Why customer workflows are becoming the moat in the AI era

Schneider Electric's $22.6 billion acquisition of PTC highlights the strategic value of embedding AI within customer workflows, as the deal integrates software used across product lifecycles. Similarly, Synopsys' partnership with OpenAI combines frontier AI with chip-design expertise, emphasizing the importance of operational integration. Founders and investors are advised to focus on securing positions within specific customer workflows, as this can create bargaining power and durable growth. ElevenLabs, with over 15 million weekly conversations, demonstrates the operational adoption of AI tools that connect to internal systems and handle exceptions. ServiceNow's acquisition of Moveworks, which serves 5.5 million employees, further illustrates the trend of linking AI assistants to enterprise processes. Itay Sagie, a strategic adviser, argues that acquiring the right position within customer operations can become a powerful route to growth as AI capabilities improve.