Everyone keeps saying “AI levels the playing field.”
Wrong.
The reality? The big players aren’t just adding AI as a feature, they’re turning it into a full-stack moat. They’re embedding intelligence across infrastructure, apps, and distribution. That’s not a level playing field. That’s a game where they own the stadium, the scoreboard, and half the referees.
For smaller players, the choices are brutal:
🔥 Go niche: build something so specialised the giants don’t even bother competing.
🤝 Partner up: align with a major player in your niche and ride their wave to scale.
💥 Or stand still and risk getting obliterated by their velocity.
Here’s the kicker: strategic partnerships aren’t the safe middle ground people think they are.
✅ Sure, the right partner can rocket you forward.
❌ The wrong one will smother you, strip your independence, and lock you into someone else’s roadmap.
Most founders won’t admit it, but we’re past the “wait and see” phase. The model shift is already underway while they’re still training their AI to think strategically for them.
The next 12 months will be ruthless. Some companies will ride the AI wave. Most will get crushed beneath it.
Which one are you building?