Shark Tank judge and Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal has praised ChatGPT Images 2.0, stating that the AI tool can solve LinkedIn photo problems in seconds. In a recent LinkedIn post, Mittal shared an insight from his early days at the matchmaking platform, saying that the company's biggest challenge was not technology, but something far simpler: photos.
Shaadi.com's Early Photo Challenge
Mittal recalled how users struggled to upload pictures in the early 2000s, which often led to incomplete profiles. He used this example to explain how the problem has changed over time, and how tools like ChatGPT Images 2.0 are now helping solve a modern version of the same issue. Mittal said that when Shaadi.com was growing, users had to go through a long process to upload photos. They needed to visit a studio, get prints, scan them at a cyber cafe, and then email them. Many users dropped off before completing these steps.
Modern Photo Dilemma
Today, however, the situation has reversed. Most people now have smartphones with high-quality cameras and thousands of images stored on their devices. Despite this, Mittal pointed out that finding the right photo for professional use remains a challenge. He noted that while people have many pictures, most are casual and not suitable for platforms like LinkedIn. Issues such as poor lighting, incorrect framing, or distracting backgrounds make them less effective as professional headshots.
AI Solution with ChatGPT Images 2.0
Highlighting the role of AI, Mittal said tools like ChatGPT Images 2.0 can create a professional-looking headshot in seconds. He also shared a prompt for users: "Use my uploaded photo to create a polished professional headshot for LinkedIn, with clean lighting, natural skin tone, sharp styling, and a neutral premium background."
Mittal's LinkedIn Post Highlights
In his post, Mittal elaborated: "Early 2000s, our biggest bottleneck at Shaadi.com wasn't engineering. It was photos. People would write beautiful bios and then have nothing to upload. They had to go to a studio, get a print, scan it at a cyber cafe, email it back. Half gave up before they finished. The photo decided everything before the bio got read."
He continued: "Cut to 2026. Everyone has a 50MP camera in their pocket. Thousands of photos in the gallery. Selfies, group shots, holiday dumps, gym mirror moments. We are drowning in our own faces. And yet, the LinkedIn photo is still a problem. Because a casual selfie is not a headshot. Lighting wrong, framing wrong, crop wrong... LinkedIn's own data says profiles with professional photos get 21x more views. But the problem - a thousand photos in the gallery, none of them quite right."
Mittal concluded: "Most of us have spent the last year playing with AI image tools for fun. Ghibli portraits, anime versions, action figure trend, whatever. Time pass. The actually useful application was hiding in plain sight: a professional headshot. ChatGPT Images 2.0 does it in 5 seconds. Upload a regular photo, tell it what you want, done. Dropped the prompt in the comment. Try them on your own photo. If your LinkedIn starts pulling 21x more eyes, the compounding begins right there."
This article is based on reports from the TOI Tech Desk, a dedicated team of journalists covering technology news including gadget launches, reviews, trends, and AI developments.
