4 Strategies for Building an AI Startup That Survives the Coming Correction

The article discusses strategies for AI startups to survive the upcoming market correction, including building moats beyond just the model, managing fragility in the tech stack, preparing for increased investor scrutiny, and thinking long-term rather than just quarterly.

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The article argues that AI startups built on momentum and marketing slides are unlikely to survive the coming market correction. Instead, the companies that will endure will be those that create sustainable competitive advantages beyond just their AI models. This includes building moats through distribution channels, deep enterprise integration, and access to proprietary or regulated data. They will also need to manage fragility in their tech stack by designing modular, vendor-agnostic architectures. As the funding environment tightens, startups will face increased investor scrutiny around ROI, revenue models, compliance, and governance. Founders must operate with financial discipline and a clear plan to convert potential into performance, even in a down market. Ultimately, the article advises AI startups to think in years, not just quarters, and focus on building platforms and workflows that become deeply embedded in critical business operations. While the short-term will be turbulent, the long-term trajectory for AI remains very promising.