ELI - 484 | Building India's Answer to Instagram: Amey Naik on his AI-Powered Social App 'I'

In this episode of ELI, we sit down with Amey Naik, co-founder of 'I', a homegrown, AI-powered social media application aiming to create a unique space in the Indian market.Amey shares his journey from working in service-based and product-based companies like Capgemini and Salesforce to taking the entrepreneurial leap. He delves into the origin story of 'I', a platform that combines the best of social media with innovative AI features.Discover what sets 'I' apart from giants like Instagram and Facebook, from its AI face and video swap tools to the unique 'iCoins' system that rewards users for engagement, and a 'Family Tree' feature that brings a new dimension to social networking. Amey also discusses the rise of "Social OTT" and the future of vertical, short-form video content.Join us as we explore the challenges and opportunities of building a social media platform for India, the strategy behind acquiring over 1.5 lakh users in a year, and the vision for creating a seamless ecosystem for creators, brands, and users.Chapters(00:00) Intro(00:33) Amey Naik's Background Before Entrepreneurship(02:07) The Origin Story of 'I' - An AI-Powered Social Media App(03:49) How 'I' Differentiates from Instagram and Facebook(05:26) AI Tools, Face Swaps, and Family Tree Feature(06:58) Why Will 'I' Succeed in the Indian Market?(08:08) What is Social OTT?(10:24) How 'I' Acquired 1.5 Lakh Users in One Year(14:40) The iCoins Concept: Incentivizing Content Consumption(16:42) A Deep Dive into the AI Features of 'I'(21:47) Thoughts on AI-Generated Content and Deepfakes(24:35) The Rise of Vertical Content and Social OTT(29:37) The Future Vision for 'I': A Platform for Brands and Creators(34:24) Why Hasn't India Produced a Global Social Media Platform?(38:16) Why Amey is Confident About the Success of 'I'(40:48) Closing Thoughts on Data Sovereignty and Indian Tech