My First Million
The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.
We're entering a period where all business assumptions are invalidated and every company is vulnerable to disruption due to AI capabilities
The Reasoning
Fundamental technology shifts create periods where established competitive advantages become irrelevant and new capabilities enable previously impossible business models
What Needs to Be True
- AI capabilities continue expanding rapidly across domains
- Incumbent companies fail to adapt quickly enough
- New AI-native companies can be built faster than incumbents can respond
- Regulatory environment doesn't protect existing players
Counterargument
Incumbent companies have resources, distribution, and customer relationships that new AI companies can't easily replicate regardless of technical capabilities
What Would Change This View
Evidence that incumbents are successfully integrating AI faster than startups can build new solutions
Implications for Builders
Attack incumbents in their core business, not just adjacent opportunities
Build AI-first solutions rather than adding AI to existing approaches
Move quickly before incumbents can respond effectively
Target traditional industries that seem 'safe' from tech disruption
Example Application
“Startup targeting law firm document review - traditionally protected by regulatory moats and relationship-based sales - now vulnerable because AI can perform core function better and cheaper”
Related Knowledge
Broad vs Deep Market Entry Framework
A framework for choosing between targeting a massive market with moderate per-customer value versus targeting a smaller
Build live shopping platform with AI avatars for personalized e-commerce experiences
Platform where customers get one-on-one shopping experiences with AI versions of celebrities/influencers, driving higher
Create AI-powered personalized news aggregation with interactive conversational interface
Users get personalized news digest with ability to drill down conversationally on any topic, replacing traditional newsl
AI Tool TAM Calculation Model
Framework for calculating addressable market for AI productivity tools by multiplying user base by willingness to pay ba
AI will create more disruptive opportunities than incremental improvements
Entrepreneurs should target core business functions rather than building AI features for existing products
all of the assumptions are off and every company is kind of up for grabs
AI is creating a fundamental reset where established competitive advantages no longer protect incumbent companies