As AI capabilities rapidly close the gap on what only humans could do, I leaned on these insights from Toni Cowan-Brown and Benedict Evans on *Another Podcast* to guide my thinking. Give it a listen: AI and SaaS.
“I hadn’t thought of that…analogy of ‘is this what ChatGPT would have written?’ Great, then I have nothing to add. This is not something I would want to write.”
So for your next idea, first consider how Toni responds to Benedict above. What value-add can I deliver that is better than what anyone can find using an AI tool? If that’s true, then pursue it!
Benedict then adds:
“…one of the ways I would think about what I’m writing is, ‘is this what anybody else would say? Is this just saying what everybody knows, what everyone thinks? Well, then I won’t publish it.’ And now I just say, well, is this what ChatGPT would have said, in which case it’s generic and average, and it’s saying what everyone knows.”
Even before AI, many people just repeat what others have said (have you been “surprised” by how many videos there are on the same topic — such as “how to start your own small business doing _______”). It is not just AI. Humans copy others rather than create originality.
As an example, advertising has fundamentally changed our seller marketplace as it not only affects and infects how sellers and influencers create content by encouraging direct copying instead of originality. Those annoying YouTube videos that all say the same thing and were clearly copied? About to become more numerous and our feeds noisier. Let’s stop plaguing the world by copying. The solution? Embrace discomfort to dream a creative future. Live beyond the average.
So the next time you’re working through “how do I set myself apart?”, don’t look to the average, use a different lens. If we set our goal above average from AI (e.g., 75th percentile), we will soon lose as AI advances beyond that. We can’t outcompete a calculator at math, and we can’t outdo AI at data, prediction, and even most judgment. Don’t pursue the red ocean strategy — go where there is less competition.
Yes, please pursue AI improvements, explore taking work off your plate. Grow yourself and your skills. A mantra I was given 15 years ago is “automate what you can; be human where it counts”. That is as relevant today as it was then. It is still how you set yourself apart.
Jeff Beaumont 