Firshman: Replicate Entered Late YC Batch With No Product or Users
Ben Firshman · A Brief History of the Open Source AI Hacker - with Ben Firshman of Replicate · Feb 28, 2024 · at 18:45
Ben Firshman, co-founder and CEO of Replicate, recounts the startup's early struggle trying to validate a commercial business during Y Combinator's Winter 2020 batch.
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“We didn't have, we hadn't built a product. We had no users. We had no idea what our business was going to be because we couldn't get anybody to like buy something which doesn't exist. And actually there was quite a way through our, I think it was like two thirds of the way through our YC batch or something. And we're like, okay, well, we're kind of screwed now. Cause we don't have anything to show at demo day.”
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