Benedict Evans published a characteristically sharp essay last week asking “How will OpenAI compete?” His answer, essentially, is: it’s not clear they can.
Chao, I so enjoy your thoughts on topics like this. I feel like you keep me in the loop with technology and the world the same if not better than when I was actually living in SF. You help provide a framework for thinking about problems around tech that most people just have questions for. Just wanted to let you know I always enjoy reading your pieces!
Moultbook may have demonstrated that AI is not like search, where Google could win the search engine wars because google search was better, but like the search-box .... where no matter what toolkit you use we all get the same sort of experience.
And I think spot on, something entirely new is emerging, and it’s not even close to baked yet.
I think about how just in the last few months alone we went from things like MCPs being the best way for agents to connect to and use things to now CLIs being much more agent friendly, e.g: https://kanyilmaz.me/2026/02/23/cli-vs-mcp.html
I think your intuition is spot on that so much of where we are headed with this AI driven economy will be about who takes advantage of the agents best, who is most helpful to the agents, who has the best agents. Etc.
A lot of that is like a great single player with an AI by your side, or like multi player co-op with AIs on your side, not an MMORPG anymore
Chao, I so enjoy your thoughts on topics like this. I feel like you keep me in the loop with technology and the world the same if not better than when I was actually living in SF. You help provide a framework for thinking about problems around tech that most people just have questions for. Just wanted to let you know I always enjoy reading your pieces!
Awww, thanks Michelle. Your encouragement means everything! Miss your writing and hope to read more about your coaching when you have the time
Moultbook may have demonstrated that AI is not like search, where Google could win the search engine wars because google search was better, but like the search-box .... where no matter what toolkit you use we all get the same sort of experience.
Thought provoking ideas Chao!
And I think spot on, something entirely new is emerging, and it’s not even close to baked yet.
I think about how just in the last few months alone we went from things like MCPs being the best way for agents to connect to and use things to now CLIs being much more agent friendly, e.g: https://kanyilmaz.me/2026/02/23/cli-vs-mcp.html
I think your intuition is spot on that so much of where we are headed with this AI driven economy will be about who takes advantage of the agents best, who is most helpful to the agents, who has the best agents. Etc.
A lot of that is like a great single player with an AI by your side, or like multi player co-op with AIs on your side, not an MMORPG anymore
Love your analogy of multi player co-op with AIs - reality is becoming wilder!
Love the better tool search than Anthropic's, Louie! Yeah, so much experimentation going on, it's truly a crazy time to be alive!