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Lead by Starseed CEO Katie Bomi Son’s ´Pulitzer AI’ Paves the Way to Global Market with Multilingual Translation Capabilities
PR or Publicity remains a critical aspect for start-ups, serving as a gateway to attracting investments and expanding user bases. However, for many early-stage ventures, hiring dedicated PR resources can take time and effort. Moreover, crafting effective press releases without expertise poses additional hurdles. ‘Generative AI’ offers a potential solution to this issue.
Starseed, a Korean company, addresses these challenges by introducing ‘Pulitzer AI,’ a platform that automates the creation of copy, press releases, and images based on minimal input. Founded by CEO Katie Bomi Son in May 2022, Starseed positions itself as a start-up dedicated to developing services that support other start-ups.
The core idea behind ‘Pulitzer AI’ is to alleviate the burden of PR tasks for early-stage companies and SMEs facing resource constraints. ‘Pulitzer AI’s ability to swiftly produce draft press releases using few keywords has garnered attention within the start-up community.
Starseed’s vision for ‘Pulitzer AI’ extends beyond PR automation. The company aims to foster connections between start-ups, venture capital firms, and media outlets. Through continuous refinement and enhancement, Starseed seeks to offer additional features such as press matching, distribution optimization, and performance analysis. The ultimate goal is to transform it into a content-specialized AI service supporting creators in advertising and various domains beyond PR, known as ‘AI for Storytelling.’
Katie Bomi Son: From Marketer to CEO Driving Innovation in Generative AI
CEO Katie Bomi Son’s journey from a marketer at Johnson & Johnson to the CEO of Starseed reflects her evolving interest in Generative AI technologies, mainly sparked by the emergence of ‘GPT-3’. Armed with a degree in business administration from Seoul National University, Son brings a rich tapestry of experiences to the forefront, having delved into various sectors and entrepreneurial endeavors.
Her career trajectory began with notable achievements in marketing contests during her college years, setting the stage for her eventual role at Johnson & Johnson. Driven by a passion for exploring diverse cultures and making a meaningful impact, Son embarked on volunteer trips to over 25 countries, an experience that culminated in her book, ‘The Greatest Selfish Global Volunteer Trips .’At the end of the book, she mentioned, “One day I will create a global company that is socially and economically influential,” fuelling her aspirations to create a global company.
Following her three-year tenure at Johnson & Johnson, Son’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish ‘Project AA (Asian Arts),’ a global social enterprise specializing in cultural and artistic marketing. Son was selected as the “Global Shaper” by the World Economic Forum in 2012 and attended the World Economic Forum from 2012 to 2013 as a representative of Korea.
Subsequently, she ventured into the fintech sector, enriching her understanding of emerging technologies and market dynamics. She worked with Hye-min Lee, CEO of Finda. She joined as a late co-founder at Qarasoft and participated in the development of its AI robo-advisor technology-based asset management solution.
It was the advent of ‘GPT-3’ that captured Son’s attention, catalyzing her foray into the realm of Generative AI. Recognizing its disruptive potential in streamlining PR processes for start-ups, she seized the opportunity to launch Starseed. From conceptualization to execution, she navigated the intricacies of start-up ecosystems with aplomb, culminating in the successful launch of Starseed’s flagship product, ‘Pulitzer AI.’
With commercialization services related to Generative AI experiencing rapid growth, Katie Bomi Son‘s entrepreneurial foresight proved invaluable. Her initial approach was characterized by prudence and meticulous planning. Following the establishment of the corporation, Son dedicated herself to thorough market research, laying the groundwork for the business’s viability.
In April of the preceding year, Son’s concise presentation of her ideas garnered overwhelmingly 90% positive feedback at the Primer Generation AI hackathon, validating their potential. Subsequently, she translated these concepts into tangible reality, finalizing the business plan by August and commencing practical development efforts, fuelled by angel investment secured in October.
The subsequent progression was swift, with successful project completions for entities such as the Korea Technology Finance Corporation, and the Korea SMEs and Start-ups Agency. Funding streams from young entrepreneurship funds and angel investors facilitated further growth, enabling pivotal initiatives such as team expansion and the introduction of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) featuring a user-friendly no-code tool. The unveiling of ‘Pulitzer AI’ as an open beta service surpassed expectations, eliciting enthusiastic responses from early adopters. Son’s proactive stance in monitoring market reactions underscored her commitment to refining the product based on user feedback, ensuring its relevance and efficacy.
Reflecting on her entrepreneurial journey, Son shared insights gleaned from over a decade in the start-up industry. She emphasized, “When I first started a business, I thought I needed a lot more, but I did end up doing a lot of useless things. Since I’ve been in the start-up industry for about ten years, I realized that I had to try what was important first. Based on a corporate culture that eliminates formalities and exaggerations, applying a free, horizontal culture, and talking about results, I focused on developing functions flexibly according to market reactions and applying them as quickly as possible.”
Creating a service that supports creators’ ‘Authorship’ beyond PR
Since its beta launch, ‘Pulitzer AI’ has garnered an overwhelming response from users spanning tech start-ups to established corporations. What began as a solution tailored to address the PR needs of early-stage ventures has evolved into a multifaceted tool embraced by companies of all sizes, as well as venture capitalists, advertising agencies, and public relations firms. The allure of ‘Pulitzer AI’ lies in its seamless integration of artificial intelligence, enabling users to generate compelling press releases and content with unparalleled speed and precision.
‘Pulitzer AI’ is not merely a tool for drafting press releases; it embodies a broader commitment to fostering authentic authorship. Katie Bomi Son’s strategic emphasis on “Authorship” underscores her ambition to elevate storytelling to new heights. With ‘Pulitzer AI,’ creators can craft scenarios, synopses, ad copy, storyboards, and more with unprecedented flexibility and sophistication. This innovative approach transcends the limitations of traditional content creation, positioning ‘Pulitzer AI’ as a professional platform synonymous with quality and depth.
‘Pulitzer AI’ transcends geographical boundaries, poised to conquer global markets with multilingual capabilities in English, French, and Japanese. As the domestic market solidifies its foothold with advanced PR SaaS services, ‘Pulitzer AI’ is primed for international expansion this year, facilitating seamless transitions for both domestic and overseas enterprises. The integration of ‘Style Transfer Learning’ technology further enhances its appeal, catering to companies seeking to refine their brand image with bespoke press releases tailored to their unique philosophies.
Looking ahead, Katie Bomi Son envisions ‘Pulitzer AI’ as more than just a tool; it is a catalyst for realizing dreams and aspirations. Drawing inspiration from iconic brands like Disney, Son aspires to instill a sense of wonder and joy in users, transforming mundane tasks into opportunities for creativity and self-expression. Son said, “I’ve been thinking about a business for a long time that gives people dreams and hopes and makes them feel happy while using it. That’s why I’m developing ‘Pulitzer AI.’ It’s starting now with PR, but sooner or later, ‘Pulitzer AI’ will be a service that helps individuals write their imaginations, hopes, and messages at a professional level.”
As ‘Pulitzer AI’ continues to evolve, Son remains steadfast in her commitment to ensuring that no company succumbs to the perils of inadequate promotion. By empowering businesses to amplify their voices and tell their stories, ‘Pulitzer AI’ stands as a beacon of innovation, ushering in a new era of creativity and inspiration.
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