Articles

Essays and field notes by topic.

One article library, organized by topic rather than separate blogs.

The Moat Is Rented

Systems · September 27, 2026

The Moat Is Rented

AI is making competent work faster, cheaper and available to almost everyone. But when competitors can access the same intelligence, productivity alone stops being a durable advantage. This article looks at where competitive advantage moves next: proprietary data, accumulated knowledge, unique workflows, physical assets, relationships and organizational context that competitors cannot simply buy.