Question 1

What inspired the creation of Pangeon?

Accepted Answer

Over the last 25 years I saw how things were done at many startups.  We all learn as we go.  I know I still have a lot to learn, but at the very least I want to avoid the mistakes I made in the past.  There's nothing easy or simple about starting a company, especially in the AI space.  Pangeon is an attempt to make it simpler, to systematize launching an AI startup.  Do you have some kind of industry expertise but you don't understand AI?  There is no industry that cannot be helped by AI.  It's the electricity of this century.  Do you have what it takes to be a CEO?  Come to us.  We'll make you a CEO and help you apply AI to something you already know.

Question 2

Can you explain how Pangeon merges AI with innovation in its mission?

Accepted Answer

Every company has to make money, but people need more.  Some of us are driven to be creative-- we're not happy unless we're innovating.  With AI, Pangeon helps in two ways: 1. We design AI to automate boring tasks, allowing you to spend your time being creative, 2. We can leverage AI to help you build whatever product you imagine.

Question 3

How does Pangeon select and support the startups it funds and builds?

Accepted Answer

The Pangeon selection process:

1. You, the Founder, have some expertise in some industry or domain
2. You have an idea for how AI can improve that industry
3. You have not yet created the company
4. You are willing to work long hours for a long time without getting paid
5. We see a way for AI to accomplish your vision

Question 4

What sets Pangeon apart in the tech innovation landscape?

Accepted Answer

Everybody seems to think that LLMs are the answer to everything.  They are Type 1 systems (fuzzy black boxes), whereas Type 2 systems employ discrete logic.  Both have their pros and cons.  Pangeon is able to expertly combine Type 1 and Type 2 into integrated solutions that are more than the sum of the parts.

Question 5

Can you share some key milestones in your career that led to the founding of Pangeon?

Accepted Answer

In 1999 I founded SuperWings with a good friend.  We developed and attempted to sell software for mobile devices.  At the time we had the Blackberry, the Palm Pilot, and a host of others.  Now there's a word for what we made: "apps."  That would hadn't yet been used this way.  We made apps from 1999 to 2002.  Ultimately we used up our funding and had to close down because we never made any revenue.  Not a single dollar.  Most would-be customers told us more or less the same thing:  "Nobody wants to use the internet on their phone, stupid, we have computers for that!"   If only we could have survived another four years, we would have been around for the iPhone, which changed everything.  The big lesson I learned was that timing can make or break you.  I used to fantasize about what would have happened if we could have put SuperWings on the back burner for 4 years and relaunched when the time was right.  We would have been poised to capitalize on the smartphone revolution.  We designed the Pangeon process such that projects can go on the back burner if need be to wait for the right time, and we can do this without dismantling an entire company, which is what usually happens.

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