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Ask HN: Favorite startup demo videos

38 points by andreshb 16y ago

I am searching for examples of really great demo videos that explain a product or service. In your opinion what are some of the most clear and/or creative videos from startups out there?

faramarz 16y ago
Square, without a doubt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSzsFAJAKHI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSzsFAJAKHI&feature=relat...
- samps 16y ago
  For more Adam Lisagor, try the video for the Birdhouse iPhone app, which is even more charming than the Square video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8yRaWY1xV8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8yRaWY1xV8
  - blasdel 16y ago
    He's one of the developers of Birdhouse, which he started as a side project from doing Hollywood VFX work. Now he's working on making these kinds of promotional videos full time — he's mentioned that he's done internal stuff for companies, and he just published a new one for an iPad app: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o Y'all should hire him, he's the new Stan Freberg.
- thinkcomp 16y ago
  We're working on making a video demo for our payment system (http://www.facecash.com http://www.facecash.com) that's as good as Square's video or better. (We think our system is already better, but their videos are really good.) If anyone has any ideas that you think we should incorporate, let me know!
- lovskogen 16y ago
  Wonder what the costs are like, for this kind of quality.
JangoSteve 16y ago
I'd just like to add that spending the time to put together a good-quality demo video for your startup can be a rewarding experience, and very worthwhile too. I think many still treat it like an after-thought when getting ready to launch their app, though. I was almost more proud of my demo video than when I launched LeadNuke in the first place (realizing that I lack any considerable experience making screencasts). I also took the opportunity to slip in a plug for my other startup, RateMyStudentRental. That being said, it's just a simple screencast, so I wouldn't say it's inherently creative or out of the ordinary. But it does go to show that you can make a decent quality demo video on the cheap in under a few hours if you take it seriously. EDIT: Oh, and just in case you'd like to see it: http://s3.amazonaws.com/leadnuke-com-cdn-streaming/introduction-demo.mp4 http://s3.amazonaws.com/leadnuke-com-cdn-streaming/introduct...
buymorechuck 16y ago
Flipboard. Very clearly explains the point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o
- siruva07 16y ago
  is he the same bloke as the square guy?
- MichaelGG 16y ago
  Slightly OT, but I got distracted by the strange Aphex Twin cover they used as background music. Followed the link, and now that group (The Bad Plus) has at least one new fan. I like seeing new business models like that in practise.
kloncks 16y ago
The one by rule.fm that was shown a few days ago is quite good, even if I will disagree with the way it was messages. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onDwiw2rfJE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onDwiw2rfJE
- SwellJoe 16y ago
  That one is boring, left me with no idea what rule.fm is/does (I stopped watching after about 45 seconds), and looked lovely doing it. F+ (a + for looking good while being completely and utterly pointless).
  - zaidf 16y ago
    Agree. Crappiest demo in a while. It's very decieving in that you know these guys know how to use a video editing tool. But if there was a well-edited demo with the CRAPPIEST content, rule.fm demo wins it hands down.
chamza 16y ago
I thought this one was genuinely funny and well executed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FC_eMDnCRg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FC_eMDnCRg Thumbtack; saw this because they just got funded through Venture hack's Angel list.
jonbischke 16y ago
I collected some startup pitches/demo and did a blog post a while back. There are some good ones here including Loopt, AdMob, Dropbox, etc. http://jonbischke.com/2009/11/13/a-dozen-of-the-best-start-up-pitches-on-the-web/ http://jonbischke.com/2009/11/13/a-dozen-of-the-best-start-u...
thinker 16y ago
Related: http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-examples-of-startup-product-demo-videos http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-examples-of-startup-...
bitboxer 16y ago
Video that explains putpat, a german music video service: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EAkuKwS1JM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EAkuKwS1JM
- andreshb 16y ago
  This has to be the most entertaining of all the videos so far.
- Lorin 16y ago
  Lost it at the equalizer segment.
thegyppo 16y ago
I'm a big fan of the SoundCloud demo: http://vimeo.com/1857085 http://vimeo.com/1857085 just feels slick & tells you exactly what the service does.
- jscore 16y ago
  The woman's accent helps too.
  - heromaeda 16y ago
    LOL yeah. I digg her accent. and the BGM is pretty sweet
    - andreshb 16y ago
      Funny how you say digg instead of dig.
  - damncabbage 16y ago
    My first thought was "Wow, she's an Aussie!", and immediately looked for SoundCloud job postings in the local area. They're all in Berlin. Nuts.
mp3jeep01 16y ago
YC plug, but I really always thought DropBox did a great job - one of the things I most appreciated was the key example - they put it in terms of an item that everyone recognizes and a problem most people (if not all) have probably dealt with. I think the present version is even extended a bit from the original (now includes some computer files info)
flexterra 16y ago
I love: http://culturedcode.com/things/ipad/ http://culturedcode.com/things/ipad/ the one for the iPhone app is pretty good too
peteforde 16y ago
Straight up, Shopify made my favourite promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVVui4oXL4Q&hd=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVVui4oXL4Q&hd=1 Aside from high production values, the reason this is a great clip is that they start with "Why?". If you're not familiar with Simon Sinek's awesome TED talk, I highly recommend it: http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspi...
- patrickk 16y ago
  +1 for the Simon Sinek link, that was great!
Flow 16y ago
Back when DabbleDB was new, hot and for testers, they posted some videos on what DabbleDB is. Those videos were so good. This application was everything you wanted spreadsheets to be. Take a look: http://dabbledb.com/demo/ http://dabbledb.com/demo/
ideamonk 16y ago
I find this introduction to Cloud Computing very nice - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_DKNwK_ms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_DKNwK_ms Though not a product demo, but the way of explaining it in simple words and illustration makes it stick to my mind.
losethos 16y ago
How's this? Got any tips? http://www.losethos.com http://www.losethos.com
patrickk 16y ago
The Google TV introduction is fantastic, note the use of simple graphics and the clear, simple language: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diTpeYoqAhc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diTpeYoqAhc In a similar vein, the famous "Twitter in Plain English": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o
siruva07 16y ago
So these are all really well done videos -- very professional, and probably cost a ton. anyone know of a web service that lets you easily create your own demo vid?
- andreshb 16y ago
  I know of a studio in Costa Rica that makes these really well really fast and do not cost a ton.
mertenz 16y ago
One of the best I've seen recently is by blippy, http://blippy.com/ http://blippy.com/ Just very simple animations that make it easy to quickly grasp the concept and answer potential questions about the product (security, privacy etc.)

38 points by andreshb 16y ago

I am searching for examples of really great demo videos that explain a product or service. In your opinion what are some of the most clear and/or creative videos from startups out there?

faramarz 16y ago

Square, without a doubt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSzsFAJAKHI&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSzsFAJAKHI&feature=relat...

samps 16y ago
For more Adam Lisagor, try the video for the Birdhouse iPhone app, which is even more charming than the Square video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8yRaWY1xV8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8yRaWY1xV8
- blasdel 16y ago
  He's one of the developers of Birdhouse, which he started as a side project from doing Hollywood VFX work. Now he's working on making these kinds of promotional videos full time — he's mentioned that he's done internal stuff for companies, and he just published a new one for an iPad app: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o Y'all should hire him, he's the new Stan Freberg.
thinkcomp 16y ago
We're working on making a video demo for our payment system (http://www.facecash.com http://www.facecash.com) that's as good as Square's video or better. (We think our system is already better, but their videos are really good.) If anyone has any ideas that you think we should incorporate, let me know!
lovskogen 16y ago
Wonder what the costs are like, for this kind of quality.

JangoSteve 16y ago

I'd just like to add that spending the time to put together a good-quality demo video for your startup can be a rewarding experience, and very worthwhile too. I think many still treat it like an after-thought when getting ready to launch their app, though. I was almost more proud of my demo video than when I launched LeadNuke in the first place (realizing that I lack any considerable experience making screencasts). I also took the opportunity to slip in a plug for my other startup, RateMyStudentRental. That being said, it's just a simple screencast, so I wouldn't say it's inherently creative or out of the ordinary. But it does go to show that you can make a decent quality demo video on the cheap in under a few hours if you take it seriously. EDIT: Oh, and just in case you'd like to see it: http://s3.amazonaws.com/leadnuke-com-cdn-streaming/introduction-demo.mp4 http://s3.amazonaws.com/leadnuke-com-cdn-streaming/introduct...

buymorechuck 16y ago

Flipboard. Very clearly explains the point: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2vpvEDS00o

siruva07 16y ago
is he the same bloke as the square guy?
MichaelGG 16y ago
Slightly OT, but I got distracted by the strange Aphex Twin cover they used as background music. Followed the link, and now that group (The Bad Plus) has at least one new fan. I like seeing new business models like that in practise.

kloncks 16y ago

The one by rule.fm that was shown a few days ago is quite good, even if I will disagree with the way it was messages. Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onDwiw2rfJE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onDwiw2rfJE

SwellJoe 16y ago
That one is boring, left me with no idea what rule.fm is/does (I stopped watching after about 45 seconds), and looked lovely doing it. F+ (a + for looking good while being completely and utterly pointless).
- zaidf 16y ago
  Agree. Crappiest demo in a while. It's very decieving in that you know these guys know how to use a video editing tool. But if there was a well-edited demo with the CRAPPIEST content, rule.fm demo wins it hands down.

chamza 16y ago

I thought this one was genuinely funny and well executed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FC_eMDnCRg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FC_eMDnCRg Thumbtack; saw this because they just got funded through Venture hack's Angel list.

jonbischke 16y ago

I collected some startup pitches/demo and did a blog post a while back. There are some good ones here including Loopt, AdMob, Dropbox, etc. http://jonbischke.com/2009/11/13/a-dozen-of-the-best-start-up-pitches-on-the-web/ http://jonbischke.com/2009/11/13/a-dozen-of-the-best-start-u...

thinker 16y ago

Related: http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-examples-of-startup-product-demo-videos http://www.quora.com/What-are-some-good-examples-of-startup-...

bitboxer 16y ago

Video that explains putpat, a german music video service: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EAkuKwS1JM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9EAkuKwS1JM

andreshb 16y ago
This has to be the most entertaining of all the videos so far.
Lorin 16y ago
Lost it at the equalizer segment.

thegyppo 16y ago

I'm a big fan of the SoundCloud demo: http://vimeo.com/1857085 http://vimeo.com/1857085 just feels slick & tells you exactly what the service does.

jscore 16y ago
The woman's accent helps too.
- heromaeda 16y ago
  LOL yeah. I digg her accent. and the BGM is pretty sweet
  - andreshb 16y ago
    Funny how you say digg instead of dig.
- damncabbage 16y ago
  My first thought was "Wow, she's an Aussie!", and immediately looked for SoundCloud job postings in the local area. They're all in Berlin. Nuts.

mp3jeep01 16y ago

YC plug, but I really always thought DropBox did a great job - one of the things I most appreciated was the key example - they put it in terms of an item that everyone recognizes and a problem most people (if not all) have probably dealt with. I think the present version is even extended a bit from the original (now includes some computer files info)

flexterra 16y ago

I love: http://culturedcode.com/things/ipad/ http://culturedcode.com/things/ipad/ the one for the iPhone app is pretty good too

peteforde 16y ago

Straight up, Shopify made my favourite promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVVui4oXL4Q&hd=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVVui4oXL4Q&hd=1 Aside from high production values, the reason this is a great clip is that they start with "Why?". If you're not familiar with Simon Sinek's awesome TED talk, I highly recommend it: http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspi...

patrickk 16y ago
+1 for the Simon Sinek link, that was great!

Flow 16y ago

Back when DabbleDB was new, hot and for testers, they posted some videos on what DabbleDB is. Those videos were so good. This application was everything you wanted spreadsheets to be. Take a look: http://dabbledb.com/demo/ http://dabbledb.com/demo/

ideamonk 16y ago

I find this introduction to Cloud Computing very nice - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_DKNwK_ms http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae_DKNwK_ms Though not a product demo, but the way of explaining it in simple words and illustration makes it stick to my mind.

losethos 16y ago

How's this? Got any tips? http://www.losethos.com http://www.losethos.com

patrickk 16y ago

The Google TV introduction is fantastic, note the use of simple graphics and the clear, simple language: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diTpeYoqAhc http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diTpeYoqAhc In a similar vein, the famous "Twitter in Plain English": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o

siruva07 16y ago

So these are all really well done videos -- very professional, and probably cost a ton. anyone know of a web service that lets you easily create your own demo vid?

andreshb 16y ago
I know of a studio in Costa Rica that makes these really well really fast and do not cost a ton.

mertenz 16y ago

One of the best I've seen recently is by blippy, http://blippy.com/ http://blippy.com/ Just very simple animations that make it easy to quickly grasp the concept and answer potential questions about the product (security, privacy etc.)