All about

Tetragram

5 years ago when Alex was passing a building he got a whimsical idea suddenly: "it must be very fun if I can virtually paste a huge picture or put a huge display to show my video on the wall of the building" . He evaluated the existing technical at that time, found that GPS-based positioning technology accuracy is far less than the requirements, and he gave up the idea. With the rapid development and popularization of VR / AR technology in recent years, it was found that this idea inadvertently entered the field of AR, in line with the trend of the times. With the development of computer vision technology, the recognition and tracking technology based on graphical markup is becoming more and more mature, and this idea already has the technical means to realize. So Alex re-picks up the idea. With four months of coding, the idea becomes a working prototype called Tetragram.

5年前Alex在路过一栋大楼时突发奇想，要是能在大楼的墙上虚拟地贴上自己的一张巨幅照片或者挂上一块巨大的显示屏显示自己的视频一定很有意思。当时考虑了一下现有的技术手段，发现基于GPS的定位技术精度远远达不到要求，就放弃了这个想法。这几年随着VR/AR技术的飞速发展和流行，发现这个想法无意中进入了AR领域的范畴，符合时代的发展趋势。随着计算机视觉技术的发展，基于图形标记的识别和跟踪技术越来越成熟，这个想法已具备了实现的技术手段，于是Alex重新拾起这个想法，经过4个月的开发，把它变成了一个可以工作的产品原型Tetragram。

Microsoft, Google, HTC as the representative of the Internet hardware and software giants are promoting a technology revolution. VR / AR technology will change people's lives, bring the next industrial upgrading, bringing countless new opportunities for innovators. AR technology can combine digital information with the physical world in accordance with the intuition of human beings, Alex think that compare to VR technology which makes people isolate from the real world , AR application is more practical and more close to people's lives. And relative to the hot VR field , currently the AR technology is in a very early stage, leaving more opportunity for small innovators.

Tetragram is a typical application of AR technology that identifies and tracks QR code in a mobile phone camera preview. As the result the three-dimensional position of the surface on which the QR code is printed in a real environment such as a wall or a table, is calculated, and then a digital picture is positioned on the calculated position which makes the user looks as if there is really a picture posted on the wall. Simply put, Tetragram is a small tool that leverages AR technology to allow users virtually post a picture to a real-world wall with a mobile phone. This tool is never had before, it is giving people a new ability. Just like when telephone is invented, people can talk with others in thousands of miles away; When Twitter borns, people can tell their points to the world anytime anywhere.

以微软，谷歌，HTC为代表的互联网软硬件巨头正在推动一场新的技术革命。VR／AR技术必将改变人们的生活，带来下一次产业升级，为创新者带来无数新机会。AR技术能够将数字信息和物理世界按照符合人类直觉的方式相结合，Alex认为相对于和真实世界隔绝的VR技术，AR技术的应用将会更加实用，更加贴近人们的生活。并且相对于已经火热的VR领域，目前AR技术正处在非常早期的阶段，留给中小创新者的机会更多。

Tetragram是AR技术的一个典型应用，它通过手机摄像头识别和跟踪画面中的二维码，从而获知真实环境中二维码所在表面，比如一面墙或一张桌子的三维位置信息，然后将一张数字图片定位在这个表面上，使用户看起来好像真的有一张图片张贴在墙上一样。简单地说，Tetragram是一个利用AR技术实现的小工具，可以让用户利用手机虚拟地张贴一张图片到真实世界的墙上。这个工具是从未有过的，赋予了人们一种新的能力。就像电话出现后，人们能够远隔千里进行聊天；微博出现后，人们能够随时随地向全世界表达自己的观点。

Ok, we now have a new tool, but what can this tool be used to do for us in the earth? To be frank, Alex does not have the answer too, it is still in the exploratory stage. Alex just feel that it brings infinite possibilities. It is like a piece of wasteland was covered with a lawn, attracting a lot of people through here, when some places are frequently walked, the lawn appears traces, then we just lay the slate at the trail, a road is built, although before we do not Know where to pave the way.

Here are some examples of application scenarios:

* Social for fun, such as create a birthday card picture for girlfriend, and then virtually post it to the the wall of the girlfriend's favorite McDonald's , message her to install Tetragram and go to the McDonald's to find a surprise.

* Geocaching, in a variety of buildings or natural environment, virtually post treasure hunt map and find the map with Tetragram, follow the prompts to find the next target until approach the final goal.

In addition to virtually posting pictures, in the future will support posting text, videos, three-dimensional models and even small interactive games, which will bring more application scenarios, such as comments on product packaging, virtual video advertising on the door of a store.

We need a group of test users to help us find more interesting and useful scenarios, and then we will optimize the software for that usage.

好吧，我们现在有了一个全新的工具，那么这个工具到底能够用来干什么？其实目前Alex也没有想清楚这个问题的答案，仍然处在摸索的阶段。Alex只是觉得，它带来了无限的可能性。就好像一片荒地上被铺上了草坪，吸引很多人经过这里，有些地方经常被人走过，草坪出现了痕迹，那么我们只要在痕迹处铺设石板，一条路便建成了，虽然之前我们并不知道应该在哪里铺路。

以下是一些应用场景举例：

＊趣味社交，比如为自己心爱的女神制作一份生日贺卡图片，然后把它虚拟地贴到女神常去的麦当劳的墙上，提示女神安装Tetragram去麦当劳发现一份惊喜。

＊寻宝游戏（Geocaching），在各种建筑内或自然环境中虚拟张贴寻宝提示图，用手机发现提示，并按提示寻找下一个目标直到找到最终目标。

除了虚拟地张贴图片，将来会增加张贴文字，视频，三维模型甚至交互式小游戏的功能，必将带来更多的应用场景，如产品包装盒上的用户点评，商店门口的虚拟视频广告等。

需要一批测试用户来帮助发现更有趣有用的玩法，然后针对此用法优化升级软件。

Compared to some of the existing AR products, Tetragram has two main features:

The first feature is it's based on standard QR code. The core of AR technology lies in the identification and tracking of real objects. There are two main technical solutions, one is based on specific markups, such as Vuforia Vumark and some children's education software, they print the markups or graphics on the surface of the book in advance, when mobile device camera scan and identify the markup or graphic, the prepared 3D animation is positioned on the graphic plane for playback. This solution requires specific pre-printed graphic items, obviously not the common users can do, only applies to a small number of businesses.

The second is real-time modeling technology without markup, such as Microsoft's Hololens, the three-dimensional positioning of this technology is more accurate and do not need to prepare in advance, you can achieve very realistic results. But the need for dedicated hardware, high cost, is not conducive for popularization.

Tetragram is also a markup-based AR technology, but can identify the ubiquitous QR code, do not need to prepare in advance, is very conducive to the promotion and popularization.

The second feature is user-create-content. Currently the largest AR products on the market, such as Layar AR browser are based on some specific markups, and the content is provided by the limited number of cooperation business, users can only browse the pre-made content, and can not create their own content. While Tetragram gives users the ability to create content and share content at lowest cost. The difference between Tetragram and Layar , is similar to the difference between Twitter and BBC news.

Tetragram can take advantage of the existing QR code and take UGC as the core characteristics, making it has no real competitors in the current market.

相比于目前已有的一些AR产品，Tetragram的特色主要有两点：

第一个特色是基于通用的二维码。AR技术的核心在于对真实物体的识别和定位。目前主要有两种技术方案，一是基于特定标记，比如Vuforia的Vumark和一些儿童教育软件，在书籍表面印制事先设计好的图形标记，手机摄像头便可以扫描识别出该图形，然后调出预先准备好的三维动画定位在图形平面上进行播放。这种方案要求预先在物品上印制特定图形，显然不是一般用户能做到的，只适用于少量商家。

二是无需标记的实时扫描建模技术，比如微软的Hololens，这种技术的三维定位更加精准且不需要事先的准备，可以实现非常逼真的效果。但是需要专用的硬件，成本高昂，不利于普及。Tetragram也是一种基于标记的AR技术，但是可以识别定位目前无处不在的二维码图形，不需要事先准备，非常有利于推广和普及。

第二个特色是用户创造内容。目前市场上最大的几个AR产品，比如Layar AR浏览器都是基于特定标记，由合作商家提供内容，用户只能浏览预先制作好的内容，并不能自己参与制作。而Tetragram让用户拥有低成本制作内容和分享内容的能力。Tetragram和Layar的差别，相当于新浪微博和网易新闻的差别。

Tetragram能够利用现成二维码，以UGC为核心的特色，使得它在目前市场上并无真正的竞争对手。

Currently Tetragram is only capable for posting pictures. Alex's vision for the product is far beyond this. Tetragram will become the connector of real world and virtual world with content repository.

Tetragram's ultimate goal is to make AR technology universal to every ordinary users, so the product will provide the following features and functions:

1, the lowest user cost in the AR industry. It makes use of mobile phones and other mobile devices as the carrier, providing pure software solutions. And makes full use of the existing QR code, not to publish self-defined markup format in early stage.
2, to support rich media types. Will gradually support the text, animation, video, 3D models, games and other digital content, make them connect with the real world.
3, to provide rich and easy to use tools for ordinary users, so that they can easily create all kinds of digital content used to virtual posting to the real world. That way Tetragram will develop into a content repository.
4, to develop an open platform, so that third-party developers can participate in the development of a variety of virtual content creation tools, as the result ordinary users can create content more easily and efficiently .
5, to support the mainstream AR hardware. Such as AR glasses as Hololens.
6, in addition to QR code, to provide more AR identification and tracking methods, such as more types of bar code, face recognition, object recognition.

In the long run, Tetragram will be the same as other VR / AR platforms, becoming the connector of the virtual world and the real world . The difference is the path to achieve this goal.

目前已上线的Tetragram只有虚拟贴图片的功能，Alex对于该产品的远景设想远远不限于此。Tetragram将会发展成为现实世界和虚拟世界的连接器和内容仓库。

Tetragram的终级目标是让AR技术普及到每一位普通用户，因此产品将会提供以下特色和功能：

1、在AR行业里最低的用户尝试成本。现阶段就是利用手机等移动设备为载体，提供纯软件的解决方案。并且充分利用现成的二维码，不轻易发布自定义的格式。

2、支持全面的媒体类型。将会逐步支持文字，动画，视频，三维模型，小游戏等各种数字内容，让它们和真实世界相连接。

3、为普通用户提供丰富易用的创作工具，使用户能够轻松创造各种类型的数字内容用来虚拟张贴到真实世界。这样Tetragram将发展成为一个内容仓库。

4、提供开放平台，使第三方开发者可以参与进来，为平台增加多种多样的虚拟内容创作工具，让普通用户更便捷高效地创造内容。

5、支持主流的AR硬件。比如hololens这样的AR眼镜。

6、除二维码之外，提供更多AR识别和定位方法，比如更多种类的条码，人脸识别，物体识别。

长远来看，Tetragram将会和其它VR/AR平台殊途同归，成为虚拟世界和真实世界的连接器。不同的是实现这一目标的路径。

A product is always growing with its users, and change with the market environment changes, so making a plan for next one year is meaningless. What we can determine is the direction of the move, the plan of next three months and development strategies.

The first step is to find a group of test users, to gather their feedback for the prototype and learn their behavior patterns, to find the most suitable scenario for the current product, takes about 1 month;

The second step is optimize the product based on the chosen scenario, define the target users, and promote the product to them, takes about 2 months.

The third step is keep discover new application scenarios and optimize product functionality accordingly;

The fourth step is to expand the user base, establish brand and influence;

The fifth step is to gradually add new virtual content types and corresponding authoring tools;

The next is to provide an open platform, support more hardware. Will make appropriate plan when it is the time. Of course, at the same time we will looking for investment, build the team and company culture.

产品总是和用户一起成长的，会随着市场环境的变化而改变，因此现在列出未来一年以上的产品发展计划是没有意义的。我们能确定的是前进的方向，最近三个月的计划和发展策略。

第一步是寻找一批测试用户，了解他们对产品原型的反馈和行为模式，找出最适合目前产品的应用场景，大概用时1个月；

第二步是根据应用场景优化产品使用流程，并总结出目标人群，进行针对性的推广。大概用时2个月；

第三步是继续发现新的应用场景和优化产品功能；

第四步是扩大用户基数，建立品牌影响力；

第五步是逐步增加新的虚拟内容格式和相应创作工具；

接下来是提供开放平台，支持更多硬件，到时候再制订相应计划。

当然与此同时需要进行融资，组建团队和建立企业文化的工作。

For such an innovative product, the business model is clearly too early to determine at the moment. However Alex has some rough ideas, such as:

* Paid value-added services, charge for some of the advanced features or additional usage.
* When business began to use this software to increase its value, charge them for service fees;
* Provide trading platform for some high quality user generated content, gathering transaction commission;

对于这样一个非常创新的产品，商业模式显然不是早期可以确定的。Alex对此有一些粗略的设想，比如：

＊ 付费的增值服务，对某些高级功能或者额外的使用量向用户收费；

＊ 当商家开始利用此软件增加其价值时，向商家收取服务费；

＊ 对某些优质的用户创造内容，提供交易平台，收取交易佣金；

As mentioned earlier, there is no similar product on the market to compete. But in the long run, it will compete for the user's time and attention with some AR browser products. Our competitive strategy is very simple, through the UGC and open platform, allowing users and third-party developers to help us add product value and competitiveness.

We and some low-level AR technology providers and AR hardware providers are of upstream and downstream relationship in the same industry chain, will form a good cooperation and win-win model, and jointly expand the AR industry market size.

前面提到，目前市场上并无类似的产品参与竞争。但是从长远来看，一些AR浏览器产品会参与争夺用户的时间和注意力。我们的竞争策略很简单，通过UGC和开放平台，让用户和第三方开发者一起帮助我们提高产品价值和竞争力。

我们和一些AR底层技术的提供商和AR硬件开发商是产业链上下游关系，将会形成良好的合作共赢模式，共同扩大AR行业的市场规模。

Currently Tetragram is setting up a founding team, if you love the Internet, software, AR, and appreciate the idea of ​​Tetragram, welcome to join the team as a co-founder.

The requirements of the co-founder are independent entrepreneurship or joint entrepreneurial experience, self-motivated, self-responsible, not limited to their own profession of work, have the ability to learn quickly, long-term, able to accept low salaries or even unpaid work, and need full-time participate.

When our financing is successful, we will recruit more early employees to join, providing no less than the industry average salary and options. Currently need 2 full-stack software engineers , the need for skills stack is Android, computer vision, OpenGL, Linux, Apache, Mysql, Rails. If you have the confidence to quickly master these skills and other new skills, welcome to join us.

We need 1 growth hacker, who make use of scientific marketing tools, quantitative analysis methods to promote the growth of users base, and guide the evolution of the product.

If you love our business and want to work with us, but for some reason can not meet the co-founder and early staff requirements, it does not matter, you can contact us, let us find a way of cooperation that we can both be satisfied with .

目前Tetragram正在组建创始团队阶段，如果你热爱互联网，软件，AR，并且欣赏Tetragram这个主意，欢迎作为联合创始人加入团队。

对联合创始人的要求是有独自创业或联合创业经历，能够自我激励，自我负责，不限定自己的工作范畴，有快速学习的能力，目光长远，能够接受低薪甚至无薪工作，并且需要全职参与。

当我们融资成功后，将会招募更多早期员工加入，提供不低于行业平均水平的薪资和期权。目前需要全栈软件工程师2名，需要的技能栈为Android ，计算机视觉，OpenGL，Linux，Apache，Mysql，Rails。如果你有信心快速掌握这些技能以及其它新技能，欢迎加入我们。

另外需要增长黑客（Growth hacker）1名，能够运用科学的营销手段，量化分析方法，推动产品用户基数的增长，并指导产品的演化。

如果你热爱我们的事业，想和我们一起工作，但是由于某些原因不能符合联合创始人和早期员工的要求，也没关系，可以联系我们，让我们一起寻找一种大家都能满意的合作方式。

At present, Tetragram is looking for angel round investment, the capital required is about 500K USD, for about 10% of the share. The fund utilization plan is to maintain a team of about four people and product operation for about 18 months. The goal is to develop the product to a certain maturity, make the brand has a certain influence in the industry, to achieve the A round of financing standards.

目前Tetragram需要天使轮投资，资金需求为300万人民币左右，股份出让为10%左右。资金使用计划是维持4人左右的团队和产品运营18个月左右，目标是让产品开发到一定成熟度，品牌在行业内拥有一定的影响力，达到可以进行A轮融资的标准。

We believe that corporate culture is a prerequisite to create a strong executive team and keep the company and products competitive. Founder Alex is a software engineer with many years of experience, a geek and serial internet entrepreneur
, which decided Tetragram's corporate culture will have a strong technical and geek color, but will not ignore the importance of business thinking and marketing.

Our company, with innovation as the core values, never do imitation without thinking, try to avoid the crowd, believe that each path of business success is unique and can not be copied, need to explore by itself;

Our team management will always looking for openness and efficiency. We believe that everyone's opinion has a unique value worth listening and respect, and believe that diversity will bring about progress. We will only recruit enthusiastic team members, pursuit self-management driven by enthusiasm, do not encourage work overtime, do not implement KPI assessment, just look at the results instead of the process. We hope that the team will be able to complete the task faster by increasing the work efficiency rather than simply increasing the working hours.

We hope that the staff not only love the work but also have a wonderful and healthy life. In order to achieve this goal, At the same time the company in the pursuit of commercial success , will strive to achieve remote working, loose management, create fitness atmosphere and welfare.

Starting a business is a marathon rather than a one hundred meter race, and we want to be able to work every day with energy and happiness.

我们认为企业文化是打造强有力的执行团队，保证公司和产品具有持续竞争力的前提条件。创始人Alex是一名具有多年经验的软件工程师，极客和互联网连环创业者，决定了Tetragram的企业文化将会具有浓厚的技术和极客色彩，但是并不会忽视商业思维和市场营销的重要性。

我们的企业，以创新为核心价值观，绝不做不经思考的模仿者，努力避免随大流，相信每个企业成功的道路都是独特的，无法复制的，需要自己去探索；

我们的团队管理，追求开放和高效。我们相信每个人的见解都有独特价值值得聆听和尊重，相信多样化会带来进步。我们只会招募对事业有热情的团队成员，追求热情驱动的自我管理，不鼓励加班，不推行KPI考核，只看成绩不看过程。我们希望团队通过提高工作效率来更快地完成任务而不是简单增加工作时间。

我们希望员工除了热爱工作还要有精彩健康的生活。为了实现这个目标，公司在追求商业成功的同时，将努力实现远程办公，宽松的管理制度，创造运动健身的氛围和福利。

创业是一场马拉松而不是百米赛跑，我们希望每一天都能精力充沛，心情愉快地开始工作。

Founder Alex Liao, has twenty years of experience in software development, entrepreneurial experience in the past ten years, working experience in Ufida software, Microsoft, Sybase . The main venture works:

Swably - Android App sharing community
Reindeer - the easy to use internet accelerate tool
Tetrahedron address book (WeChat service) - make address book of thousands people in one day
Tetragram - hack the world

For more information, please visit Alex's LinkedIn

创始人Alex Liao，拥有二十年软件开发经验，十年创业经验，在用友软件，微软，Sybase有过工作经历。主要创业作品有：

万宝乐 － 安卓App分享社区

寻路 － 最易用的科学上网工具

四面体通讯录（微信公众号） － 千人通讯录一天完成

Tetragram － hack the world

详情请访问 Alex 的 LinkedIn