Essay · 20 min read

Revenge of the GPT Wrappers: Defensibility in a World of Commoditized AI Models

Andrew Chen Free Advanced

This is the direct counter to the fear in your short answer, that a platform update erases your product overnight. Chen argues the classic moats (distribution, network effects, workflow lock-in) come back exactly because the model is a commodity. Read it to understand what you must build around the model so you are not just a thin layer.

• Models commoditize, so the moat has to sit elsewhere
• Distribution and network effects still decide winners
• A thick wrapper with real switching costs is a real company