This is a thought-provoking post and I agree with the "avoid using AI as long as possible" point. AI is best used for things that can
only be accomplished with AI--if there's any way to build the feature or solve the problem without it, then yeah, do that instead. Since everyone now has more or less equal access to the best models available, the best products will necessarily be defined by everything they do that's
not AI--workflows, UIs, UX, performance, and all that other old-fashioned stuff.
I'm not so sure about the "train your own model" advice. This sounds like a good way to set your product up for quick obsolescence. It might differentiate you for a short period of time, but within 6-12 months (if that), either OpenAI or one of its competitors with billions in funding is going to release a new model that blows yours out of the water, and your "differentiated model" is now a steaming pile of tech debt.
Trying to compete on models as a small startup seems like a huge distraction. It's like building your own database rather than just using Postgres or MySQL. Yes, you need a moat and a product that is difficult to copy in some way, but it should be something you can realistically be the best at given your resources.
I'm not so sure about the "train your own model" advice. This sounds like a good way to set your product up for quick obsolescence. It might differentiate you for a short period of time, but within 6-12 months (if that), either OpenAI or one of its competitors with billions in funding is going to release a new model that blows yours out of the water, and your "differentiated model" is now a steaming pile of tech debt.
Trying to compete on models as a small startup seems like a huge distraction. It's like building your own database rather than just using Postgres or MySQL. Yes, you need a moat and a product that is difficult to copy in some way, but it should be something you can realistically be the best at given your resources.