So I was making coffee this morning when I got a notification. Steven Bartlett, the Podcast host of The Diary of a CEO had published something about AI and moats on LinkedIn.
I nearly spilled my coffee.
Because for the past few months, I’ve been obsessing over this exact thing – how AI is completely demolishing the traditional ways businesses create competitive advantage.
You know what I’m talking about, right? That moment when you realize the thing you’ve been thinking about in your little corner of the world is actually part of a much bigger conversation.
It felt like someone had been reading my journal!
Here’s the thing: I’ve been working with clients who are still trying to solve today’s challenges with yesterday’s thinking.
They’re over here debating which enterprise software to buy and how many people to hire, while their competitors are building something entirely different.
I totally get it, though. I used to think the same way! More growth = more people + more processes + more complexity.
But that equation just doesn’t add up anymore. Not when AI can create in seconds what used to take days, and when anyone with internet can access global talent pools.
The New Business Landscape
I’ve been a bit obsessed lately.
Like, staying-up-too-late, filling-notebooks-with-diagrams obsessed.
All about how the smartest businesses are completely reimagining their structure.
Not just to survive AI, but to actually thrive with it.
This whole journey led me to what I’m calling the “3-Role Company” model.
It’s still evolving (aren’t we all?), but it’s already changed how I think about my own business and how I help my clients.
And then boom – Steven Bartlett drops this LinkedIn piece around AI and what used to be the Moat that businesses were able to defend.
Have you ever had that feeling when someone puts into words exactly what you’ve been thinking but couldn’t quite articulate?
That was me reading his article.
He’s seeing it too – AI is just obliterating those traditional competitive advantages.
All those things businesses used to rely on: expensive production capabilities, exclusive access to fancy tools, proprietary code that took years to build… they’re all becoming commodities.
In their place? Brand. Community. Distribution. Human connection. Things that AI enhances but can’t replace.
I literally messaged three friends saying “Read this NOW!” It was that kind of moment.
Why The Old Model Is Breaking
OK, let’s back up a second. Why is the traditional company structure falling apart?
Remember when businesses were like castles? They built these massive moats to keep competitors out:
You needed millions for technical infrastructure. Years to develop proprietary software.
Massive capital for production capabilities. Teams of specialized experts with rare knowledge.
Now? Those moats are evaporating faster than my iced coffee on a summer day.
The tools that used to cost millions?
There are free alternatives everywhere. That software that needed teams of developers?
One person with the right AI assistant can build it. Those production capabilities requiring expensive equipment?
Grab your smartphone and the right apps.
Just yesterday I was talking to a friend who runs a video production company.
Five years ago, he had a team of 15 and equipment worth hundreds of thousands. Now he’s doing better work with 3 people and tools that cost a fraction of that.
This isn’t just another business disruption. This is a complete reimagining of what creates actual value.
The 3-Role Company Model: A New Framework
Through my work with dozens of growing businesses and my own company’s evolution, I’ve observed that the organizations adapting best to this new reality are structuring themselves around three essential roles:
1. The Architect
So what does an Architect actually do? They’re the strategic brain. The future-thinker. The system designer.
I spend a lot of my time in this role, both for my own business and with clients. And I’m constantly asking: “How do we create value that AI can’t just replicate overnight?”
Here’s what I focus on:
Brand: This is SO much more than your logo and colors! It’s the emotional connection people feel with your business.
I have this client with a product that’s honestly not that different from their competitors’. But their brand? It makes people feel something. It resonates at an emotional level. And they’re outperforming everyone else in their space.
Community: Have you noticed how the strongest businesses today aren’t just selling stuff – they’re creating belonging?
One of my favorite client success stories is this company that completely flipped their model. They went from selling products to facilitating connection among their customers. Their retention literally tripled.
Experience: I’m obsessed with touchpoints. Those moments when someone interacts with your business.
I worked with a team that reimagined their entire onboarding. Instead of processing people, they focused on making them feel valued. Their referrals went through the roof!
Distribution: This is about getting your solution to exactly the right people in exactly the right way.
I’ll never forget when a software client took their entire ad budget and poured it into strategic partnerships instead. They grew 3x in just one quarter.
As the Architect, I’m constantly asking: “How can we design this to be uniquely valuable in ways a machine just can’t copy?”
2. The Operator
Next up is the Operator. These people make the magic happen day-to-day. They translate all those big Architect visions into actual reality.
But here’s where my model differs from traditional thinking: Operators aren’t just task managers or process people.
In the 3-Role model, they’re thoughtful interpreters of data and feedback—constantly tweaking and optimizing.
I’m constantly amazed by what great Operators can do:
System orchestration: I watched one Operator completely reimagine a content workflow for a client. Everyone thought their process was fine until she showed them a better way. Production time dropped by more than half!
Quality control: Have you ever seen a simple solution solve a complex problem? I have this client whose Operator created this super straightforward QA system. Nothing fancy. But customer complaints literally halved in just three weeks. Three weeks!
Data interpretation: The best Operators don’t just stare at numbers all day. They understand the human behaviors and market dynamics behind those metrics.
I love how Bartlett put it in his article when he said businesses today must “spend extra time thinking… stand away from the portrait.”
That’s exactly what great Operators do! They’re not stuck in routine—they manage from awareness and perspective.
3. The Automator
The Automator is the leverage creator—but here’s the critical insight: this role will increasingly be fulfilled by AI itself.
Humans in this function are becoming directors and managers of automated systems rather than implementers.
This role is evolving faster than any other in the 3-Role model.
Today, the human Automator identifies opportunities and builds systems. Tomorrow, they’ll primarily orchestrate AI to build these systems for them.
In this transitional period, the most effective human Automators have:
AI collaboration skills: They know how to partner with AI tools to design workflows and systems neither could create alone.
Process vision: They can analyze a workflow and immediately identify which components should be managed by humans versus delegated to technology.
System design thinking: They understand how to architect automation that creates quality and consistency—not just efficiency.
One client’s Automator-AI partnership transformed their customer support function from a team of 12 to a team of 3 with higher satisfaction scores.
Another created a content generation system that produces 10x the output with the same team size.
The truly forward-thinking companies I work with are already asking: “What happens when the Automator role itself becomes largely automated?”
This raises fascinating questions about the future of work and organizational design that I’m actively exploring.
In the meantime, the Automator (human and AI working together) makes sure your business can scale like a billion-dollar company—even if you’re not one.
This Isn’t Just Theory—It’s Working
I began implementing this structure in my own business last year, working with contractors rather than a full-time team, and the transformation has been remarkable.
My productivity has skyrocketed.
Tasks that used to take days now happen in hours. Projects that required multiple contractors can now be completed with fewer people and better results.
Client deliverables are more consistent, more impactful, and arrive faster than ever before.
But more importantly, the business feels different. There’s a clarity of purpose and function that wasn’t there before.
Every workflow has intention behind it, and I can focus more energy on high-value work while AI handles an increasing portion of the execution.
I’m seeing similar results with clients who’ve adopted versions of this model.
One consulting firm reorganized their entire workflow around these three functions and doubled their capacity without adding headcount.
A software company reduced their management layers from five to two while increasing their release velocity significantly.
Why Most Companies Struggle With This Transition
OK, so if this model is so great, why isn’t everyone doing it?
Let me tell you, even though it sounds simple in theory, the shift can be HARD. Here’s what I keep seeing:
Ego and identity: Can we get real for a second? Many leaders have built their entire careers around specialized knowledge that just doesn’t create the same value anymore.
And letting go of that identity? It’s emotionally brutal.
I had this conversation with a CMO last month who literally said, “If we implement AI for content creation, what’s my job exactly?” That’s the kind of identity crisis happening everywhere.
Organizational inertia: Have you seen how traditional companies are structured? It’s like a giant web of roles, departments, and reporting lines that all reinforce each other.
Try changing one part and the whole system resists.
Capability gaps: Finding people who can thrive in these versatile roles is tough!
They need to be both specialists and generalists, technical and human-centered. That combination isn’t exactly growing on trees.
Measurement challenges: How do you even measure success in this new model? All those traditional KPIs suddenly feel irrelevant.
I’m working with this CEO who spent six entire months just helping his leadership team understand why their structure was becoming a liability. Another client had to rewrite 80% of her team’s job descriptions!
This isn’t easy stuff. But it’s becoming non-negotiable.
How to Assess Your Readiness for the 3-Role Model
Before you consider restructuring your business, ask yourself these questions:
- Does your current structure allow for quick adaptation to market changes, or does decision-making get bogged down in bureaucracy?
- Are your competitive advantages based on things that are becoming commoditized (like production capabilities or technical knowledge), or on things that are uniquely human (like trust, relationships, and creativity)?
- Do your team members have clearly defined roles with measurable impact, or do responsibilities overlap in ways that create confusion?
- Are you investing more in building moats that can be eroded by AI and automation, or in strengthening advantages that technology enhances rather than replaces?
- Does your organization have clear “thinking roles” and “doing roles,” or is strategic work mixed with execution in ways that dilute both?
If your answers reveal vulnerabilities in your current structure, it might be time to consider how elements of the 3-Role model could strengthen your business.
Next Steps: Exploring This Model in Your Business
If you’re intrigued by this framework and wondering how to apply it, here are some practical steps to get started:
- Identify your natural role. Most founders and leaders naturally gravitate toward one of these three roles. Understanding your own strengths will help you see where you need to partner with others.
- Map your current activities. Take a week to track how you and your team actually spend your time. Then categorize these activities into Architect, Operator, and Automator functions. Where are the gaps? Where are you investing too much energy?
- Start with one role at a time. Don’t try to reorganize everything at once. If you’re missing an Automator function, for example, start there. Build one clear role before moving to the next.
- Experiment with project teams. Before restructuring your entire company, try organizing a single project team around these three roles and see how it performs compared to your traditional approach.
- Invest in capabilities, not just tools. The right tools can accelerate this transition, but they won’t create it. Focus first on developing the human capabilities needed for each role.
The Future Belongs to Adaptive Organizations
Here’s my take: AI isn’t replacing businesses. It’s replacing fragile structures.
It’s punishing bloated org charts. It’s demolishing those romantic notions of value we’ve all been clinging to. And it’s absolutely rewarding businesses that are lean, intentional, and crystal clear in their structure.
Is the 3-Role Company model perfect? Nope! It’s a working hypothesis I’m actively refining and testing. It’ll look different across industries and at different scales.
But the core principle?
That’s solid.
As traditional moats collapse all around us, how we structure our organizations becomes a critical competitive advantage.
I truly believe this model (or something like it) will carry businesses into whatever comes next.
But I’m not pretending to have all the answers. I’m inviting you – yes, you! – to explore it with me, challenge it, help shape it.
Want to build a business that doesn’t just survive but actually thrives through this shift?
Start by asking three simple questions:
- Who is designing your structure? (That’s your Architect)
- Who is managing your systems and feedback? (Hello, Operator)
- Who is building your leverage? (Your Automator – increasingly AI itself)
The moat is gone. The playing field is more level than it’s been in decades. The opportunity is absolutely massive.
Just make sure you have the right roles in place.
If this perspective resonates with you, I’ll be sharing more in my upcoming book on the 3-Role Company model (title in the works). For now, consider this a field note—a lens I’m using to explore where business is headed. Let’s see where it leads.
P.S. I’d love to hear which of these three roles you naturally gravitate toward. Let’s connect on social or send me a message to continue the conversation!