Build an Enduring AI Strategy

The technology moat only lasts for a few months, here's how to win

Author

Jeremiah Owyang
August 23, 2025

My closing slides at the Step SF conference

I was thrilled to give the opening keynote at the Step SF Conference, hosted by my good friend Ray Dargham. My mission was to speak to the many AI founders in the Bay Area and beyond about how they can build an enduring business in a world where a single tweet from Sam Altman can wipe out an entire category of startups.

Here’s the closing slide from my keynote, where I focused not just on technology, but on the business strategies that truly build lasting startups.

Build an Enduring AI Strategy:

  1. AI market is accelerating: Nearly 40,000 AI projects; the cost of entry is lower than apartment rent; and AI will create new AI startups.

  2. AI Native Culture: Some startups run with a 10-agents-to-1-human ratio—adopting AI first before hiring more humans. Ship, ship, ship.

  3. Strategy: Proprietary data: Proprietary data: In an era when much of the internet has been ingested by foundation models (FMs), train on or secure access to data no one else has, and protect it with contracts.

  4. Network Effects: Build a strategy where value increases with each new user or customer—scalable effects that drive loyalty and raise switching costs (over 6 strategies).

  5. Viral Effects and Distribution: Focus on organic word of mouth (WOM), product-led growth (PLG), and strong distribution strategies and partners (over 5 strategies)

The key point I drove home was, a winning AI strategy cannot rely on technology alone, a business strategy must work in parallel as there’s extreme competition, and rapid acceleration in technology.

I will continue to talk about how to win in the AI game, please join me at other events…

Join me in Oct at Techcrunch Disrupt

We’ll talk more about this in person, Ill be a leading a panel of top founders at Techcrunch Disrupt on Oct 27-29th in SF, and have a discount code for you.

The panel will include:

  1. Alyx van der Vorm of Clyx

  2. Karan Vaidya of Composio

  3. Patrick Murphy of Maket 

25% Off Promo Code: llama25
https://techcrunch.com/events/tc-disrupt-2025/

#TechCrunchDisrupt2025