Can Speed Become a Competitive Advantage in the AI Era?

Companies need to reconsider how they work, organize teams and spend money as AI tools change. This excerpt was published in March 2025; the speaker is not identified in the available title or description. The original video does not allow embedding, but can be opened on YouTube.

Our engineers are much more productive than they were six months ago, in my experience. I encourage people who last tried these tools the previous summer to try them again.

In design, we can reach a prototype faster and eliminate some unpromising iterations. I do not think that necessarily changes all the work required to produce the final design.

Writing assistance can also help us produce adequate documentation and update it more quickly. These are observations from our work, not measured results that apply to every organization.

A year earlier, investors asked what protected our AI email business from competitors. I used to point to the years spent building an email client; I now think a future competitor may build one faster.

I believe the defensive value of existing software can erode as tools improve. That is a strategic assessment, not proof that code, distribution or other advantages no longer matter.

My proposed response is to optimize for speed with a small team, capable people and effective tools. Smaller teams can reduce coordination overhead, though the appropriate size depends on the work.