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- Betting on Domain Experts
Hi Mate 👋,
domain experts with proprietary data are your ticket to sustainable advantage...
Why?
Because in a world where every developer can access the same AI models...
The unique combination of specialized knowledge and exclusive data is what creates an unbreachable moat.
What's new
This past week, I was in Munich with a 40°C fever, pushing through a strategy workshop that completely pivoted our approach.
What was supposed to be a product studio planning session quickly morphed into acquisition talks with a publicly traded company.
It's a significant shift for us - moving from building small niche tools to going after much bigger opportunities with established players. Risky? Yes. Potentially transformative? Absolutely.
And you know what? Sometimes the most important deals happen when you're at your weakest - when you can't rely on charisma or energy, just the raw value of what you're bringing to the table.
Insight
Here's the cold, hard truth about AI:
While everyone's obsessing over which model to fine-tune or which prompt to engineer, the real value is quietly accumulating elsewhere.
Domain experts with proprietary datasets are becoming the new kingmakers.
Think about it - having a fever forces you to cut through the bullshit and focus only on what truly matters. The market is experiencing the same fever right now, burning away distractions and revealing the essential formula:
Domain expertise + proprietary data = sustainable advantage
The technical stuff? That's becoming commoditized faster than we can keep up.
The companies that get this are making strategic bets on acquiring or partnering with domain experts rather than just hiring more developers.
For founders, the path is clear: become the domain expert yourself or create partnerships that give you exclusive access to those who are.
Either way, the days of pure technical advantage are numbered.
Becoming a Learning Machine
📚 Currently Reading: "The Empty Raincoat" by Charles Handy
Rating: 4/5
Key Learning: Despite being written in the 1990s, Handy nailed it when predicting the portfolio careers and organizational shifts we're seeing today. The book shows how some principles transcend technological revolutions - much like how domain expertise remains valuable regardless of which AI model is trending this week.
My Latest Video
Check out my system for weekly reflection and planning - it's what keeps me sane and productive, even when pivoting between small tools and big opportunities:
This reflection system is what helped me process the massive shift we're making - from building niche tools to pursuing enterprise-level partnerships. It forces me to confront what's working, what isn't, and where the biggest opportunities actually lie.
Talk Soon,
Stefan