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Designing Like Apple, Google's New Video Gen Model, On Getting More YESes and more

Less is Luxury. Apply it in design and you'll allure the whole world. Apple did.

Author

Charbel Zeaiter
December 18, 2024

It’s Wednesday and we’re a week away from taking a break, hope you’re looking forward to a well-earned rest.

Google's just dropped some serious AI upgrades with the launch of Veo 2 and Imagen 3; Starlink has a rival in the EU; some tips on creating a product hierarchy. As always, lots to digest in today’s digest.

Happy making!

Yours in Wonder,
Charbel
Founder of Velvet Onion, Faster Zebra and more to come …

Today’s Highlights

  • AI: Google Hopped Into Video Generation: Launched Next-gen Video and Image Models

  • Design: The Art of Design: Apple’s Simplistic Style

  • Science & Tech: Starlink Gets A Rival: Another Internet-Through-Satellites-Constellation Visionary

  • Founding: 3 Ways to Get More YESes and Cut Down All NOs

  • Product: On Creating a Product Hierarchy

  • Today’s AI image: An Internet Constellation

  • Quote for the day: From A Great Writer

AI

Google Hopped Into Video Generation: Launched Next-gen Video and Image Models

Google's just dropped some serious AI upgrades with the launch of Veo 2 and Imagen 3 — two cutting-edge models that are setting a new standard in video and image generation. Here’s all you need to know-

Veo 2:

Veo 2 can whip up 8-second video clips at 4K resolution (with 720p at launch), and it's packed with major improvements in cinematic control. The model has made massive strides in physics simulation and cut down on hallucinations, making movements and details look far more natural.

When it comes to human evaluations, Veo 2 leaves all its competitors in the dust — including OpenAI’s Sora — in terms of adherence to prompts and overall quality.

Currently, Veo 2 is being rolled out through the VideoFX waitlist, with a YouTube Shorts integration set for 2025.

Imagen 3:

Imagen 3 is not just about better images; it’s about richer colours, finer textures, and better handling of complex scenes. It’s got an improved ability to interpret prompts accurately and render intricate details in a way that matches user expectations.

In head-to-head tests, Imagen 3 outshone the likes of Midjourney, Flux, and Ideogram, taking the top spot for visual quality, preference, and prompt accuracy.

You can now access Imagen 3 through Google Labs’ ImageFX, and it’s rolling out to over 100 countries.

Why is this a big deal?

Google’s ending 2024 with a bang — first with Gemini 2.0, and now with Veo 2 and Imagen 3.

These new models aren’t just raising the bar, they’re smashing it, delivering top-tier performance across the AI board.

While OpenAI might be grabbing the holiday spotlight, Google’s quietly making its mark with results that speak for themselves.

Design

The Art of Design: Apple’s Simplistic Style

Apple’s success isn't just about sleek designs; it’s about prioritising simplicity across all aspects of the organisation.

To design like Apple, you need to abide by the “less is more” philosophy, precisely “less is luxury” in every function, from product to marketing.

Great Designers Love Simplicity

The best designers instinctively lean towards clean, elegant designs. If a design gets overly complicated, it's often due to external pressures—like unclear business goals, vague strategies, or feature overload.

The Importance of Prioritisation

Both designers and product managers must master the art of ruthless prioritisation. It’s not just about adding features but knowing what to leave out. This discipline is what makes Apple’s products so elegantly simple.

Look Beyond the Visuals

Designing like Apple isn’t about mimicking a style; it’s about understanding the product, customer, and business needs.

Find (or be) a designer who think strategically and can create solutions tailored to the problem at hand.

Design as a Stakeholder

In companies that truly value design, designers are key decision-makers, not just visual decorators.

They should have the authority to say “no” and be backed by cross-functional teams to maintain simplicity in the product.

If your company clings to this mindset, you’re on the path to creating products that resonate with users and stand the test of time.

Science & Tech

Starlink Gets A Rival: Another Internet-Through-Satellites-Constellation Visionary

The European Union has partnered with SpaceRISE to develop IRIS², a satellite network aimed at providing secure, high-speed connectivity.

This constellation will feature 290 satellites (264 in low Earth orbit, 18 in medium Earth orbit) by 2030, serving both governmental and private sectors, as well as citizens in remote areas.

Whyis this a big deal?

Valued at €10.6 billion (around $11 billion), the IRIS² constellation is designed to improve connectivity in underserved regions and enhance Europe's strategic autonomy.

It’s positioned as a direct competitor to SpaceX's Starlink, which currently operates around 7,000 satellites globally.

The Technical Edge

Unlike Starlink, which uses thousands of satellites for coverage, IRIS² looks forward to achieve secure, constant communication with fewer satellites, leveraging medium and low Earth orbits for more efficient operations.

Competition with Starlink

With the rise of IRIS², the EU is challenging SpaceX’s dominance in satellite internet, echoing calls from figures like FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel for more competition in the space to drive innovation and lower prices.

The IRIS² network is expected to become operational by 2030, potentially reshaping satellite internet services across Europe.

Founding

3 Ways to Get More YESes and Cut Down All NOs

Should we always be so stoic about rejections? Probably not. 

Rejection is inevitable, and we have to get used to it. However, it does not mean ALL rejections are unavoidable. There are ways you can minimise, if not eliminate completely, the amount of rejections you face in business and life. 

  1. Work on creating an un-turndown-able offer

“Why would I accept an offer from a stranger?”

Your prospect is going to keep questioning this to himself until he gets reasons strong enough to finally accept your offer. 

Your job? Give them, precisely prove them those reasons right away. 

  1. A sharp cone funnel < A cylinder-like funnel

Sharp cone funnels: generic pitching to a mass of prospects to get rejected from 4 out of every 5 of them. And then ingesting plenty of effort into convincing the bare minimum, who hardly passed down to BoFu. 

Cylinder-like funnel: highly personalised pitching to a select few high-conversion-probability prospects and receiving relatively fewer rejections. Then putting in relatively less effort to close deals with already warm leads. 

  1. Reframe & Refine your pitch before presenting

Simply put, reduce Is, MEs, and MYs and increase YOUs and YOURs. 

Make it more about them and less about you because it is in the nature of humans to assert the decision tilted towards their own benefit. 

Product

On Creating a Product Hierarchy

When an organisation gets bigger and more complex with multiple product categories, a product hierarchy is a must for better coordination of product teams within themselves as well as with marketing teams. 

A Basic Product Hierarchy

Foundation: Product Need

Each and every operation carried out in an organisation, trivial or significant, is based on solving a customer problem or a market problem. Define first what need of your customers are you fulfilling through your business. 

Second: Product Family

There is always a multitude of alternative solutions to a single problem that are available in the market. Figure out which one you provide through your product.

Third: Product Class

Class is just like product family, but within the organisation. There can be multiple products providing the same solution but in different forms. 

Fourth: Product Line

Then there’s product lines within each class. Same solution, same form, different versions. 

Fifth: Product Type

Further classifying products based on little modifications and tweaks in either the product itself or the way of providing it. 

Unit-level: Product Item/ Unit

Here at the last level, we consider each Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU) of the product.

Today’s AI Image

An Internet Constellation

Quote of the Day

From A Great Writer

"Not all those who wander are lost."

J R R Tolkien

What we’re working on

Velvet Onion & Friends

The new Velvet Onion & Friends will be launched soon. It’s our latest evolution, helping companies build products. It’s more than services.

Faster Zebra

February 2025 - the product and venture school journey begins. Whitepaper launching in January.

🧞Your wish is my command

Charbel

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