Every 2-3 months OpenAI kills a batch of startups

AI is progressing so fast, most founders don't know how to build defensibility. Here’s what the smartest founders do differently:

They own the data APIs are temporary. What compounds is your proprietary dataset. → throxy (yc x25) scrapes its own data instead of relying on LinkedIn or Apollo. Every interaction improves the product and makes it harder to replicate.
They build a UX moat When tech is commoditized, experience becomes the differentiator. → Granola is a meeting recorder, but what sets it apart is the interface. It feels delightful, fast, frictionless—like it was made for you, not for enterprise IT. In a world of clones, great UX builds loyalty.
They unlock power for non-technical users Defensibility comes from enabling outsiders to do what only experts could before. → Lovable turns brand design into something anyone can do. In minutes, non-designers generate entire visual identities.
They move up the stack Commoditized infra dies. Winners package it into workflows users already need. → Perplexity started as a research tool. Now it’s becoming an AI-native browser. Owning the user’s daily search habits is how you defend long-term.
They go deep, not wide Horizontal tools get replaced fast. But narrow use cases can dominate markets. → ElevenLabs focused on voice. It didn’t try to do everything—just build the best voice AI in the world. Now it powers thousands of creators and companies.

Author

Ai Base Network (ABN), ABN ASIA was founded by people with deep roots in academia, with work experience in the US, Holland, Hungary, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Vietnam. ABN Asia is where academia and technology meet opportunity. With our cutting-edge solutions and competent software development services, we're helping businesses level up and take on the global scene. Our commitment: Faster. Better. More reliable. In most cases: Cheaper as well.

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