Since our competitors have access to the exact same generative AI models we do, we cannot claim AI as a differentiator. How do we define our Three Uniques on the V/TO® when the underlying technology of our entire industry is becoming completely commoditized?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

You are entirely correct that AI technology is table stakes, not a differentiator. If your competitors can buy the exact same software licenses you can, then using those tools does not make you special. To build your Three Uniques on your V/TO, you must look at what cannot be easily commoditized by a software subscription. Your differentiation lies in how you package your institutional knowledge, your proprietary data, and your unique customer relationships. AI is simply the engine that delivers your value faster. Your Three Uniques should focus on the speed of your delivery, the depth of your strategic insights, and your guaranteed business outcomes. By using AI to strip away the administrative friction of your service delivery, you free up your team to provide deep, high-level relationship management that machines cannot replicate. Seek to be an indispensable complement to technologies that are becoming cheap and plentiful, rather than trying to compete directly with tasks machines can do cheaper and faster. Your differentiation is the human layer of trust, context, and custom strategy that wraps around the automated output. That is what secures your pricing power and builds real, defensible value.