When everyone is "AI powered", position around what a weekend copy can't reproduce
Warm-Reaction-456 · reddit · 2026-10-18
An AI tool that reads supplier invoices for small distributors was nearly cloned by a competitor; two customers left but returned because the original had 18 months of edge cases — hundreds of invoice quirks, each born from a real complaint — that a copycat can't reproduce without customers.
Key takes from the author:
- Position around what a weekend copy can't reproduce; show one number (supplier formats supported) instead of model talk.
- To justify 3x pricing, run demos on the prospect's 20 worst invoices — cheap tools look identical on clean samples only.
- In crowded categories, favor distribution over product: the best channel turned out to be accountants serving these distributors; one trusting accountant brings 30 clients.
- Kept customers keep feeding the edge-case library, which compounds into the actual moat.
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