A startup team I spoke with recently is building AI that most people would need a whiteboard to understand. Their worry was a fair one: if the launch video doesn't explain the tech, will anyone get it?
Before anything else, I asked what the video is for. New customers, investors, new hires? Here it was a bit of all three. None of those people need the architecture.
My answer might sound backwards: the more technical the product, the less the video should try to explain it.
Sell the vision, not the specs
The videos I love don't focus on product or technical details. They focus on the vision. The job is to take something technical and make it for everyone.
Someone watching for less than a minute won't learn how your model works. They can come away knowing why it matters, who it's for, and that they want to hear more.
We did the same with Stacks, a workspace where accounting teams and AI agents work side by side, with a lot going on under the hood. The video opens on a question, not the product: "What if accounting could keep up with your business?" The product is how you get there, not the subject.
A launch video is not the docs. The details belong in the demo, the docs and the sales call.
Show people, not just the idea
For this one, I suggested faces and real footage. Not only the people it's for, but the people behind it too. When you don't see anyone, a technical idea stays far away. When you see who built it and who it's for, it feels close, and it gets the viewer excited.
I also didn't recommend a voiceover for this video. Without one, it's easier to direct the people on screen and set the mood with music, and it stays a good distance from sounding corporate. On-screen text carries the story, so it still works on mute.
Planning a launch for something hard to explain? Tell us the date and we'll help you find the story in it.