[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-icon-startup-s-ai-pivot-a-9-2m-promise-turns-into-an-agency-gimmick":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":93,"popular_news":147,"categories":211},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":78,"formatted_created_at":79,"category_id":22,"links":80,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":85,"likes":86,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"category":88},"Icon Startup’s AI Pivot: A $9.2M Promise Turns Into an Agency Gimmick?","The AI startup Icon (https://icon.com/), backed by $9.2 million from Peter Thiel, OpenAI execs, and Ramp, hyped a $39/month tool to let any company churn out slick ad videos. Now, it’s morphed into a full-service agency charging $1,000–$3,000 monthly for human strategists, copywriters, and editors. So much for the AI revolution—did they just skim some Twitter threads and call it a day?","The AI startup Icon, backed by $9.2 million from Peter Thiel, OpenAI execs, and Ramp, hyped a $39/month tool to let any company churn out slick ad videos.","he $9.2 million funding might’ve just bought a creative team to fix what the AI botched.","\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>The AI startup \u003Ca href=\"https://icon.com/\">Icon\u003C/a>, backed by $9.2 million from Peter Thiel, OpenAI execs, and Ramp, hyped a $39/month tool to let any company churn out slick ad videos.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/photo_2025-08-16_22-07-12.jpg\" width=\"400\" />Now, it’s morphed into a full-service agency charging $1,000–$3,000 monthly for human strategists, copywriters, and editors. So much for the AI revolution — did they just skim some Twitter threads and call it a day?\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>From AI Dream to Human Crutch\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>Icon’s original pitch promised an AI-powered ad solution for peanuts, aiming to disrupt the $600 billion ad industry. But the shift to a pricey human-led model suggests the tech couldn’t deliver — or maybe they realized clients wanted a safety net. With a team boasting Google and Tesla alumni, you’d expect more than a rehashed agency play.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>Twitter’s Skeptical Roast\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>Twitter’s buzzing with sarcasm, with users joking that Icon’s “innovation” came from reading a few AI hype threads. The $9.2 million funding might’ve just bought a creative team to fix what the AI botched.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>It’s hard not to wonder if this is less a pivot and more a confession that AI alone can’t cut it.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"150\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2025-08-16T222153.704.jpg\" width=\"200\" />Also read\u003C/strong>:\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/project-odyssey-season-3-the-world-s-largest-ai-filmmaking-competition-opens-registration\">Project Odyssey Season 3: The World’s Largest AI Filmmaking Competition Opens Registration\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/elevenlabs-unveils-ai-powered-music-generator-for-video-content\">ElevenLabs Unveils AI-Powered Music Generator for Video Content\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/customers-know-their-actions-are-valuable-and-want-to-be-compensated\">Customers Know Their Actions Are Valuable and Want to Be Compensated\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/unfiltered-ai-venice-speaks-its-mind-without-restraint\">Unfiltered AI: Venice Speaks Its Mind Without Restraint\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>A Dubious Future?\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>This dual-model — $39 for AI, $1,000+ for humans — smacks of desperation rather than strategy. Backed by big names or not, Icon’s move raises doubts about its tech’s reliability and the startup’s direction. Is it a trailblazer or just another overhyped flop leaning on human talent to survive? Time will tell, but the skepticism’s well-earned.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Author: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/slava-vasipenok/\">Slava Vasipenok\u003C/a>\u003Cbr />\nFounder and CEO of \u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/team\">QUASA\u003C/a> (quasa.io) - Daily insights on Web3, AI, Crypto, and Freelance. Stay updated on finance, technology trends, and creator tools - with sources and real value.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Innovative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in IT, fintech, and blockchain. Specializes in decentralized solutions for freelancing, helping to overcome the barriers of traditional finance, especially in developing regions.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>This is not financial or investment advice. Always do your own research (DYOR).\u003C/p>","icon-startup-s-ai-pivot-a-9-2m-promise-turns-into-an-agency-gimmick","2025-08-16T20:23:11.000000Z","16.08.2025",{"image":81,"thumb":82},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/cab4nJjLc5yCrrzIGtDkpwUThMfmOd8zoN6mdZxq.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/cab4nJjLc5yCrrzIGtDkpwUThMfmOd8zoN6mdZxq.jpg","small",null,1901,0,"en",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24,"meta_title":89,"meta_description":90,"meta_keywords":89,"deleted_at":84,"created_at":91,"updated_at":92,"lang":87},"All the community news from around the world","From heart warming stories to everyday heroes and shocking events, we've got the latest real life stories to keep you entertained","2025-01-10T08:48:23.000000Z","2025-01-10T09:34:07.000000Z",[94,105,114,125,136],{"title":95,"description":96,"slug":97,"created_at":98,"publish_at":98,"formatted_created_at":99,"category":100,"links":101,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":26,"likes":86,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"Marble 1.1 — World Labs Just Made Their World Model Significantly Better","World Labs has released a meaningful update to its generative world model: Marble 1.1 and a new, more powerful variant called Marble 1.1 Plus.","marble-1-1-world-labs-just-made-their-world-model-significantly-better","2026-04-10T19:22:07.000000Z","10.04.2026",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":102,"thumb":103},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Klmcbo6URuD0uYTxZn4aR9x8zl98NpFfsdMHTGHw.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Klmcbo6URuD0uYTxZn4aR9x8zl98NpFfsdMHTGHw.jpg",false,{"title":106,"description":107,"slug":108,"created_at":109,"publish_at":109,"formatted_created_at":99,"category":110,"links":111,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":22,"likes":86,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"Unmasking Runway Characters: The Unexpected Rise of the Real-Time Avatar","The generative AI landscape is moving so fast it's sometimes hard to keep up. But just when we thought we knew what to expect from major players like Runway, they dropped a curveball: Runway Characters.","unmasking-runway-characters-the-unexpected-rise-of-the-real-time-avatar","2026-04-10T19:04:45.000000Z",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":112,"thumb":113},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Lxi7mPfuvku81DkTvlELBfErpx8nbus6cXvBCWMk.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Lxi7mPfuvku81DkTvlELBfErpx8nbus6cXvBCWMk.jpg",{"title":115,"description":116,"slug":117,"created_at":118,"publish_at":118,"formatted_created_at":99,"category":119,"links":120,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":123,"likes":124,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"Claude Mythos Just Broke Cybersecurity: The AI That Finds Vulnerabilities Better Than Most Human Hackers","Anthropic has quietly unleashed something terrifyingly powerful — and then immediately locked it away.","claude-mythos-just-broke-cybersecurity-the-ai-that-finds-vulnerabilities-better-than-most-human-hackers","2026-04-10T15:10:28.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":121,"thumb":122},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/mzgaJsOkQfbcba4vvmQXFniw06VALNMRRGcRLVXF.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mzgaJsOkQfbcba4vvmQXFniw06VALNMRRGcRLVXF.jpg",238,1,{"title":126,"description":127,"slug":128,"created_at":129,"publish_at":130,"formatted_created_at":99,"category":131,"links":132,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":135,"likes":86,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"China’s Five-Year Plans Strike Again: How Centralized Vision and Competitive Freedom Are Powering the Next Frontier of Brain-Computer Interfaces","In an era of breakneck technological change, China’s much-maligned five-year planning system is proving surprisingly effective. Far from the rigid, top-down micromanagement of the Soviet era, Beijing’s modern industrial strategies deliberately avoid over-specifying every detail.","china-s-five-year-plans-strike-again-how-centralized-vision-and-competitive-freedom-are-powering-the-next-frontier-of-brain-computer-interfaces","2026-03-28T17:45:42.000000Z","2026-04-10T11:36:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":133,"thumb":134},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/9e878UicRgHXBtTQ74llERUUJHi9VJhY6RrS6GzZ.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/9e878UicRgHXBtTQ74llERUUJHi9VJhY6RrS6GzZ.jpg",359,{"title":137,"description":138,"slug":139,"created_at":140,"publish_at":141,"formatted_created_at":99,"category":142,"links":143,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":146,"likes":86,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"This AI Will Tell You Exactly How Attractive You Are — And It Only Takes 25 Seconds","There’s a new viral AI tool that does something most of us secretly want to know but are afraid to ask: it looks at your face and gives you a straight-up attractiveness score.","this-ai-will-tell-you-exactly-how-attractive-you-are-and-it-only-takes-25-seconds","2026-03-27T20:13:20.000000Z","2026-04-10T09:34:00.000000Z",{"title":27,"slug":28},{"image":144,"thumb":145},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/eTdAX16TIQnnM1X90hkB2oOPixcWqRw3eZlaGUta.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/eTdAX16TIQnnM1X90hkB2oOPixcWqRw3eZlaGUta.jpg",460,[148,161,175,187,199],{"title":149,"description":150,"slug":151,"created_at":152,"publish_at":153,"formatted_created_at":154,"category":155,"links":156,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":159,"likes":160,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur","Entrepreneur is a French word that means an enterpriser. Enterprisers are people who undertake a business or enterprise with the chance of earning profits or suffering from loss.","the-anatomy-of-an-entrepreneur","2021-08-04T15:18:21.000000Z","2025-12-14T06:09:00.000000Z","14.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":157,"thumb":158},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp",69087,2,{"title":162,"description":163,"slug":164,"created_at":165,"publish_at":166,"formatted_created_at":167,"category":168,"links":169,"view_type":172,"video_url":84,"views":173,"likes":174,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"Advertising on QUASA","QUASA MEDIA is read by more than 400 thousand people a month. We offer to place your article, add a link or order the writing of an article for publication.","advertising-on-quasa","2022-07-06T07:33:02.000000Z","2025-12-15T17:33:02.000000Z","15.12.2025",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":170,"thumb":171},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","large",68701,4,{"title":176,"description":177,"slug":178,"created_at":179,"publish_at":180,"formatted_created_at":181,"category":182,"links":183,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":186,"likes":174,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"What is a Startup?","A startup is not a new company, not a tech company, nor a new tech company. You can be a new tech company, if your goal is not to grow high and fast; then, you are not a startup. ","what-is-a-startup","2021-08-04T12:05:17.000000Z","2025-12-17T13:02:00.000000Z","17.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":184,"thumb":185},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp",66609,{"title":188,"description":189,"slug":190,"created_at":191,"publish_at":192,"formatted_created_at":193,"category":194,"links":195,"view_type":83,"video_url":84,"views":198,"likes":160,"lang":87,"comments_count":124,"is_pinned":104},"Top 5 Tips to Make More Money as a Content Creator","Content creators are one of the most desired job titles right now. Who wouldn’t want to earn a living online?","top-5-tips-to-make-more-money-as-a-content-creator","2022-01-17T17:31:51.000000Z","2026-01-17T11:30:00.000000Z","17.01.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":196,"thumb":197},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg",40820,{"title":200,"description":201,"slug":202,"created_at":203,"publish_at":204,"formatted_created_at":205,"category":206,"links":207,"view_type":172,"video_url":84,"views":210,"likes":160,"lang":87,"comments_count":86,"is_pinned":104},"8 Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses","Your logo tells the story of your business and the values you stand for.","8-logo-design-tips-for-small-businesses","2021-12-04T21:59:52.000000Z","2025-05-05T03:30:00.000000Z","05.05.2025",{"title":15,"slug":16},{"image":208,"thumb":209},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg",40087,[212,213,214,215,216,217,218,219,220,221,222,223,224],{"title":23,"slug":24},{"title":47,"slug":48},{"title":55,"slug":56},{"title":43,"slug":44},{"title":51,"slug":52},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"title":35,"slug":36},{"title":27,"slug":28},{"title":19,"slug":20},{"title":15,"slug":16},{"title":58,"slug":63},{"title":11,"slug":12},{"title":65,"slug":66}]