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DeepTrack Brian Interview Questions

Strategic Follow-up Interview - October 29, 2025​

Opening Framing​

Hey Brian, just thinking about it - while I think we all probably need to pray on this more, exactly how I could fit in and the nature of our partnership. I'm grateful to even explore something with you, and if God wills, a meaningful collaboration. I think we'll know it very soon. This conversation is a good, necessary step for us to get to know each other better. Thank you for dedicating the time.

Core Company Foundation & Evolution​

  • Origin Story & Vision Update
    • You mentioned starting DeepTrack after being laid off from Vambo AI. How has your vision evolved in these 6 months since launch?
    • The personal story about your friend's deepfake porn experience is powerful - how does this mission-driven origin influence your product roadmap?
    • You're registered in Austin but operating from Kenya - what's the strategic thinking behind this structure?

AI Strategy & Technical Architecture Deep Dive​

  • Grok Dependency vs. Proprietary Model Strategy

    • You mentioned using Grok AI extensively. Are you still primarily wrapping Grok's capabilities, or have you started developing proprietary models?
    • What's your long-term strategy on relying on Grok versus training your own models? Is this a cost decision, speed decision, or capability decision?
    • How vulnerable are you if Grok changes their pricing or API access? What's your contingency plan?
    • You mentioned training Grok to identify people of color better - can you expand on this customization layer? Is this your main differentiator?

  • Technical Capabilities & Limitations

    • Currently handling video and imagery up to 5GB (?) - what's preventing you from adding audio and text detection?
    • You mentioned 92% accuracy score - how does this compare to Reality Defender, Truepic, and Sentinel AI?
    • Document verification (passports, IDs, certificates) seems like a unique angle - is this your wedge into the market?
    • How are you handling the rapid evolution of deepfake technology? How often do you need to retrain?

Market Position & Competition​

  • Differentiation Against Funded Competitors
    • Reality Defender, Truepic (Series B/D) - how do you compete with their resources?
    • You mentioned potentially buying APIs from competitors - doesn't this eliminate your differentiation?
    • What's your unique insight about the African market that these US companies are missing?
    • BitMind and others - where do they fit in your competitive landscape?

Go-to-Market & Revenue Growth​

  • Customer Acquisition & Revenue
    • Three customers in 6 months, including a large insurer - what's your sales cycle like?
    • $15/seat/month seems very affordable - is this sustainable or a penetration pricing strategy?
    • How are you reaching enterprise customers from Kenya? What's working?
    • The freemium browser plugin for 90 days - won't this cannibalize your paid product?

Fundraising & Financial Strategy​

  • Investment Journey
    • You mentioned an investor wanting 38% for $100K - what terms would you accept?
    • Running on personal savings - what's your runway?
    • Why only seeking $100K pre-seed when competitors have raised millions?
    • Have you considered alternative funding sources given the challenging terms you're seeing?

Product Roadmap & Platform Strategy​

  • Browser Plugin & Beyond
    • The browser plugin strategy (like Evernote) - is this your main growth driver?
    • You mentioned agents in 3 years - what would these agents do specifically?
    • API strategy - are you positioning as infrastructure or end-user solution?
    • Virtual call integration like Reality Defender - is this on your roadmap?

Africa Focus & Global Expansion​

  • Geographic Strategy
    • "Africa is the wild wild west" - is this an advantage or challenge for DeepTrack?
    • Government propaganda detection - isn't this politically risky for your business?
    • Kenya being the most VC-funded African country - why aren't local investors biting?
    • When and how do you plan to expand beyond Africa?

Team & Operational Excellence​

  • Building from Kenya
    • 50/50 gender split, hiring from colleges - is this giving you a talent advantage?
    • How are you managing a team while bootstrapping on personal savings?
    • Power outages, oppressive regime, high taxes - how do these challenges affect product development?
    • Remote work with US incorporation - what's your operational model?

Marketing & Brand Strategy​

  • Visibility & Credibility
    • You're active on X but not other channels - is this intentional?
    • Investor deck publicly available - bold transparency move. What's the strategy?
    • How are you building trust when selling a trust product?
    • Media partnerships to detect fake news - how are these structured?

Strategic Pivots & Decisions​

  • Critical Strategic Questions
    • You said "startups can't afford the luxury of research" - but isn't R&D your moat?
    • Buying competitor APIs vs. building proprietary tech - how do you decide?
    • Enterprise focus vs. consumer freemium - can you do both effectively?
    • African problems vs. global problems - which drives your product decisions?

Current Gaps & Advisory Needs​

  • Where You Need Help
    • What's the biggest bottleneck to growth right now - funding, product, or distribution?
    • If you had one advisor, what expertise would be most valuable?
    • What would need to change for you to raise a proper seed round?
    • How can someone in Silicon Valley best support your mission?

Future Vision & Exit Strategy​

  • 12-24 Month Outlook
    • What metrics would make you feel successful by end of 2026?
    • "Create a mammoth out of it" - acquisition or independent path?
    • How do you see the deepfake detection market consolidating?
    • What would DeepTrack need to become to solve Africa's misinformation crisis?

Lightning Round Follow-ups​

  • Quick Specific Questions
    • Why hasn't YC accepted you yet? Have you applied?
    • That politician with fake credentials - did DeepTrack expose them?
    • Insurance customer - what specific use case are they using you for?
    • Women in African tech - how can DeepTrack champion this further?
    • "Freedom of speech but not freedom after speech" - how does this affect your business?

Note: These questions blend immediate tactical concerns with strategic positioning, designed to understand both DeepTrack's current constraints and path to becoming the definitive solution for Africa's deepfake crisis while potentially expanding globally.