David Im

ceo @sumelabs | APIs should be commodotized

[David Im @davidim]

As a builder in the AI video space, I was terrified about how much markup API providers charge for simply routing the models.

Higgsfield API adds a 40% markup even with its maximum advertised discount. Fal adds 100%. Runway adds 414% (Seedance 2 480p)

I might be hated by the industry, but : 


Today, we’re launching Sume API, the first image & video model provider with 0% markup.

For example with Seedance 2.5 1080p
• 50% cheaper than fal
• 50% cheaper than higgsfield api (29% even with biggest discount)
• 28.02% cheaper than kie ai

The routing infrastructure layer is never the moat. We believe that APIs should be commoditized, and the moats will be built at the application layer.

Check the pricing comparisons below, and see how the broken industry is saved.

[David Im @davidim]

@PamirSevincel u can go to https://t.co/By2o1a27dj !

[David Im @davidim]

We just crossed $1M in annualized revenue run rate in just 6 days after launch.

And we're just a team of 2 people.

Our idea started out really simple: ai video platforms are doing billions, but they don't have a strong moat. why don't we just steal their users?

Seems like it worked.

--

I genuinely believe that the only moat in AI applications is acquiring users with velocity, then making them stay by getting deeply embedded in their daily workflows.

Our plan is simple. Keep stealing users from ai video platforms' $nB+ pie in every area with no moat, ship new features every week, and find the ones that get deeply rooted in marketers' everyday work.

Sure, you can ask how we're gonna make our users stay. But honestly, worst case we still hit $100M ARR, and if we're crushed by competitors, my cofounder and I will go back to a shitty couch, build again with no salary, and make millions again. Not worried about that either.

We just focus on growth & net revenue retention.

In an era of thin moats, we don't need fake storytelling like "Agentic creative OS". We should build something people want :

"A product that's cheaper than higgsfield, better than higgsfield"

[David Im @davidim]

@malikyoloo ofc!

[David Im @davidim]

pov : me and my cofounder after stealing higgsfield's customers

[David Im @davidim]

We just crossed $1M in annualized revenue run rate in just 6 days after launch.

And we're just a team of 2 people.

Our idea started out really simple: ai video platforms are doing billions, but they don't have a strong moat. why don't we just steal their users?

Seems like it worked.

--

I genuinely believe that the only moat in AI applications is acquiring users with velocity, then making them stay by getting deeply embedded in their daily workflows.

Our plan is simple. Keep stealing users from ai video platforms' $nB+ pie in every area with no moat, ship new features every week, and find the ones that get deeply rooted in marketers' everyday work.

Sure, you can ask how we're gonna make our users stay. But honestly, worst case we still hit $100M ARR, and if we're crushed by competitors, my cofounder and I will go back to a shitty couch, build again with no salary, and make millions again. Not worried about that either.

We just focus on growth & net revenue retention.

In an era of thin moats, we don't need fake storytelling like "Agentic creative OS". We should build something people want :

"A product that's cheaper than higgsfield, better than higgsfield"

[David Im @davidim]

@HeyGenMCP 😉

[David Im @davidim]

@ckchangkim says the 3x founder🫡 honored

[David Im @davidim]

@jonathanzliu rizz.

[David Im @davidim]

@sunra_ai What a good idea!

[David Im @davidim]

@dtcprophet time to try @sumelabs

[David Im @davidim]

@gauravsbuilding @lillyemira bro i'm down

[David Im @davidim]

@mrwtle 🔥🔥

[David Im @davidim]

@greghunkins should i open source it?

[David Im @davidim]

For simple context on how we did it :

- There is technical evidence that Genjutsu is just a seedance 2.5 wrapper
- They price Genjutsu as a separate model and set the price (2.6x compared to seedance)
- To prove this, we made a workflow using Seedance + classic computer vision methods to build Sume remix
- Turned out that we even improved the quality over Genjutsu
- Then we priced it at just the original cost of seedance, which is 2.6x cheaper than Higgsfield

I'll publish an article about the technical details soon.
Stay tuned.

[David Im @davidim]

We just killed Higgsfield Genjutsu.

Introducing Sume Remix : same workflow as Genjutsu, 2.6x cheaper

> clone any video
> no markups, no subscriptions
> start from $5

Try now at https://t.co/0uWDGUwnrD

[David Im @davidim]

@n0w00j sword fight?

[David Im @davidim]

Ya it depends on your plan. On the web app subscription Higgsfield can be cheaper, bc they run discounts. But as you know, the unit economics on top-up credits never match that. They give good prices on subs and promos to pull users in, and make the margin back elsewhere.

And the 2.6x part : Genjutsu on Higgsfield's own API is $0.318/s at 480p, so your ~13s clip would be ~$4.1 there vs $1.59 on Sume.

[David Im @davidim]

https://t.co/Ooio09Fawr

[David Im @davidim]

@wonforall bts 땄고

[David Im @davidim]

We just killed Higgsfield Genjutsu.

Introducing Sume Remix : same workflow as Genjutsu, 2.6x cheaper

> clone any video
> no markups, no subscriptions
> start from $5

Try now at https://t.co/0uWDGUwnrD

[Ramen Cash🍜💵 @RamenCash]

@davidim Cancelled

[David Im @davidim]

@PorkerJohn2000 seedance! so we charge only the original price of seedance😉