At Momentum91, we've been hard at work understanding AI and their use-cases for mid-market and large firms. Late last week, I had the opportunity to share everything we've learnt so far with eChai Ventures at GVFL Limited.
Here are some notes:
๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ
Other people also have AI. A lot of folks are building on top of AI and so there is increased competition in almost every vertical. Every niche software has like 3 bootstrapped competitors who are going to market via SEO. Also, product differentiators are difficult to communicate in the age of low attention spans. If you are starting distribution today, it needs a thorough re-imagination.
๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ/๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐
Instead of building systems that are kind of smarter at doing a lot of things, you might want to consider building multiple and separate systems that are very smart at doing a few things extremely well. Enterprises/companies will separately pay for solving specific problem areas and addressing their use-cases. The game is depth, not breadth.
๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ
Companies like ClickUp and Notion have done an amazing job at bringing AI within their products. But they are still not AI native. They were conceptualised when AI was not around. They have fit AI retrospectively. There is a large opportunity for building Native AI experiences. Platforms and products that are conceptualised from ground-up in the age of AI. An example of this is a project management system where I can assign tasks to both humans and agents. It will demand a lot of capital and ingenuity but it can be done. Here's a good question to ask: What other 'systems of records' exist that can be made AI native?
๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐
AI will solve for analysis, predictions, pattern recognition etc. Most firms do not have accurate data. If you can figure out a way for a business to collect accurate data about their prospects, customers, employees, products, sales, etc - using AI, you can do anything and everything. Figure out a way as to how you will solve for collection, storage and organisation of accurate data.
There were a few other things that we discussed.
๐ Co-pilot and Autopilots
๐ AI wrappers
๐ AI & Funding
๐ Verticalising LLMs
๐ AI Safety
๐ Real-life implementations of AI by companies we have not heard about
This conversation was meant to be a starting point for folks thinking about building in the AI space. It was by no means exhaustive - but sort of a summary of all the research Harsh, Jay, Koushikram and I have been doing for the past few months.
If you want the deck, let me know in the comments and I'll send it over ๐
Thank you Jatin for the opportunity.
Until next time :)
Here are some notes:
๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐ข๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ
Other people also have AI. A lot of folks are building on top of AI and so there is increased competition in almost every vertical. Every niche software has like 3 bootstrapped competitors who are going to market via SEO. Also, product differentiators are difficult to communicate in the age of low attention spans. If you are starting distribution today, it needs a thorough re-imagination.
๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ/๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐
Instead of building systems that are kind of smarter at doing a lot of things, you might want to consider building multiple and separate systems that are very smart at doing a few things extremely well. Enterprises/companies will separately pay for solving specific problem areas and addressing their use-cases. The game is depth, not breadth.
๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ
Companies like ClickUp and Notion have done an amazing job at bringing AI within their products. But they are still not AI native. They were conceptualised when AI was not around. They have fit AI retrospectively. There is a large opportunity for building Native AI experiences. Platforms and products that are conceptualised from ground-up in the age of AI. An example of this is a project management system where I can assign tasks to both humans and agents. It will demand a lot of capital and ingenuity but it can be done. Here's a good question to ask: What other 'systems of records' exist that can be made AI native?
๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐
AI will solve for analysis, predictions, pattern recognition etc. Most firms do not have accurate data. If you can figure out a way for a business to collect accurate data about their prospects, customers, employees, products, sales, etc - using AI, you can do anything and everything. Figure out a way as to how you will solve for collection, storage and organisation of accurate data.
There were a few other things that we discussed.
๐ Co-pilot and Autopilots
๐ AI wrappers
๐ AI & Funding
๐ Verticalising LLMs
๐ AI Safety
๐ Real-life implementations of AI by companies we have not heard about
This conversation was meant to be a starting point for folks thinking about building in the AI space. It was by no means exhaustive - but sort of a summary of all the research Harsh, Jay, Koushikram and I have been doing for the past few months.
If you want the deck, let me know in the comments and I'll send it over ๐
Thank you Jatin for the opportunity.
Until next time :)
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"eChai isnโt just a startup community โฆ itโs a mindset .ย eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. Itโs been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. Iโve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here โ people who genuinely want to see you succeed.ย Itโs a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. Iโll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders donโt just grow businesses โ they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; itโs been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. Iโve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. เคธเคเคเคเฅเคเคงเฅเคตเค เคธเคเคตเคฆเคงเฅเคตเค โ Let us move together, speak together. Itโs not just a verse from the Rigveda โ itโs how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We donโt just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
"For me, eChai is a second home. I've been associated with it since the early days, when it was already setting a different tone for how startup communities could work.ย As a traditional business owner entering the new-age D2C space, eChai supported me in every direction.ย Over the years, it became my window to the startup world โ and also gave me lifelong friends who continue to show up, for business and beyond."
Pankaj Bhimani
Founder, 58miles
eChai Partner Brands
eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.
