Summary of Key Points
Recently, in the AI application startup scene, entrepreneurs from the "Jianyin" (a video editing tool developed by ByteDance) community have become highly sought after. Employees who left Jianyin have flocked to start their own businesses, especially during the first half of this year. Most of them are working in areas such as AI video production, design, and programming, with the AI video sector being the most competitive. At least four teams with a background in Jianyin are developing video agents (AI tools that can automatically create videos). These entrepreneurs carry ByteDance's emphasis on "quick problem-solving" and are adept at turning new technologies into products. However, they also face new challenges: as large models become more powerful, their applications may be directly replaced by these models, forcing them to shift from focusing on technology-driven issues to defining long-term user needs.
How Popular Are These Jianyin-Linked Entrepreneurs?
In the past two years, at least ten people with a background in Jianyin have founded AI companies, with a particularly high concentration in the first half of this year:
- March: Jianyin's technical expert Zeng Tan left to start a company focused on "multi-agent collaboration," which received seed funding from Sequoia Capital shortly after its establishment.
- April: Zhang Qizhi, former product manager at Jianyin, founded OJO, an AI design platform that is currently in beta testing.
- May: Cao Dapeng, founder of Jimeng App, developed an AI-enabled smartwatch; Zhang Xinyi, from Xiaoyunque, launched an AI education platform.
- Earlier on: Chen Mian (former commercialization manager at Jianyin) founded Yanyu Technology, which was valued at 2 billion yuan, and Ming Chaoping (former mobile product manager at Jianyin) completed a third round of financing for his company Xinyanyma.
The AI video sector is the most crowded, with four teams—Chen Mian's LibTV, Guo Lie's Flova, Nao Nao's OiiOii, and Liao Qian's Pexo—all developing video agents. In simple terms, these tools allow users to specify their needs, and the AI automatically creates the videos for them without any manual editing.
Their "ByteDance Influence": Quick Problem-Solving and Product Development
The Jianyin-linked entrepreneurs have clearly inherited ByteDance's approach of quickly turning new technologies into market-ready products:
- When video models matured, they developed video agents.
- As coding models improved, they created AI programming tools.
- With the rise of multi-agent systems, they built collaboration platforms.
- When visual AI technology advanced, they moved into hardware development with smartwatches.
They don't get lost in abstract discussions about how technology will change the world; instead, they focus on practical questions like: "Who should we serve first? What features should the initial version include? Where do users lose interest? Should we target the domestic or international market? How can we make money?" This mindset was cultivated by ByteDance's management, which sets directions and then has its teams quickly break down tasks and test various approaches. What might take three months for a Jianyin team to complete, a startup might struggle to achieve in half a year.
The Transition from ByteDance to Independence
However, leaving ByteDance comes with challenges. Resources that were previously readily available (such as recommendation algorithms and marketing tools) now need to be developed from scratch, increasing the cost of experimentation. As a result, these entrepreneurs are quick to change directions. For example, Ming Chaoping shifted from music video to AI programming; Guo Lie switched from AI games to video agents; Chen Mian's product went through eight name changes before it was finally launched.
Not a "Gang" but Competitors: Both Friends and Rivals
Although they are often seen as a group, they are more like familiar colleagues:
- Mutual Support: Ming Chaoping publicly defended Chen Mian when his company faced doubts, highlighting his ability to manage finances effectively; Guo Lie recruited former Jianyin team members for his company.
- Competition: They sometimes criticize each other's products (e.g., suggesting that someone might have only been in charge of a small part at ByteDance).
- Talent Acquisition: Yanyu Technology frequently hires former ByteDance employees, and Guo Lie recruited Wang Xuezhi, who used to work with Chen Mian at FaceMeng.
They also use ByteDance's hierarchical structure to evaluate others (e.g., referring to someone as "Level 3-2" or "Level 4-1"), which investors take into account when making decisions. Early investors favored those with a Jianyin background because they had experience managing large-scale products and knew how to drive growth.
The Reason for the Mass Departure
The wave of departures is linked to internal changes at ByteDance:
- In 2024, Zhang Nan (former CEO of Douyin) took over Jianyin, elevating it to a key focus within the company. Resources were reallocated, but power became more centralized, leading to the departure of former leaders like Zhang Xiaoran and Wang Xuezhi.
- Zhang Nan is focusing on Jimeng, which requires frequent travel between Beijing and Shenzhen, causing some employees concern about potential reorganizations.
- The success of earlier entrepreneurs (e.g., Chen Mian's company being valued at 2 billion yuan) inspired others to follow suit, creating a "word-of-mouth" effect that encouraged more people to leave and start their own businesses.
The Current Challenge: Competing with Powerful Models
Early investors recognized the value of a Jianyin background, but now they are more cautious. Models are evolving so rapidly that applications may quickly become obsolete. For example, if you develop an AI video editing tool, the next major model update could include that feature, rendering your product useless.
The Jianyin-linked entrepreneurs were good at following technology trends, but now they need to define their own problems—identifying user needs that models cannot meet. They must determine what makes their applications truly indispensable.
In Conclusion
While these entrepreneurs bring ByteDance's fast-paced execution skills to the AI industry, to establish a solid foothold, they need to transition from being technology followers to defining user needs. They must find those unique requirements that models will never be able to replace. Otherwise, they may forever find themselves in a cycle of constantly updating their products to keep up with model advancements.
Final Thought
The Jianyin-linked entrepreneurs are pushing forward with ByteDance's momentum, but to truly succeed, they must transform from technology followers into demand definers—identifying enduring user needs that models cannot satisfy.