Enterprise

Why AI Moats Still Matter (And How They’ve Changed)

Alex Rampell, David Haber, and Erik Torenberg Posted December 3, 2025

a16z General Partners David Haber, Alex Rampell, and Erik Torenberg discuss why 19 out of 20 AI startups building the same thing will die – and why the survivor might charge $20,000 for what used to cost $20.

They expose the “janitorial services paradox” (why the most boring software is most defensible), explain why OpenAI won’t compete with your orthodontic clinic software despite having 800 million weekly users, and reveal how non-lawyers are building the most successful legal AI companies. Plus: the brutal truth about why momentum isn’t a moat, but without it, you’re already dead.

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The a16z Show discusses the most important ideas within technology with the people building it. Each episode aims to put listeners ahead of the curve, covering topics like AI, energy, genomics, space, and more.

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