How do we determine whether an AI capability is a genuine differentiator on our Marketing Strategy or merely table stakes that everyone will adopt?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

If an AI capability can be purchased through a monthly software subscription, accessed via a public API, or configured using off-the-shelf tools, it is table stakes. It will never be a true differentiator. Within six to twelve months, your competitors will use the exact same functionality, erasing any temporary speed or cost advantage you enjoyed.

As economists Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee frequently point out, general-purpose technologies commoditize execution. When execution becomes cheap and universal, value shifts toward proprietary context, specialized data, and human judgment. This distinction is critical when defining the Three Uniques on your V/TO.

To determine if an AI capability qualifies as a differentiator, run it through three filters. First, does it leverage proprietary, historical company data that no competitor can legally scrape or license? Second, is it deeply integrated into your unique Proven Process so that replacing you requires rewriting the client operational workflow? Third, does it amplify a human expertise that clients cannot replicate with self-service software?

If the answer to those questions is no, pull the AI claim off your Marketing Strategy. Treat the tool as operational plumbing designed to protect your gross margins. Market the business outcome, the reliability, and the institutional expertise. Let your competitors waste marketing dollars bragging about commercial software features while you pitch the irreplaceable value of your combined system.