Although all businesses have customers, not all of them have customer relationships. To make this distinction clear, we need to understand the difference between transactions and relationships. In both, an exchange takes place. In transactions, that exchange is one-way; in relationships, there’s reciprocity.

Traditional advantages are eroding as AI commoditizes technical expertise and innovation and makes them accessible to everyone.

That “something more” is you. In a world where anyone can produce most things cheaply and quickly, it’s your unique insights, personal experiences, and ability to connect authentically with customers that will set you apart and make you a successful entrepreneur. This democratization of entrepreneurship will require a new way of thinking about

a community isn’t you talking to people; it’s people talking to each other who wouldn’t have otherwise if not for you. It’s the business equivalent of leaving your dinner guests for a few minutes while you plate dessert and coming back to find the conversation hasn’t died or lapsed into banal pleasantries. If you’ve fostered a sense of belonging,

Businesses that cultivate their relationships with customers over time gain an advantage that increases their momentum and odds of success. We call that advantage “relationship capital” and believe it may be the only form of capital that AI won’t democratize to the point of obsolescence.

To create momentum and competitive advantage, customer relationships need to pass one (or both) of two tests: an intimacy test and a status test.

The strongest relationships form when entrepreneurs serve communities they deeply understand or belong to themselves. This authentic connection creates a natural alignment between business goals and customer needs and creates a new kind of capital.

But here’s the paradox: While AI makes it easier to launch a new business, it also makes it harder to stand out from all the others. The same tools that lower barriers for you do the same for everyone else. The floodgates open, markets get noisier, and customers become harder to impress. To succeed today, you need something more than the right tech

In The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Rick Rubin, the legendary music producer and founder of Def Jam Recordings, calls creativity “a fundamental aspect of being human.” It is, he insists (in something of a gut punch), “not a rare ability. It is not difficult to access. […] It’s our birthright. And it’s for all of us.” Creativity, by his definition,