Picture a city government worried about crime: robberies, car accidents, crooks on the street. An AI vendor walks in pitching license plate recognition and predictive policing. It sounds right. Except the city's more urgent problem might be flooded streets, and no security vendor ever thought to ask about that. One AI CEO built his entire company around asking that question first, which is the opposite of how most AI startups go to market.

A municipality that Iveda assumed cared about crime prevention actually cared more about flooded streets. So his team built flood detection instead of pitching the license plate features they'd planned to sell — and brought the fix back to that same customer before ever marketing it. Ly calls most competitors "not wrong, just not accurate," because they pitch a bundle of goods before they've confirmed what's actually broken.

David Ly (00:00) Technology makes anybody look and sound clever today.

If you can't communicate how you're gonna do something today for that customer or client, they don't care.

Roland Siebelink — Host (00:48) Hello, everyone. Welcome to yet another episode of Breakthrough AI Operators. I am very glad that we have a special guest who's been doing AI a lot longer than most of us have actually been working in the field. He has a rule about AI, my guest today, that most founders won't like. He says: "Don't think about AI, don't even try to get to know AI — get to know your business first. Figure out your real problems, the ones you don't want to admit, and only then ask where AI can help." Apply it to chaos, he says, and you just get faster chaos. Never seen an example of that, right?

He has credibility for that view. He's been building AI surveillance technology since before the term existed. Started a company in 2003 selling IP cameras as a service, built one of the first human monitoring centers in America — 8,000 square feet, 60 people watching cameras around the clock — then sold it because he realized humans just can't do that job that well. Trained machine learning on the data that those humans had collected and built what is now one of the world's leading AI vision platforms. He took the company public on the Nasdaq in 2022, not to exit, but to acquire more. And with that, everybody meet my guest David Ly, the founder, CEO, and Chairman of Iveda. Welcome to Breakthrough AI Operators, David.

David Ly (02:14) Awesome. Thank you, Roland, for having me. That was a beautiful intro. I'm honored.

Roland Siebelink — Host (02:20) David, diving right in — you told me in our prep call: don't think AI, get to know your business first. That's the opposite of what every AI vendor is telling people. Can you make the case for why everyone else is wrong?

David Ly (02:37) Yes, because everyone else is trying to sell the product. And the cliche is everybody saying, including myself, we are a solutions provider. What is a solution? A fix to the problem. The other vocabulary for solution is a bundled set of goods. But a bundled set of goods doesn't always fix the problem.

(03:08) And that's where I think you said it — these are my so-called battle scars over the past 23 years. When you try to go into a real problem that the customer is facing and you're pitching them a bunch of goods and products, that's where we run into problems. Everybody else is not wrong. They're just not accurate. And when you're dealing with AI, we're all trying to sell and pitch accuracy. Why not become more accurate with our customers first before we talk about technology or products?

Roland Siebelink — Host (03:51) What does that really look like, David, in practice? What's different in how you run the company versus the typical AI vendor you would see out there?

David Ly (04:02) That's a good question. Being in the field — how we run our company and how we pitch our goods and our products, everybody needs to do that to have a good business — but we identify first, truly, the problem that the customer is facing. Let me give you an example of something as simple as flooding.

(04:27) When you talk about safety and security, smart cities, safe cities, and you go in and pitch to a municipality or a certain agency that has cameras in the streets, the first fault of most tech or product companies is we believe we're going in there preventing crime, having safer streets. Okay, that all sounds good. That's good marketing material. But I find that when you sit down with the actual departments and agencies — just sample customers — and hear them out on what they're really more concerned about and wish to apply to the infrastructure they currently have installed, it's about flooding. Wow. Okay, so what do I do? That's their problem.

(05:28) They're concerned about people getting robbed, car accidents, and crooks running the street — that's all given. But the real problem today is they need to prevent flooding. We as a company have always taken notes on that. Not that we don't want to sell the license plate detection and counting people and car counting. But we make note on: how do we notify about streets that are dirty? How do we notify to prevent a flooded street? We take that back to engineering. We talk about what type of detections, what type of sensors maybe, and guess what? We actually build it. That's what a group of engineers can do. We build things.

(06:12) And when we do have something that actually works, we go back to that same client that has that problem and ask them, would you do me a favor and allow me to try something? Guess what? They're more than willing because you're hitting it right there at where the pain point is. Solving the problem first, and then you bring it back and you apply marketing to it. That's how Iveda has grown. Iveda has never built something, marketed, and waited for them to come. We've never built the product that we had to wait for customers to come. It's always about building for the customer — and then, holy cow, it works and it works pretty well.

Roland Siebelink — Host (07:01) Why do you think many other startups — AI startups, but also other startups — are more in that mode you just described, trying to market something and see what sticks?

David Ly (07:14) Simple answer: no field experience. When I was a younger operator, I thought that if I had something cool, me and my early sales energy, we'd do anything — let's just go out, talk to people, show them how great this is. I think it's the experience. Just lack of field experience. Because technology makes anybody look and sound clever today. And they think they can pitch that, build better, build quicker, and they think that's enough. That's false. That's wrong.

I don't care what your technology is, how cool you are, how new and cutting edge. If you can't communicate how you're gonna do something today for that customer or client, they don't care.

Roland Siebelink — Host (08:14) Some founders, I think, are just positively hesitant to go out of their office — or from their desk at home these days — and actually talk to customers, because that can be scary.

David Ly (08:27) Yeah, Roland, you brought up a good point here. And Iveda has been around over two decades. When you talk about people, I do see the change over the past two decades. We are now doing this more often — you and I are going online, we're chatting with each other, we're seeing one another. But the physical meet and greet has really lessened over the years. I'm still a good old-fashioned — I'll hop on a plane just to shake your hand.

(09:07) And that moment that I'm able to shake your hand, I'm connecting and I'm gonna build an ecosystem and a relationship with you that's gonna build volumes that stick. That's a concept that's still extremely valuable if you know how to execute on it.

Roland Siebelink — Host (09:29) David, is there also something that you then have to watch out for in your customer conversations? I can imagine that you're often talking to people who are more like the buyer, and that's different from the user of your platform. How do you balance that in your customer conversations, your customer discovery?

David Ly (09:49) Well, the buyer persona and the actual user or operator, you're right, are two different things. The buyer's mindset is typical — budgets, coverage, liability, high or low. But the user, especially talking AI and the applications that AI is encompassing today, the user wants minimal thinking. I don't think that's changed from any products from the 90s to now. Users want ease of functionality, ease of use, simple out-of-the-box concept. And that's very important.

(10:28) When I'm talking to users, I need to let them know immediately how quickly any product can be of value to them. It doesn't matter pricing or cost or expense — what's important is: how can I put it to use now? What can I understand today? That's an art in sales. It's not about features. It's not about how colorful everything is anymore. I go in with the simplest English language and terms in any call, no matter the level — from military to municipal to 7-Eleven. Speak plain English and people will get you.

Roland Siebelink — Host (11:31) David, I understand that the typical ICP, ideal customer profile, for Iveda is public authorities and municipalities — is that correct?

David Ly (11:45) Yes, the scalable growth is public authorities and agencies and their utilization of the technology today.

Roland Siebelink — Host (11:55) Would you say that working with government authorities, agencies, larger enterprises, that maybe it's just harder to find those early adopters? Those are all institutions that are known to be relatively conservative and maybe they attract the more small-c conservative people as well. Or has that not been your experience?

David Ly (12:18) That has been improving, Roland. Yes, it has been my experience in the early days — Iveda's early days were in the early 2000s into the teens. But today, 2022 to 2026, no — you've got some pretty innovative decision makers at the city, municipal, and government levels because they're younger now. I'm turning 51, which is not all that bad. But there are guys and gals out there that are in their 30s at the director level and they know tech and they're tired of traditional bureaucracies running things.

(12:44) The younger executives are applying tools and even looking for bundled service and product offerings that are more innovative, more tailored to the instant — what do you call that — satisfaction, instant value, immediate retrieval. So yes, they do want things faster and that's gonna require AI. That's gonna require technology.

Roland Siebelink — Host (13:34) How do you stay in touch with those changes? Is it all you? Are you the one that's out there having all these conversations? Or do you run a sales team? Do you teach them to do the same things you do? How do you scale your own insights in psychology, buyer persuasion, user persuasion, into a broader team that can be your antennas in the market?

David Ly (13:59) Iveda's business model is selling through a reseller channel network. And that channel network represents very successful companies — again, from telecommunications, managed service providers, big security and systems integrators, meaning established companies with experienced leadership. I'm spoiled. I have the greatest relationships out there in the industry. All the guys and gals out there — in our careers, we're at the same stage. We don't have time to waste. We don't want to deal with anything we don't have to.

(14:44) When you ask where I get my insights, I get it from my peers who are partnered with me to bundle technology and services that can truly solve problems at hand. That's how I get it. My sales team are my channel partners with their marketing and sales at the grassroots. But where I get to communicate is that I get all the consolidated data and information that their companies collect — and together we get to hash it out and go: how do we get medical supplies over a smoky area? Everybody's hearing a lot of different problems. So I get the benefit of having eyes and ears throughout the world through my peers, and then we sit down together at a table and just hash it out and say: okay, how can we help these people? How can we help that company? The conversation always ends up with: how can we help someone?

Roland Siebelink — Host (15:58) We help a lot of startups through the mid-stage, growing from roughly three to 30 million or something. And when people talk about direct or indirect sales, one of the exact problems they always bring up is: well, if I set up my indirect sales channels as a main strategy, then I lose touch with my customer. You mentioned yourself that it's so important to have these direct customer conversations to discover the real problems. In practice, that must be an extra barrier to overcome. How do you actually stay in touch with those real problems that normally in an indirect channel you don't even talk to the customer directly?

David Ly (16:40) Yeah. Well, I'll tell you, it's attitude and mindset, Roland. It's attitude and mindset. People run their companies differently. The companies that tell you that the channel network separates them — they don't have direct access — well, that's mindset. If you know how to provide first-class partner enablement and service to your clients and partners, you communicate better with them. It's a lack of communications. I'm just gonna say it. Communication skills are lacking in this era.

(17:03) But when you still know how to do it, when you still know how to truly talk and engage with your partner companies — what do you think? They put up a wall, they don't answer your call, they don't want to talk to you? Whose problem is that? No — I get full intelligence from the field. Because from managers to directors to VP to the executive level, I ask very simple questions that provide insights they want to discuss. Anybody that shares or complains to you that there's a difficulty — let's check oneself first. Check leadership.

Roland Siebelink — Host (17:58) What you're saying about indirect channels is it can be a good lever for scale, but you don't have to assume that just because you work through another channel that you cannot talk to the customer. All they care about in the end is sharing success — and they probably wanna make sure that you don't grab their commission, right?

David Ly (18:18) They also need help. Everybody needs help in the field. And if you speak up, open up more, we can truly help each other. Don't assume what people need or don't need. Overcome that fear of asking. And overcome that fear of saying, "I don't understand. I don't know." Do you know how much people will tell you when you say, "I don't understand"?

(18:47) Roland, here's a tip for all of the startups — guys and gals, when we're sitting in meetings with eight or 12 people and people start dropping acronyms, do you know that I'm one of the first people to say I don't know a lot of these things? What I do first is: can you tell me what TAK stands for? That was just a recent meeting. I don't know — T-A-K. It's a government initiative, something something. And I had to ask. Did you know no one else asked? That's why they're not getting business. Come on, guys.

Roland Siebelink — Host (19:18) I often do the same thing actually. I've learned that over the years as well. And it's shocking how often you ask for an abbreviation or some explanation and nobody in the room can actually explain it because they've all been ignoring it.

David Ly (19:32) I think it's a fear people must overcome, Roland. It's a breakthrough that every human has to develop and overcome and just get over it. And now part of our company's core value is to speak up, to be transparent, here at Iveda. That's how you earn success.

Roland Siebelink — Host (19:51) You mentioned already that AI cannot really help you unless you first become honest about your problems and your challenges in the company. And you gave some great examples of how to actually just ask customers for their problems. I find when working with growing startups that the founders often find it difficult to actually openly talk with their own employees to actually hear the problems. And you mentioned that was a breakthrough for you.

Two questions: one — how do you keep yourself honest inside the company when you have that urge to be the strong leader who has all the answers versus actually dealing with problems that there may be? And second — how do you, in the history of Iveda, see yourselves in retrospect setting up for breakthrough after breakthrough? Or did you just land on them? What happened?

David Ly (20:53) The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and hoping for a change. There was a time that somebody pointed out that I was quite insane. Because I have this mindset — I have a great company, I'm building great technology — and yet, in a duration of time, years, why am I not a $50 million company yet? If you're so good and great, David, why are you still sitting here running a 6, 7, 10 million dollar company?

Roland Siebelink — Host (21:35) Mm-hmm.

David Ly (21:38) That hurt.

Roland Siebelink — Host (21:40) Was that you asking yourself or did somebody outside the company ask you that?

David Ly (21:45) I'm gonna give her credit. She is now my company's chief of staff. But before that, the board authorized — when we went NASDAQ — I was to hire an executive assistant, someone that truly assists me shoulder to shoulder in my day-to-day management of our company.

(22:12) When you have an assistant that observes you, your customers, and every meeting that you sit in — from your SEC attorneys down to your customers — and hears everything, and poses that kind of question, it makes you think. When you want to grow, first yourself, you must grow. I had to accept a lot of direct facts and analyze them as true facts and deal with it. Maybe I didn't do something well, maybe I was not preparing something well enough. And all that comes down to — I'll shorten it for our conversation here — people.

(23:01) I ran on the traditional playbook — how to build a business, get your sales team, get market, get, get, get, get, get — traditional academia playbook. But it all came down to the mission that I have. Am I truly speaking and sharing with my people to assure that they're aligned on the same mission that I'm on? Not just hiring employees — forget hiring employees. Hire people who want to follow you. Because that's how you build and get out of startup.

(23:25) Get over yourself. Everybody has an ego. I have an ego. You won't be successful if you didn't have one. But what I really learned is how you convey what you want, what you need, and why. When you do that enough, Roland, you have people who either believe you and want to follow you, or people who don't. We built an entire training program, core value culture, guiding principle, everything here at Iveda as of five years ago, and that is showing a major shift — a major shift — in success for our partners, our clients, and ourselves.

Roland Siebelink — Host (24:23) This is really about getting the stuff out of your head and onto paper — or onto screen these days — but into other people's heads, so that everyone can work from the same playbook as opposed to having to ask you about every single decision that needs to be taken in the company?

David Ly (24:39) Yes, sir. Total alignment is what I say a lot here at the company. I want total alignment. Whether you're sitting in Taiwan, Spain, Cairo — I don't care what department, who you are here at the company, accounting — total alignment. You gotta know what every customer's need is. Because if you're not communicating, if you're thinking "I'm just in accounting" or "I'm just…" then go just be that at another company.

(24:58) It is people, Roland. The hardest thing is finding people who share in the attitude and mindset. I keep coming back to that because I don't need PhDs. I don't need you to be an engineering master's. Come on, we're all something. But I need you to have the right attitude.

Roland Siebelink — Host (25:32) You're not really looking for rock stars, is that what you're saying?

David Ly (25:36) I need smart, happy people who care about their own self development, professional development, and growth. Yes. And when you truly want to grow, you can do anything. Those are the people who go out and start their own companies effectively. Whether you're selling slippers, underwear, or AI video — it doesn't matter. Attitude and mindset has to jive.

Roland Siebelink — Host (26:05) Almost at the end of the interview, but I always do wanna close off a little bit with more about the person behind the company. Where did David grow up? What was your childhood and your teenage years like? And was there any person or any fact in your early life that completely predicted you would be the successful entrepreneur you are now?

David Ly (26:29) Wow. I am a Vietnamese boat baby. I escaped Vietnam in a fishing boat with my aunt while my mom and dad stayed back. We had silent tactics upon escape.

Roland Siebelink — Host (26:46) This was right after the end of the war?

David Ly (26:51) Yeah, post '75. I was born right at the fall of Saigon. And in '78, '79, we escaped and we were very fortunate to have been rescued by a Norwegian fishing liner that dropped us off in Osaka, Japan. I was a refugee in Japan for one year as a young boy and then immigrated to the United States by sponsorship of one of my aunts who were already there.

(27:09) I came to San Jose, California, started kindergarten at the age of five. My auntie raised me until I was 10 years old, until my father was able to make it over, to immigrate over. And as a teenager in San Jose, California, it was good. My aunties took good care of me. But I was the Vietnamese boy that wished he had a little bit more. I was always aspiring to learn more, experience more, all this stuff. And I did it. I made a lot of friends. I learned a lot. And I just lived the best I could — without what I'm giving my kids today.

(28:07) Completing your question — my grandfather and my dad, it's gonna sound a little hokey here, had told me that when I was born, they took me over to this Buddhist monk. They did this reading, and the monk told both my grandfather and my dad that your son — people around the world will know him. He's gonna be traveling and doing a lot of things and the world will know his name. Now mind you, this is 1975. My dad is like, okay, great, dude, let's tip the guy. He says, okay, we donate to the temple.

(28:53) Roland, I'm getting goosebumps telling you the story. My dad shared with me the story, and he said: your grandfather and I had no clue. We couldn't fathom how your name would be known around the world and you traveling. But my God — my dad sees me now, he's on LinkedIn, he follows our social, and I am traveling all around the world doing pretty cool big things. If you believe that, I'm connecting the dots. I'm sharing with you the story, but that's my story.

Roland Siebelink — Host (29:37) Amazing to hear. And I'm only so glad that your granddad and dad actually tipped the monk, because guess what else would have happened. Your life could have been completely different. But anyway, David, this was an amazing interview. Thanks for sharing things so openly with us, even up to the goosebumps level. If people want to hear more about Iveda, where do they go? Is there something specific to download or check out?

David Ly (30:06) I think in 2026 we have it all in our favor. Every social media platform — please search and just look up Iveda. We're there. Or David Ly on all social media. David Ly slash Iveda and my history's there for everyone.