The AI wave is reshaping the startup playbook. Building software quickly? That's now table stakes—AI tooling slashed the friction for MVPs. But here's the catch: if everyone can ship in weeks, what keeps your product defensible after year two? The gap isn't speed anymore. It's building real moats—network effects, proprietary data, deep user lock-in. Staying power over two decades requires something AI can't automate: authentic product-market fit and a community that believes in your mission. The easy part is launching. The hard part is staying relevant when the barrier to entry keeps collapsing.