Every competitor in our industry is licensing the same foundational AI models, which means our automated outputs are beginning to look identical to theirs. How do we define our 3 Uniques on the V/TO when the playing field has been completely flattened?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When every competitor in your industry has access to the exact same foundational artificial intelligence models, technology ceases to be a differentiator. It becomes table stakes. To avoid the commodity trap, you must look beyond software and redefine your 3 Uniques on your V/TO® based on what technology cannot easily replicate. Your 3 Uniques should focus on elements like your proprietary methodology, your deep industry relationships, or your speed of execution. For example, your uniques might combine an exclusive proprietary dataset, a highly specialized implementation process, and a guaranteed human-in-the-loop quality standard. Use the IDS® process in your next quarterly meeting to pressure-test your differentiators. Ask yourselves if a competitor could replicate your offering simply by writing a better prompt or licensing a new software application. If the answer is yes, that unique is not strong enough. By anchoring your strategic differentiation in human relationships, custom operational workflows, and proprietary intellectual property, you build a defensible market position that competitors cannot easily copy, regardless of how advanced their automated tools become.