In a recent article, Jeremiah Owyang posed a critical question to AI founders:

“How long does a technical moat in the AI industry last?”

The response? Weeks or months.

Why is this the case?

The answer is simple: most AI startups fail to take a modern, strategic approach to their go-to-market efforts

Instead, they lean on outdated tactics, century-old advertising methods, 40-year-old cold calling techniques, and 30-year-old email marketing campaigns

It’s deeply ironic that companies building the future of technology are relying on the past to secure their success

The truth is, the fastest way to establish and maintain a defensible position in today’s hyper-competitive AI market is to become a social-first business

By leveraging modern social selling and community-building strategies, AI startups can:

✅ Surround their total addressable market (TAM)
✅ Build trust and mindshare with prospects and customers
✅ Position themselves as the only and obvious choice in their category

This approach doesn’t just give them first-mover advantage, it extends the lifespan of their moat and helps them turn fleeting technical innovation into lasting market dominance

In an industry where innovation moves at lightning speed, your go-to-market strategy is your real moat

Don’t protect the future with the tools of the past