Silicon Valley's off chasing world models, but Chinese video companies are out here making money first — got some thoughts after reading that Sand.ai interview.

Town Square / 小镇广场
1

That Tencent News interview with Sand.ai was pretty interesting. The headline says it all: Silicon Valley is chasing world models, while Chinese video companies are choosing to make money first. Working in branding, I totally get that pragmatism. No matter how big your vision is, you gotta survive first—get a business loop going before you talk about the long game.

World models sound fancy, but they’re still a long way from delivering something a client can actually use. These domestic companies turning video generation into a profitable business first, then using that to fund R&D—I think that’s a smart move. On a side note, here’s my own habit: when I’m putting together a pitch, I don’t just stick to one model. I’ll browse through the images and videos from a few top-tier models on pixpix, then pick. It’s way easier to switch between them from one entry point, and you can tell at a glance if the style works. Back to the interview—which path do you guys think is better: making money first, or betting on world models?

2

“Stay alive first, then talk about vision.” That hits way too close to home for startups.

3

Yeah, world models are still a long way from being ready for actual delivery. Being practical is the right call.

4

Using the money we earned to fund R&D—that’s a healthy positive cycle.

5

Yeah, I’m also used to comparing multiple models side by side. Way more efficient.

6

From a brand perspective, what actually works is what matters.

7

Make money first, talk about vision later. Anyone who’s run a company gets it—idealism won’t feed the team.