How to go from idea to 10 million users

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In this episode of Superhuman AI: Decoding the Future, Zain and Hassan speak with Luke Kim, co-founder and CEO of Liner, to explore the journey of building a successful AI search tool. Luke recounts Liner’s beginnings as a simple highlighter extension and its evolution into a specialized AI-powered search tool. Plus, Luke gives us a look into the strategic choices behind developing an AI-driven academic tool and the lessons learned along the way.

We hear about the company’s relocation to Silicon Valley and how the team fuelled Liner’s early growth. And Luke shares his experience of angel investments and a Series A round led by Korean venture capitalists, drawn to Liner’s strong international user base. 

We also learn about Liner’s technical and competitive strategies, focusing on providing verified, reliable sources perfect for higher education users and setting it apart in a crowded AI space. Luke also shares his insights on utilizing a blend of large language models—such as Lama, GPT, and Claude—to ensures both cost efficiency and superior search capabilities.

 
What we talk about:

What we talk about:

(1:14) - Who is Luke and what is Liner?

(4:15) - How did Liner secure its first (of 10 million) customers?

(6:37) - How did the move to Silicon Valley improve Liner?

(7:30) - How did Luke develop his network when he arrived in Silicon Valley?

(8:22) - How was Liner funded in the early days?

(11:56) - What did the journey from 1,000 to 10 million users look like?

(15:05) - How is Liner utilizing different LLMs?

(17:40) - How does Liner fact-check in order to deliver reliable results?

(20:23) - How does Liner rank results for its users?

(21:43) - What is the 10-year vision for Liner?

(24:58) - What advice does Luke have for entrepreneurs starting out in the AI space?

(27:01) - What are investors looking for in applied companies?

(29:16) - What is Luke most excited about in the AI space in the next 12 months?