THE RACE TO THE SYSTEM OF ACTION IS ON
Tidemark Presents
System of ActionUniverse
Thanks to Al, vertical software is evolving from a system of record that documents the work into the system of action that does the work, creating a 10x bigger prize.
The Premise
How vertical software companies can win in the Age of AI
Start here, then follow the acts in order
We founded Tidemark with the view that vertical software companies are uniquely poised to transform their end markets. Six years ago, this perspective inspired me to write Tidemark’s Vertical SaaS Knowledge Project (VSKP) to provide language and playbooks for the establishment of Control Points as operating systems and platforms for various end markets and industries.
Today, AI has changed the playbooks and opportunities for vertical software. Instead of just documenting work and serving as a system of record, vertical software companies now do the work on behalf of their customers. This transformation creates opportunities 10X larger than before, but it demands new capabilities to succeed and shifts the foundation of moats.
This new series is what it takes for vertical software to win in the age of AI. Whether you are a Native AI challenger or a Control Point incumbent, we hope this pushes your thinking.
Please honor our effort by sharing it with others who could benefit, and let us know what we got right and what we got wrong ([email protected]).
The Saga
The series, act by act
12 essays in 4 sections
Prologue
Introduction
Act I
Building the System of Action
How to Build a System of Action
Building what customers want & what agents need to deliver the promise of agents.
What Customers Want: Account Gravity
Account, workflow, and data gravities have become more specific & inter-compounding; these gravities set the foundation for the System of Action.
What Customers Want: Workflow Gravity
Account, workflow, and data gravities have become more specific & inter-compounding; these gravities set the foundation for the System of Action.
What Customers Want: Data Gravity
Account, workflow, and data gravities have become more specific & inter-compounding; these gravities set the foundation for the System of Action.
What Agents Want: Infrastructure
The data, intelligence, action and learning layers that agents need to act & improve
Act II
Race plans
Winning the Race to the System of Action
How to secure the high ground, operationalize doing the work, and win the race to System of Action
The Native AI Race Plan
Pick your market and your ocean, integrate and swarm, don't poke the bear, and know when to go for full replacement.
The Control Point Race Plan
Get in the game, lock down the third rails, play ecosystem chess, and reboot engineering before the shot clock runs out.
Archetypes
Tools for Hero Users
Win the scarce expert who picks her own tools, then grow the wedge into a System of Action.
Replacing Cousin Richie
Important jobs done poorly or not at all, and why an agent priced against Richie beats software pricing.
The Enterprise Scoreboard
Four primitives, including an agreed Scoreboard. Makes n+1 agent/application a formality.
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