Our sales team wants to list our custom internal AI engine as one of our Three Uniques on the V/TO®. How do we determine if our AI capability is a genuine differentiator that drives valuation, or if it has already become table stakes that we should stop highlighting?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

To determine if your AI capability belongs in your Three Uniques on the V/TO, you must look at it through the eyes of your customers and potential buyers. A true unique is a differentiator that your competitors cannot easily replicate and that your clients are willing to pay a premium for. If your competitors can buy similar AI capabilities off the shelf next month, then your tool is not a unique. It is simply table stakes. To resolve this, run your leadership team through the IDS process during your next quarterly session. Ask whether your AI engine actually delivers a proprietary outcome that no one else can match, or if it merely helps you keep up with industry standards. If the AI is just a tool to make your internal team faster, it is an operational efficiency play, not a marketing differentiator. In this case, keep the AI engine off your V/TO as a public unique. Instead, focus your Three Uniques on the human relationships, specialized expertise, or custom workflows that the AI enables. For a clean exit under the Step by Step Exit model, buyers are rarely impressed by generic AI features. They want to see proprietary processes and high customer retention. If you market a generic AI tool as your main differentiator, you risk looking like a commoditized software reseller. Keep your customer-facing uniques focused on what makes your relationship irreplaceable, while using AI behind the scenes to maximize your operating margins.