Building & Product

Should my startup add AI features, and which ones actually matter to users?

Users do not care that a feature uses AI; they care whether it removes a slow, painful, judgment-heavy step from their day. Start from a specific friction point in your existing workflow, not from the technology, and be honest about whether AI is a checkbox for investors or a real 10x on time saved. The strongest AI features sell the finished work (a resolved ticket, a drafted document), not a fancier tool.

Go deeper

20 resources.

🧭 Guide

VC-grade market data on which AI product categories are actually winning, so you bet where demand is proven.

The State of AI 2025

Bessemer Venture Partners 2025

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More in AI in Your Product

How do founders ship their first AI feature (APIs, wrappers, RAG in plain terms)? 19 → How much does it cost to run AI features, and how do I keep costs sane? 19 → Which AI model should I build on (GPT, Claude, Gemini, open-source), and how do I avoid locking myself in? 17 → How do I test whether my AI feature actually works before launch (evals, in plain terms)? 18 → How do I stop my AI feature from making things up in front of customers? 17 → Prompt engineering, RAG, or fine-tuning: which one does my product actually need? 18 → How do I design AI features people trust (chat vs buttons, streaming, showing the work)? 18 → What is my moat if I'm building on someone else's model? 19 → Should I put an AI agent in my product, or is a simple workflow enough? 18 → Is it safe to send customer data to AI APIs, and what about privacy laws like India's DPDP Act? 18 → How should I price AI features: per seat, per use, or per outcome? 17 → My AI feature is live. How do I monitor it and make it better with real usage? 18 →

Also in Starting Up

The same ground, over in Build the product, our Starting Up track.

What actually counts as an MVP, and what's the smallest one I can get away with? 20 → Which no-code tool should I use to build my first product? 20 →
eChai Partner Brands The partnership →