2026-04-20 — Pync CEO meeting
Summary
Met with Pync CEO Claire. Follow-up to earlier meeting with CPO Arm. Pync is interviewing Panat for CTO.
Notes
- See pync-founder-technical-plan, pync-cto-working-document, pync-adr for technical materials prepared for this track.
- Context: Guild remains founder bet (see memory); Pync CTO would be concurrent or alternative path.
- Product: AI-powered biometric pet collar + app. “Pync Avatar” is the UX wedge — translates continuous biometric + behavioral signals into plain-language pet state.
- Pilot: 350 units in Thailand (deck says 5,000 by Q3 2026 cumulative; 30 MVP deployed, 500 May 2026 for KOLs).
- Pricing confirmed: 9.99 / $15.99 tiers.
- Funding per deck: 200K angels + 3M at 1M pre-seed coming in — verify** (deck doesn’t match).
- US distribution: Chewy has completed product evaluations. NYC entity (Pync Inc.).
- Awards: iF Design Award 2026 winner — legitimate credential in product design world.
- Team met so far: Claire (CEO), Arm (CPO). CDO Ben Somwong and broader team not yet met.
Strategy
- Pync CTO is acceptable even if Guild goes on hiatus. Rationale: Dungeon Books’ bottleneck is capital for Carrie to scale the business, not Panat’s coding hours. CTO salary + equity clears a constraint Guild can’t solve on its own timeline.
- Structure: fractional CTO via LLC (C2C / consulting), not W-2. Standard precedent; Panat has run software consulting through the LLC on E-2 without issue. Keeps the engagement clean to unwind once Pync hires a full-time CTO.
- Guild: paused code-wise during the engagement. Kunal’s pivot + NJ pilot momentum don’t require weekly shipping — they need the bookstore to still exist when Panat returns.
Action Items
- Verify the 300K raised / $3M raising figures
- Ask Claire about her two prior CEO companies
- Meet CDO Ben Somwong
- Propose fractional CTO / C2C structure in next conversation
- Clarify equity form at $20M valuation (SAFE vs priced, vesting, cliff)
2026-04-20 — Chat with Art Parnitudom (HPT: Hermes Shakespeare Puppet Theater)
25-year friend from Thailand. Filmmaker, runs a production company focused on narrative commercials with higher budgets; feature script currently at V6. Available for collab until May 1 return flight.
Notion meeting notes: https://www.notion.so/HPT-Panat-x-LLP-Mtg-Notes-1-34882d0ee0dc80d9bebde91203ca80a7
Project: Shakespeare × Hermes AI Agents
- Working title: Play. Interactive theatrical piece where Hermes AI agents act as actors inside a sandbox — users set tone/parameters/personality, then give directing notes and see real-time variations.
- Shakespeare chosen for universal recognition → makes AI agents accessible.
- Primary use case: creative development tool for filmmakers. Rehearse/iterate scenes with AI characters during early script work when there’s no human feedback loop. Judgment-free space to “keep burning tokens” and surface ideas.
- Moat: no existing tool lets users give directing notes to characters and see real-time adjustments.
- Delivery: website. Positioned as teaser / proof of concept (“hosana”), not a full pre-viz tool like Cinema 4D.
Constraints
- 2D isometric view, static camera / moving world (dolly-like). Hard to layer camera position, lens, cinematography without bloat.
- Risk of hitting a wall after 5-10 takes where novelty fades. Needs emotional core beyond intrigue.
- IP risk with Shakespeare manageable via homage/parody framing.
Promo video direction
- Reference: Claude promo (live action, 16mm, retro/sexy). Also Young Thug “artist didn’t show up” video (satirical/serious), Nathan Fielder’s The Rehearsal, Black Mirror “White Christmas,” Hamlet in GTA.
- Medium: 16mm film for organic/human feel. Mix live action + screen recordings shot off TVs/CRTs rather than clean screen caps.
- Art has expired 16mm stock including rare stock from Shutter Island production — both negative and positive. Positive-developed-as-negative gives dreamy Euphoria-style look.
- Needs lab test to verify expired stock still exposes.
Timeline
- Hackathon runs April 17 → May 3 (started; 13 days remaining as of today).
- Final delivery: May 3.
- Art available until May 1 return flight.
Cross-reference
- Art is the one who referred Panat to Arm — the entire Pync CTO track traces back to this friendship.
- Art is aware of Claire’s dog product company (Pync) — described as her third company, mission-driven.
Action items (Art’s)
- Art: notes/feedback on project concept
- Art: lab-test expired film stock
- Art: upload prior 16mm project files via roommate for reference
- Art: share 16mm SOOC footage
- Art: connect director friend re CRT screens / installation
- Art: Vimeo link for positive-as-negative example
Action items (Panat’s)
- Write fuller brief with beginning / middle / end progression
- Finalize concept and ship by May 3 delivery