When you work for a VC firm focusing on software, you’ll see a lot of product demos. I mean, a lot. They come in various formats, usually with some demo effects, and can be performed live in a conference room or in a cafe, or virtually over Zoom or something similar. Sometimes you’ll see a recorded demo video.

Well, today a colleague shared a demo video, which immediately grabbed my attention and felt very fresh and cool. Here’s the video:

The idea is to transform your Zoom calls (or whatever you’re using for video meetings) from boring non-interactive sessions to a “weekend update-style TV show”, as The Verge put it. Turn it on and it will transform your room into a virtual stage, where you can manipulate the background and the way you’re being shown and present slides like a TV host.

One of the persons behind the idea, Phil Libin (who’s doing the demo in the video) previously led Evernote, which is another productivity app I’m using on a daily basis. Given the background and the product idea, it’s not a big surprise that the company has already raised $4.5 million in a funding round led by Sequoia, even though the the product isn’t out yet. You’ll have to sign up for a waiting list to get your hands on a beta.

Here’s why I think the demo is awesome and why I feel the product has a lot of potential:

• The demo immediately grabs your attention and speaks to you.

• The product solves a real world problem that many of us have been struggling with, especially when working from home due to COVID-19.

• It rides on the trend (which I believe in) that remote work will prove popular even after the pandemic subsides and that usage of videoconferencing will continue to grow.

• It’s in the intersection of consumer and enterprise software, which is a very exciting space.

• The product seems to be very easy to start using (essentially it’s just a virtual camera for Zoom) and you can manipulate everything just with your touchpad and shortcuts.

• You can immediately see the value of the solution and realize what potential it has to offer you.

• The demo is funny. The fact that Libin is able to pull it off with a straight face makes it even funnier.

• Even the name of the product is creative and memorable. Mmhmm. And yes, I can confirm that you can say it while munching on a sandwich.

I hope I’ll get beta access soon, because I can’t wait to try this is out and see how it works in practice. Most importantly, I’d like to understand if this is just a gimmick that’s funny to try out a couple of times four laughs – or if it has genuine potential to permanently raise video presentations and recurring internal meetings to a completely new level.