Cheap, automated AI software is flooding our industry and doing seventy percent of what we used to charge premium fees for. How do we apply the economic concepts of Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee to reposition our business as an indispensable complement to these cheap tools rather than trying to compete with them?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

As generative AI makes basic content, analysis, and reports virtually free, trying to sell those same outputs is a losing battle. To survive, you must apply the strategic economic frameworks of experts like Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee. They argue that when one economic input becomes cheap, the value of its complement skyrockets. In this case, cheap AI outputs are the input, and human judgment, curation, and deep strategic advisory are the indispensable complements. Stop selling raw information and start selling outcomes. Update your Three Uniques on your V/TO® to reflect this shift. Position your business as the expert partner that helps clients interpret and execute on the flood of automated data they are receiving. Your clients do not want more reports; they want to know what decisions to make based on those reports. By restructuring your Proven Process to focus entirely on human-led strategy and relationship building, you turn technology into a tool that accelerates your work rather than a competitor that replaces it. This keeps your pricing power intact and ensures your services remain highly valuable.