A Model is Not the Product: It's Time to Build
With AI models advancing at breakneck speed, the real opportunity lies in the applications we build on top of them.
The last few weeks have been a whirlwind in the world of AI. First, DeepSeek launched R1, and as the New York Times put it, "managed to upend global markets…drag down chipmaker Nvidia — and to surge to No. 1 in the iPhone app store, all in basically no time at all." Then OpenAI launched Deep Research, and just yesterday, Google announced a slew of updates to Gemini 2.0, making it available to everyone.
It's an incredibly exciting time. The pace of model advancement is staggering, and I, for one, couldn't be more thrilled. But amidst all the hype, it's crucial to remember a fundamental truth: a model is not the product.
The product is what you build on top of these powerful models. And it's never been more important to understand this distinction and to focus on crafting innovative, transformative applications.
Of all the hot takes surrounding the recent DeepSeek launch, this one resonated most deeply:
This hits close to home because it amplifies something I've been saying for a while now: build for where the technology is going, not just where it is today. Assume that models will continue to get smarter, more capable, cheaper, and more accessible. In a world where these powerful capabilities are readily available, what products and experiences are truly worth building?
The answer is clear: now is the time to be building in the application layer. We're returning to our software development roots and revisiting product best practices – but with a twist. The rules have changed. We need to think in terms of "goals and guardrails," not rigid rules governing deterministic systems (AI is, after all, inherently non-deterministic).
This is the era of "thinking models." We need to adopt an "AI-first" or "AI-native" perspective in our product development. We need to aim high, striving for transformative breakthroughs, not incremental improvements. 2% gains aren't the goal; this is a time for bold visions and big-picture thinking. It's time to ask ourselves: What incredible things can we build now that weren't possible before? It's time to build.