With generative AI changing the economics of knowledge work so quickly, how should an owner anchor their 10-Year Target on the V/TO so it remains strategically relevant?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

A common mistake owners make when confronted with rapid technological change is shortening their planning horizon out of fear. You do not need to predict what software will look like in ten years to set a definitive 10-Year Target on your V/TO.

Anchor your 10-Year Target in human outcomes, enduring market demand, and business scale, not in technical implementation details. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos frequently observed that strategy should be built around what will not change over the next decade. In knowledge work, clients will always demand faster turnaround, higher diagnostic accuracy, lower risk, and clear accountability for results.

Frame your target around revenue, market dominance, and customer transformation. For example, your target might be achieving fifty million dollars in enterprise value while serving five hundred top-tier clients with an industry-leading operating margin.

The technological tools you use to hit that target will change constantly. AI will handle tasks in year seven that do not even exist today. Keep your vision constant on the V/TO and let your 3-Year Picture, 1-Year Plan, and quarterly Rocks adapt your operational delivery as tools evolve. A clear 10-Year Target gives your team an unwavering destination while the technological terrain shifts underneath them.