Our main competitor has launched a self-service AI portal that gives clients instant, automated advice, which is threatening our retention rates. How do we run this through our weekly Level 10 Meeting and the IDS process to decide on our counter-strategy without rushing into building a subpar tool?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When a competitor launches a shiny new tool, it is easy for your leadership team to panic and make a reactive, expensive mistake. Do not rush to build a copycat tool that does not fit your strategic vision. Instead, bring this challenge directly to your next weekly Level 10 Meeting and put it on the Issues List.

Use the IDS process to unpack the issue. Identify the real root cause of the threat. Is the competitor actually winning on quality of advice, or are they simply winning on convenience and novelty? If the root cause is convenience, you do not necessarily need to build an AI portal. You might just need to improve your team's responsiveness or simplify your client intake process.

Discuss the potential paths forward. Ask your leadership team if building a portal aligns with your Core Focus and your 3-Year Picture. If building software is a distraction, solve the problem by doubling down on what the competitor's AI cannot do: deeply personalized, human-to-human strategic advisory. Once you have identified the real issue, select a single owner to execute a targeted counter-strategy as a quarterly Rock, keeping your focus clear and your team aligned.