We built a great custom AI workflow to solve our own operational bottleneck, and now we want to package and sell it to other companies. How do we evaluate this without distracting our team from our V/TO?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

It is common for entrepreneurial leadership teams to build a brilliant internal AI tool to solve an operational bottleneck, only to immediately get excited about packaging and selling it to other companies. This is a classic distraction that threatens your Core Focus on the V/TO®. Before you jump into the software business, you must run this opportunity through the filter of your long-term vision.

Ask your leadership team if launching a software-as-a-service product aligns with your niche and passion. Developing, selling, and supporting software requires a completely different business model, skill set, and Accountability Chart than running an operating company. If you split your focus, you risk starving your core business of the energy and resources it needs to grow, while failing to build a viable software product.

If the tool is truly game-changing, protect it as a proprietary operational asset. A custom, highly efficient AI workflow that runs your operations makes your business system-dependent and incredibly attractive to potential buyers. It becomes a moat that competitors cannot easily duplicate.

Use your quarterly meeting to debate this issue during IDS®. If the tool does not align with your Core Focus, keep it internal. Use it to drive your own efficiency, boost your bottom-line profitability, and increase your valuation for a clean exit, rather than chasing a shiny distraction that compromises your primary business.