Build An Audience, Before You Have To - This is Not Advice #6

👋 Salut mes amis,

I think we're heading towards complete technical parity.

But when everyone can build everything, audience might become the only lasting differentiator.

Technical Parity Seems to Be Here
or at least round the corner

The tools available today feel genuinely wild:

I know I've been harking on about AI code and all that in the last couple of emails. So I won't do it again, you get the gist.

But . . . . for fun I have been playing around with a bit of software building myself.

A golf caddie freelance booking platform. The whole thing took me about 8hrs to get up and running: database, user authentication, booking system, payment processing.

All far too easy.

It's Not Just Technical Skills

The parity extends way beyond code.

Ask AI for a business plan, market research, competitor analysis, or go-to-market strategy and you'll get a comprehensive starting point in minutes.

Need to understand a new industry?

AI can give you a detailed breakdown.

Want to validate an idea? It'll walk you through frameworks and methodologies.

Stuck on pricing strategy? You'll get multiple approaches with pros and cons.

Marketing and advertising seem to be following the same path.

AI can now generate compelling ad copy, design eye-catching creatives, optimise campaigns, and even handle customer service interactions.

I suspect that soon, a solo founder with the right AI tools will be able to execute marketing campaigns that rival what major brands produce with entire departments.

The Only Moat Left Might Be: Human Connection

When everyone can build sophisticated products and run professional marketing campaigns, what could separate winners from losers?

I think it might be the ability to genuinely connect with people. To build trust. To create community. To tell authentic stories that resonate.

These are inherently human skills that can't be automated. And they're what turn a product into something people actually care about.

There are so many examples of this already today: PRIME, SULT, Represent, VoicePal all spring to mind.

But maybe it becomes the blueprint for future business launches, or even further the only way to stand out.

Why This Might Change Everything for Startups

In this new landscape, the traditional startup playbook could break down:

• Technical expertise becomes table stakes, not a competitive advantage
• Marketing budget matters less than a genuine community
• The ability to ship fast might be assumed, the ability to connect less so!

Creators have it already and are best placed.

The entrepreneurs who recognise this potential shift early and start building genuine relationships with their audience might have an enormous head start.

Until next week,

Jonny

P.S. Consider buying a gaming PC lo