Competitive Moating in Agentic AI

A few months back, I wrote about competitive moating in AI, and since every year in AI is worth ten years in the real world, not surprisingly, a lot of things have changed, and I thought to update this piece with a focus on Agentic AI, what makes an agentic AI company thick?

In the rapidly evolving landscape of agentic AI, the difference between market leaders and forgotten startups won't be determined by who has access to the best foundation models.

The winners will be those who understand that sustainable competitive advantage requires building multiple layers of defense, each reinforcing the others in a carefully orchestrated system of moats.

This strategic framework reveals how the most successful agentic AI companies will construct their competitive fortresses, not through a single breakthrough or feature, but through the patient accumulation of interlocking advantages that become exponentially harder to replicate over time.

The Architecture of Competitive Advantage for The Agentic AI Player