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From Technical Resistance to User Champions: How NewsBridge Cracked the AI Adoption Challenge in Media

The journey from technical innovation to market adoption often follows an unexpected path. For NewsBridge, a company pioneering video understanding technology, the key to market success wasn’t found in superior algorithms or faster processing speeds – it was discovered in a confrontational meeting room full of skeptical documentarians.

In a recent Category Visionaries episode, NewsBridge CEO Philippe Petitpont shared how a challenging experience in a media company accelerator program transformed their entire go-to-market approach. The incident revealed a crucial insight: in deep tech B2B sales, user advocacy must precede executive buy-in.

The Resistance

Despite having developed sophisticated AI algorithms for video processing, NewsBridge’s initial attempts to penetrate the media market met with fierce resistance. “The welcome we had by that time were not so good,” Philippe recalls. “When we started to add them, okay, so we want to learn more about your job… what they said is ‘are you crazy? You are going to replace my job. I will never share anything with you.'”

This resistance wasn’t unique to one user – it represented a deeper challenge in selling AI solutions to traditional industries. The team found themselves literally surrounded by worried professionals defending their territory against perceived technological threats.

The Pivot Point

Rather than doubling down on technical capabilities, NewsBridge made a crucial pivot in their approach. They stopped leading with AI and started focusing on the mundane pain points that plagued media professionals’ daily work.

“Do you like logging videos?” Philippe would ask. “Is that something you like to do in your life? No, I don’t like to do that and sometimes I need to come at the office on Sunday to transcript everything manually.”

This shift from technology-first to problem-first communication marked a turning point. By acknowledging the tedious aspects of content creation, NewsBridge positioned their AI solution as an enabler rather than a replacement.

Building User Champions

The strategy paid off dramatically. Philippe shares a pivotal moment: “We had one young journalist that come back at the end of the accelerator and said sorry to be in this mindset at the beginning because now thanks to you, I know what my job will be in the future and I know that my job will be definitely better.”

This experience shaped NewsBridge’s entire go-to-market strategy. “Now we are going things totally differently,” Philippe explains. “Our first people, our first personnel we are talking with are users because they need to understand what the tool will be doing for them. And actually users are key because top management will ask to the users, okay, does the tool will help having you better productivity? And if they say no, top management will never buy the tool.”

Scaling Through Innovation and Pricing

With user adoption secured, NewsBridge focused on two key areas for scaling: continued technical innovation and strategic pricing. “Innovation is always driven by price,” Philippe asserts. Their approach involved developing AI technology that could be “ten times cheaper than any other one, providing better quality and better results.”

This strategy has driven significant growth, with the company hitting “the million dollar in recurring revenue early last year” and maintaining a pace to “double this turnover each year.”

The Road Ahead

NewsBridge’s vision extends beyond their current success. “What we want to achieve is to be sure that everyone can tell a story using video,” Philippe shares. The company is investing heavily in infrastructure and talent, with plans to more than double their team size in the coming years.

For B2B tech founders, NewsBridge’s journey offers valuable lessons in market adoption. Technical excellence alone doesn’t guarantee success – it must be coupled with deep user understanding and strategic positioning that addresses concrete pain points. By leading with user value rather than technical capabilities, founders can transform skeptics into champions and build a foundation for sustainable growth.

Actionable
Takeaways

Focus on the Future and the Vision:

As an entrepreneur, Philippe believes in the importance of building a compelling story and vision that you believe in, using it to inspire and onboard the best talent to make that story a reality. Rather than dwelling on the past, focus on what's next and let that drive your decisions and actions.

Empower Your Team with Autonomy:

Drawing from the lessons of "Turn the Ship Around," give your team a clear vision of where you need to go, then trust them to make the right decisions and find the best path forward. This approach can unlock hidden superpowers and lead to surprising results that exceed your expectations.

Invent Your Own Terminology:

In a crowded market, creating and evangelizing your own terminology can help you stand out and plant a seed in customers' minds about what makes your solution unique. Newsbridge did this with "multimodal AI," educating the market about its benefits long before it became a popular buzzword.

Balance Innovation with Affordability:

While having the best product is important, it's equally crucial to ensure that it meets the market's business realities and price expectations. Philippe believes that innovation is always driven by price, and that striking the right balance between cutting-edge technology and affordability is key to driving adoption.

Prioritize User Buy-In:

When introducing new AI-powered tools, focus on gaining the trust and understanding of the end-users first. They need to see how the technology will make their jobs better and more efficient, rather than feeling threatened by it. Once you have user buy-in, convincing top management to adopt the solution becomes much easier.