product-market fit with my MVS?
4. How can I make my product more friction-free (SLIP)?
Business Model
5. What is my business model?
6. How will I price and package my product for different customer segments
7. How will I distribute my product and capture value?
Go-to-Market Strategy
8. What is my go-to-market strategy?
9. How will I position, message, and communicate my product to my target market?
10. What channels will I use to distribute my product and reach my target market?
By asking yourself these questions, you can develop a clear and comprehensive strategy for scaling your product into a successful company

Conclusion

It seems like questions that are less specific and definite, it easily hallucinates an answer.

Prompting could fix this issue.

But on the other hand, just because the information wasn’t in the video doesn’t mean it’s not useful, especially for the “Why VCs would say no”.

So, as a tool for summarizing and learning from YouTube videos, I’d say it’s a great tool nonetheless.

Let me know in the comments what ideas you have for using the Google AI Studio.

Below are some links on Gemini 1.5.

Have fun and keep building!

Thanks for reading

Be sure to follow the bitgrit Data Science Publication to keep updated!

Want to discuss the latest developments in Data Science and AI with other data scientists? Join our discord server!

Follow Bitgrit below to stay updated on workshops and upcoming competitions!