Company: Mirage
Stage: Pre-Seed
Headcount: 3
Mirage is backed by Sequoia Arc and is looking to hire a Founding Engineer and Founding Designer.
Tell us your story
Down the Rabbit Hole
The journey so far for Mirage has been akin to gradient descent.
We started Mirage last summer with a lofty goal: to make creating 3D synthetic scenes a breeze for robotics teams. But as we dove into the creation process, we realized it was not scalable enough to meet our customer’s demands.
Then, everything changed. In August, Stability AI released their diffusion model, and the world of generative AI exploded. Suddenly, we saw an opportunity to completely revolutionize the way 2D and 3D data could be created. We knew we had to pivot, and remain true to our vision but be flexible with our solution.
Over the next few months, we poured all of our energy into building Mirage, the ultimate 3D asset generation platform. Thousands of users flocked to our platform, creating a mind-boggling array of 3D assets. But even as we celebrated our success, we knew there was more work to be done. We still had room to improve the quality of our creations, and users wanted to use the assets they generated in other contexts.
So, since January, we've been hard at work on a new mission: to create a 3D platform powered by AI that's so simple to use, it feels like playing a game. We're integrating all the AI tools we've developed over the past few months into a 3D canvas that makes environment creation dead simple.
The founder's journey is a wild and challenging ride, full of ups and downs, twists and turns. We’re kept going by our understanding that Mirage's success means that anyone’s wildest imagination can be turned into an immersive environment. Mirage is going to change the way the world interacts with 3D, and we're just getting started.
Tell us a story that has really resonated with you
Jensen Huang - Right Tech, Right Time, Right Place
Jensen Huang is a name that's become synonymous with the world of graphics computing. Back in the day, when the world was still getting used to the idea of computers generating graphics, Jensen had a vision. He wanted to accelerate graphics computing and create a GPU that would revolutionize the industry!
The early days of NVIDIA were all about gaming and video graphics. But as time went on, NVIDIA's GPUs have become the backbone of every major tech trend. Jensen's big break came when he created CUDA, a technology that would allow GPUs to be used for much more than just gaming. At the time, it was a risky move that cost NVIDIA dearly. Their earnings fell, and their market cap dropped a staggering 80% in 2008. But Jensen knew that he was onto something, and he never lost sight of his vision.
In 2009, a researcher named Fei Fei Li developed ImageNet, a database of images that would go on to change the game. She organized a competition for the best image classification algorithm, and in 2012, a team blew away the competition by developing AlexNet, the first deep learning model to be developed on an NVIDIA GPU on CUDA. This was a turning point for NVIDIA. Over the next decade, it saved the company and catapulted them into the stratosphere.[1]
And that's not all. The rise of crypto over the last decade was fueled in large part by GPUs. Mining Bitcoin, and later Ethereum, became a massive business for individuals and companies. GPUs made deep learning possible, and we've seen exponential growth in the AI space as a result. It's no exaggeration to say that NVIDIA and Jensen have changed the face of technology as we know it.
The story of NVIDIA and Jensen is a testament to the power of founder conviction, market timing, and flexibility. Jensen never lost sight of his vision, even when the chips were down (pun intended). And because of that, we all get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Who knows what the future holds for NVIDIA and Jensen, but one thing's for sure: it's going to be epic!
What can't you stop thinking about?
The AI Era
Can we keep up?
As AI continues to advance at a rapid pace, many people are wondering how it will impact our daily lives and the job market. With more than 77% of jobs in the US relying on technology[2], the potential for AI to disrupt these jobs is significant. Will AI be able to do all of these jobs? And what will happen to the people who are displaced by AI?
There are two opposing views on this topic. The optimistic view is that professionals will be able to continue doing the same job, but with higher quality and efficiency when aided by AI. Those displaced by AI will be able to pick up new skills or transfer to roles that involve overseeing and correcting any mistakes made by AI. However, the pessimistic view is that AI will replace almost all software jobs and slowly take over hardware jobs as well.
In reality, the future is likely to be a combination of both scenarios: as AI improves, humans will be able to accomplish tasks and create entertainment that would have been impossible without AI. Some jobs will no longer be necessary, but these are typically jobs that involve repetitive tasks that AI is better suited for.
However, the future of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is much harder to predict. When AGI is achieved (my guess ~2030), it will be able to perform any task that a human can do. While it may not be able to beat experts initially, it will be able to learn and become better than any expert. This presents an uncertain but exciting future for humanity as we ponder our purpose and place in the universe.
If I could tell you just one thing...
On Failure
When it comes to resilience, I learned one of the most important lessons early on in my fitness journey. As an 18-year-old, I was determined to lose weight and it soon became an unhealthy obsession. I refused to even touch sugar, carbs, or fat, pushing myself to the limit. But one day, I couldn't resist any longer and indulged in a delicious fried chicken sandwich and ice cream with friends. Afterward, I felt terrible and depressed, beating myself up for my lack of willpower.
It was then that I stumbled upon a quote from an article that has stayed with me ever since: "So what if you had a cheat meal/day/week? What are you going to do? You have two options: give up on your goals or reset and continue the journey tomorrow." The choice was clear, but in the darkest moments, it can be hard to see the light. That simple yet powerful message has been a guiding force for me, constantly ringing in my head whenever I encounter failure.
A little space for shoutouts
Parents - raising us to always be curious and put 100% effort into everything I do
Mayank Kishore - my twin brother, best friend and always someone I can rely on
Sree - extraordinarily dedicated and incredibly loyal
Tae Eun Choe - gave me the amazing opportunity to innovate on synthetic data for AVs
Cory Levy - first believer in our team
If you could get a warm intro to anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
Circling back to Emad Mostaque. He has propelled the AI space by years through open sourcing stable-diffusion. Would love to learn about his vision for the world and how he sees AI changing his day-to-day life.
[1] Acquired’s NVIDIA Podcast
[2] https://writersblocklive.com/blog/technology-in-the-workplace-statistics/