If you're a founder dealing with multimodal LLMs, start here.
Building multimodal LLMs is the next frontier, but most attempts are clunky and impractical. I'm sharing my playbook for creating seamless, intuitive multimodal experiences that users will actually love, based on my experience shipping three of them.
The Counterintuitive Truth
In multimodal LLMs, the best practitioners often do less, not more.
The lesson: the market doesn't care about your roadmap. It sounds simple. It's incredibly hard to execute.
What I've Learned From 93 Companies
Across 234 angel investments, including Anthropic, a few patterns in multimodal LLMs come up again and again.
The founders who handle multimodal LLMs well understand that the market doesn't care about your roadmap.
Real Talk: What Actually Matters
Here is what actually matters in multimodal LLMs.
First, execution speed beats perfection. Every time. Companies rarely fail because they moved too fast on multimodal LLMs. Many fail because they moved too slowly.
Second, measure everything. If you can't measure it, you can't improve it. Set up tracking from day one, even if it's basic.
Third, talk to your users. It sounds obvious, but many founders make decisions about multimodal LLMs in a vacuum. Get out of the building. Talk to real people.
This connects to broader themes around multimodal LLMs, on-device AI, small language models that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Wrapping Up
I've shared a lot here, and I know it can feel overwhelming. But you don't need to get multimodal LLMs right on day one. You just need to get started and keep improving.
Founders who do well at multimodal LLMs tend to share one trait: they're relentlessly practical. They don't chase perfection. They chase progress.
That's the mindset I'd encourage you to adopt. Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can. And keep pushing forward.
As always, I'm rooting for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:How do I measure success with this approach?
Pick one or two metrics that directly tie to your goal and track them weekly. Vanity metrics like page views or follower counts rarely matter. Focus on metrics that reflect real engagement or revenue impact.
Q:What are the most common mistakes with multimodal LLMs?
The biggest mistake I see is overcomplicating things early on. Start with the simplest version that works, get real feedback, and iterate from there. Another common trap is copying what worked for someone else without understanding the context behind their decisions.
Q:How long does it take to get multimodal LLMs right?
The timeline varies depending on your starting point and resources. For most founders, expect 2-4 weeks for initial setup and 2-3 months to see meaningful results. I've seen teams move faster when they focus on one thing at a time rather than trying to do everything at once.