"No Vendor Lock-In" Is Code for "No Product"
The author argues that 'no vendor lock-in' is a flawed business strategy for AI products, suggesting that users prioritize model performance over flexibility. The piece contends that building custom harnesses for specific use cases is more valuable than offering a wide selection of models.
Why it matters
Challenges prevailing startup strategies in the AI industry regarding model agnosticism versus performance optimization.
We used to judge models on cost per million tokens. Cost per task is the number I trust.
"What happens when Claude is no longer the most intelligent model?"
"What happens if Muse just gets really bad tomorrow?"
"What if OpenAI just jacks up the prices of these models?"
These are all arguments I've heard for when people say that they're building an existing product with a model picker.
“No vendor lock-in” is the weakest answer that you can give when your product is a clone of a successful product with a model picker.
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