Subject: Aiva AI Video Project

Kehan suggested that I build a small team to accelerate the project and capture the momentum in the AI video space.

1. Opportunity Cost

Option A (Build a team):

Loss: I would lose the chance to deeply understand every part of the system myself. If I delegate the code, my understanding of AIVA would become fragmented, and I wouldn’t develop an intuitive grasp of the full product lifecycle.

Gain: Faster development and a better chance to catch the AI wave early.

Option B (Indie development):

Loss: Slower iteration, potentially missing the optimal industry window (at the time, I didn’t even know the concept of a “window”—it just felt slow).

Gain: Full ownership and hands-on experience building every module end to end.

2. Long-Term Value

Option A (Build a team): Faster launch and early users by riding the trend, but I would miss mastering the full process and underlying logic of building AI products.

Option B (Indie development): A complete 0→1 experience, understanding the root causes behind every bug and the logic connecting each module, building full-stack cognition of AI product development.

3. Risk Assessment

Option A (Worst case): Team conflicts arise; without deep personal involvement, I can’t effectively coordinate, and the project stalls.

Option B (Worst case): I invest significant time and effort, but fail to convert it into expected commercial value. (In reality, this worst-case scenario did happen.)

4. Final Decision

I chose Option B: indie development.

Reflection

I was only 14 when I made this decision. I didn’t have a structured framework like opportunity cost or long-term value—I simply followed an instinct to “control everything myself.” Looking back now, this kind of “clumsy independence” became the most valuable foundation of my growth, and later gave me the confidence to start and lead a club at school.