Couldn't this trend work in reverse too? With ChatGPT (or Anthropic's Claude), technical founders can now tap into domain expertise without needing any industry experience.
Rather than just domain experts using AI as their "technical cofounder," we might see technical founders using AI as their "domain expert cofounder." They could quickly learn about an industry, common pain points, and best practices through AI while leveraging their technical skills to build solutions.
Would be curious to hear your thoughts on this flip side of the coin.
I agree with your comment and with a lot of baby boomers retiring their knowledge is leaving with them. It will be interesting to see how it all played out. Thanks for the comment.
It is a good question Vincent. What we are finding is the large commercial LLM are trained with public, non private data and the majority of corporate IP data is behind corporate firewalls/paywalls or in people’s heads.
I just talked to a founder yesterday that is a civil engineer and he was talking about all the regulations around construction sites and state/federal laws around waste water and run off. He was an experienced professional that had been living in this world and had very specific challenges that his startup would solve. I doubt that knowledge to his level is in the LLM’s. We see a huge opportunity here for founders to leverage what LLM can do well and augmenting with deep domain knowledge.
Thanks again for the question and reading the article.
The reverse can be done to some extent but I don't think it will deliver the main benefit. The value of deep domain expertise comes from:
1. Deeply understanding a niche problem. Many domain experts have lived it and tried to solve it in some form for decades before trying to do it with their startup. Domain experts have a major advantage when it comes to product discovery.
2. Deep understanding of the industry. The more niche and gated an industry is, the more beneficial the insider knowledge will be. I've spent over 15 years working in the Canadian energy sector. Most founders in this space have spent even longer than me in the industry. Keep in mind, the energy industry is not the most dynamic one. If you're in a rapidly changing field, deeply understanding the space is even more demanding.
3. Connections. Knowing the right people and the right people knowing you is critical. It helps with fundraising but more than that it helps with getting the right support.
AI can help you with research and getting the lay of the land but it's all surface level work. It's a good start but can't rival the value a domain expert can bring.
You make a great point that AI, as it stands, often operates at a surface level compared to the deep understanding that comes from years of lived experience in an industry. However, as the article suggests, AI isn’t necessarily trying to replace that expertise—it’s evolving to amplify it. For example, tools in 2025 are helping founders transform their knowledge into prototypes or automate industry-specific workflows in ways that weren’t possible before.
The real power seems to come when AI is paired with domain experts like yourself—it bridges the execution gap, letting you focus on strategy, connections, and solving core problems while reducing the technical heavy lifting. Do you see AI as a complementary tool in this sense, or do you think it’s still too limited to make a meaningful impact in niche industries?
Couldn't this trend work in reverse too? With ChatGPT (or Anthropic's Claude), technical founders can now tap into domain expertise without needing any industry experience.
Rather than just domain experts using AI as their "technical cofounder," we might see technical founders using AI as their "domain expert cofounder." They could quickly learn about an industry, common pain points, and best practices through AI while leveraging their technical skills to build solutions.
Would be curious to hear your thoughts on this flip side of the coin.
Having the same thoughts. But I guess even domain knowledge (acquired via ChatGPT) can't beat domain experience (acquired 1st hand).
I agree with your comment and with a lot of baby boomers retiring their knowledge is leaving with them. It will be interesting to see how it all played out. Thanks for the comment.
It is a good question Vincent. What we are finding is the large commercial LLM are trained with public, non private data and the majority of corporate IP data is behind corporate firewalls/paywalls or in people’s heads.
I just talked to a founder yesterday that is a civil engineer and he was talking about all the regulations around construction sites and state/federal laws around waste water and run off. He was an experienced professional that had been living in this world and had very specific challenges that his startup would solve. I doubt that knowledge to his level is in the LLM’s. We see a huge opportunity here for founders to leverage what LLM can do well and augmenting with deep domain knowledge.
Thanks again for the question and reading the article.
Hey, Todd, looks like this has got my name written all over it!
Can't wait to see where we can get with my domain expertise.
I agree. Hopefully I will have some time to review your product overview this weekend Marc.
The reverse can be done to some extent but I don't think it will deliver the main benefit. The value of deep domain expertise comes from:
1. Deeply understanding a niche problem. Many domain experts have lived it and tried to solve it in some form for decades before trying to do it with their startup. Domain experts have a major advantage when it comes to product discovery.
2. Deep understanding of the industry. The more niche and gated an industry is, the more beneficial the insider knowledge will be. I've spent over 15 years working in the Canadian energy sector. Most founders in this space have spent even longer than me in the industry. Keep in mind, the energy industry is not the most dynamic one. If you're in a rapidly changing field, deeply understanding the space is even more demanding.
3. Connections. Knowing the right people and the right people knowing you is critical. It helps with fundraising but more than that it helps with getting the right support.
AI can help you with research and getting the lay of the land but it's all surface level work. It's a good start but can't rival the value a domain expert can bring.
You make a great point that AI, as it stands, often operates at a surface level compared to the deep understanding that comes from years of lived experience in an industry. However, as the article suggests, AI isn’t necessarily trying to replace that expertise—it’s evolving to amplify it. For example, tools in 2025 are helping founders transform their knowledge into prototypes or automate industry-specific workflows in ways that weren’t possible before.
The real power seems to come when AI is paired with domain experts like yourself—it bridges the execution gap, letting you focus on strategy, connections, and solving core problems while reducing the technical heavy lifting. Do you see AI as a complementary tool in this sense, or do you think it’s still too limited to make a meaningful impact in niche industries?