Skip to main content

Pause and Reflect

Lesson Video:

The frameworks in this chapter—Snakes and Ladders, super orchestrator economics, vertical intelligence, Piggyback Protocol Pivot, three requirements—are tools for strategy, not guarantees of success. Your execution, market timing, and ability to listen to customers matter more than any framework.

Here are three reflection prompts. There are no "right answers." The value is in thinking deeply about your situation.

Reflection 1: Your Vertical Market​

What vertical market interests you most? (Finance, healthcare, education, legal, accounting, real estate, logistics, manufacturing?)

Why? Is there a problem in that market that frustrates you personally? A workflow you wish was faster? A decision that seems obvious but isn't being automated?

💬 AI Colearning Prompt​

Explore with your AI: "I'm considering [your vertical market choice]. Let's dig deeper—ask your AI: 'What are the top 3 pain points in this vertical that incumbents aren't solving well?' Then challenge those answers: Are these REAL pain points customers would pay to solve, or just theoretical problems? Let's validate together whether this vertical is genuinely underserved."

Reflection 2: Your Competitive Layer​

Using the Snakes and Ladders framework, which layer could you dominate first?

  • Layer 2 (agentic developer tools): What specific developer workflow would you optimize?
  • Layer 3 (vertical market subagent): Which incumbent systems would you bridge first?

What gives you an unfair advantage in that layer? Domain expertise? Relationships? Technical depth?

Reflection 3: Your PPP Strategy​

If you were to apply the Piggyback Protocol Pivot to your chosen vertical, which three incumbent systems would you integrate with first?

Which integrations would be hardest to build? Which would give you the most defensibility?

When do you think you'd reach critical mass (60-80 customers)? What would trigger your pivot to strategic control?

Consider writing your answers down. Reflection becomes clear when you externalize it.

🎓 Expert Insight​

The PPP timeline isn't arbitrary—it matches the time required to build trust in B2B markets. Enterprise customers don't buy from unknowns. Phase 1-2 earns trust by solving real problems without threatening incumbents. Phase 3 (pivot) works because you've proven reliability. Rushing the timeline breaks trust; patience compounds it.

The Mindset Shift​

Here's the insight that matters most: You're not building a software company anymore. You're building a strategy company that uses AI to execute.

Traditional software companies are limited by how fast they can hire and onboard engineers. Your business scales by how well you understand your vertical market, how deep your integrations go, and how well you orchestrate subagents.

This is why a solo developer generating $500M is no longer surprising. It's the inevitable outcome of this new economics.

🤝 Practice Exercise​

Ask your AI: "I'm thinking about [your vertical market]. Help me identify ONE workflow in this vertical that's 90% mechanical (AI can automate) and 10% judgment (I provide strategy). Describe the workflow in detail."

Expected Outcome: You'll practice applying all Chapter 3 frameworks (90-10 rule, vertical intelligence, PPP strategy) to your specific opportunity, then reality-check AI assessments with your domain knowledge. This teaches strategic thinking about automation opportunities.

Try With AI​

Use your AI companion tool set up (e.g., ChatGPT web, Claude Code, Gemini CLI), you may use that instead—the prompts are the same.

Prompt 1: Synthesize All Frameworks​

I just completed Chapter 3 on billion-dollar AI strategies. Help me synthesize the key frameworks: Snakes and Ladders, 90-10 economics, Vertical Intelligence, PPP strategy, and Three Requirements. Create a simple visual outline or decision tree showing how these frameworks connect. What should I apply FIRST in my context [describe your situation]?

Expected outcome: Integrated understanding of how all Chapter 3 frameworks connect.

Prompt 2: Reality-Check Your Plan​

The reflection prompts asked about vertical markets, competitive layers, and PPP strategy. Let's reality-check my thinking together: Based on my answers [share your thinking], first give me honest feedback—am I being too ambitious or too cautious? Then I'll push back on your assessment with my reasoning, and you adapt your feedback. Let's iterate until we converge on a realistic 12-month milestone that's ambitious but achievable for someone in my situation.

Expected outcome: Reality-checked 12-month milestone based on your actual context, achieved through collaborative iteration where you and your AI refine the plan together until it feels both ambitious and achievable.

Prompt 3: Apply Strategy Company Mindset​

The lesson ends with 'you're building a strategy company, not a software company.' Explain what this mindset shift actually means for how I spend my day. If I have 4 hours today to work on my idea, what should I DO that reflects this 'strategy company' mindset vs. traditional 'software company' mindset?

Expected outcome: Concrete daily actions that reflect the "strategy company" mindset.

Prompt 4: Create Your Cheat Sheet​

I'm feeling overwhelmed by all the frameworks in this chapter. Help me create a simple 'Chapter 3 Cheat Sheet'—a one-page summary I can reference later. Include: (1) the key frameworks in simple terms, (2) when to use each one, (3) common mistakes to avoid, (4) my personalized next action based on [your context].

Expected outcome: Personal cheat sheet you can reference as you execute.