AI First with Adam and Andy AI-Era Entrepreneurship: Fast Launches, Lasting Moats, and Customer-First Growth
Aug 20, 2025
Henrik Werdelin, a seasoned entrepreneur and co-founder of companies like Bark, and Nicholas Thorne, an ex-Wall Street expert turned entrepreneur, dive into the transformational power of AI in business. They discuss how the rise of "Entrepreneurship 3.0" changes competitive moats, pushing for deep connections with customers. Their insights on accelerating product launches and focusing on community-driven businesses highlight a shift towards customer-first strategies. They also encourage empowering internal entrepreneurs to drive innovation within larger companies.
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AI Lowers The Barrier To Entrepreneurship
- AI acts like an "Iron Man suit" that makes entrepreneurship accessible to many more people.
- Entrepreneurs can now identify and serve dispersed communities across the internet with AI-enabled translation and agents.
From MTV To A Founder Halfway House
- Henrik described building multiple startups and running an incubator that became a "halfway house" for entrepreneurs.
- They used that experience to develop a pedagogy for starting companies relevant to the AI era.
Relationship Capital Replaces Traditional Moats
- The authors propose three theses: a new entrepreneur type, "donkey corns" (small high-impact companies), and relationship-based moats.
- Relationship capital has depth, density, and durability as the new defensibility.
