Ever heard the phrase "moat" used in business context? For example "they have no moat" or "build a moat" or even "what's your moat"?
In that context it is kind of akin to barrier to entry, but it is more than that. A moat tends to be built intentionally, as in the classic castle moat that was a physical ditch around your walls to keep folks out, or perhaps to keep prisoners in.
Warren Buffett popularized the term, comparing a strong business to a medieval castle surrounded by a protective water ditch.
Cartoons might even have crocidiles in the moat for added effect. No idea if anyone really had predatory animals in their moat. Fun to think about.
What is the point?
I am seeing so many people going all-in on AI, and I think it is stopping most people from even being able to build a moat, let alone maintain one.
This is one of those situations where a thought has been nagging at me for a while and I had nowhere else to put it. It's not "business advice", it's not tech per se, it's ... I don't know. So you lovely people get to see it!
Consider the scenario. In the past someone would have a bright idea and either build it or would pay someone else to build it. The building is a barrier, or at least the funding to pay someone to build it.
As a programmer on the internet I would repeatedly get folks with the amazing pitch "you do the work for no pay and we split the profits when it is successful". Uh ... nope.
Often their brilliant idea would be "Facebook for pets" or some drivel.
Now those people ask groxchat and it slops out the result.
But once another slop-haver sees it they can ask their own AI friend to do the same thing. Even better, they can just say "hey gruckx make that but for me!".
Where's the moat?
- Unrelated aside: The photo is the moat in Wells, UK. As it happens it was the filming location for Hot Fuzz. Amazing movie if you haven't seen it. We didn't know until we visited during our trip to TNMOC in Bletchley.