Hey Brian on Lenny’s Podcast you ended with the recommendation (for startups) to make a bet but focus on a platform. I didn’t really understand why focusing resources or going all in on one bet was so essential in this particular evolution of distribution. By that I mean connecting to OpenAI via MCP as well as other platforms doesn’t seem like it would require considerably more resources. Building an iOS app AND and Android app and figuring out the different GTM channels and strategies for both seem like 2x the resources but this evolution doesn’t seem like it requires much more work to pursue multiple platforms as they launch. Curious what you had in mind on focus being essential here since I’m sure im not considering something important.
To make it more real, if I do choose OpenAi / ChatGPT as the platform to lean in with (as much as it frustrates me), what are the steps to then take advantage of the channel in the short term?
To your point there’s a lot of power in understanding how incentives drive outcomes for the platforms
What’s tough for someone running a media biz like myself is ChatGPT’s SEO strategy is still pretty unknown (if they do decide to link back to what they ingested). Will keep studying in the meantime
Thanks for sharing your thoughts around this. I think about these topics often. What exactly is the distribution shift you’re referring to, and how are you suggesting to navigate it? Are you referring to building an integration like a “Deep Research" connector, similar to what HubSpot did, so that users can access an existing app through an AI client? What about discovery? I see this as being potentially even more important than distribution, since as you described it, users would still need to initiate intent from their end.
Hey Brian- just wrote a piece on the model "discovery wars" which I think compliments and explains why the "distribution" this article refers to is inevitable.
Hey Brian on Lenny’s Podcast you ended with the recommendation (for startups) to make a bet but focus on a platform. I didn’t really understand why focusing resources or going all in on one bet was so essential in this particular evolution of distribution. By that I mean connecting to OpenAI via MCP as well as other platforms doesn’t seem like it would require considerably more resources. Building an iOS app AND and Android app and figuring out the different GTM channels and strategies for both seem like 2x the resources but this evolution doesn’t seem like it requires much more work to pursue multiple platforms as they launch. Curious what you had in mind on focus being essential here since I’m sure im not considering something important.
Another amazing piece.
To make it more real, if I do choose OpenAi / ChatGPT as the platform to lean in with (as much as it frustrates me), what are the steps to then take advantage of the channel in the short term?
Right now we don't really know what the rules and value exchange will be if they come out with a platform.
But those that will be best positioned to take advantage of it if/when it does will likely:
1. Be power users of ChatGPT to know all of it's ins/outs/strengths/weaknesses.
2. Be incredibly knowledgeable about how their target audience is using it, the frustrations, etc.
3. Be ready to change the strategy and take a focus bet if/when it does (takes a lot of time for companies to change things in flight usually.
🫡
To your point there’s a lot of power in understanding how incentives drive outcomes for the platforms
What’s tough for someone running a media biz like myself is ChatGPT’s SEO strategy is still pretty unknown (if they do decide to link back to what they ingested). Will keep studying in the meantime
Thanks for sharing your thoughts around this. I think about these topics often. What exactly is the distribution shift you’re referring to, and how are you suggesting to navigate it? Are you referring to building an integration like a “Deep Research" connector, similar to what HubSpot did, so that users can access an existing app through an AI client? What about discovery? I see this as being potentially even more important than distribution, since as you described it, users would still need to initiate intent from their end.
"What exactly is the distribution shift you’re referring to, and how are you suggesting to navigate it? "
This is a follow up post to this post which explains the distribution shift: https://blog.brianbalfour.com/p/the-next-great-distribution-shift
Hey Brian- just wrote a piece on the model "discovery wars" which I think compliments and explains why the "distribution" this article refers to is inevitable.
Hope you have a read!
https://open.substack.com/pub/techvision/p/the-discovery-wars-why-ai-platforms?r=6fib&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true