As we map out our 3-Year Picture™ on our V/TO®, we are struggling to define our Three Uniques. If AI allows all of our competitors to deliver the same work instantly, how do we establish a defensible strategic position?

Question

Tyler Smith · Accepted Answer

When technology becomes cheap and plentiful, you must avoid the trap of competing directly with what machines can do faster and cheaper. As economists Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee point out, the real strategic value lies in becoming an indispensable complement to that cheap technology.

During your next annual planning session, look at your V/TO® and refocus your Three Uniques. If your competitors are using AI to pump out cheap, generic deliverables, your strategic differentiation cannot be speed or volume. Instead, focus on the high value strategic context that AI cannot replicate.

Your Three Uniques should focus on deep industry relationships, customized integration, and guaranteed business outcomes. Evolve your operations so your employees spend less time on manual generation and more time on high touch consulting and strategic review.

By aligning your 3-Year Picture™ around being the human complement to AI leverage, you protect your profit margins from collapsing. You show prospective buyers that your business has a highly defensible moat that cannot be easily copied by a competitor using off the shelf software, securing your position for an ultimate exit.