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A moat is a permanent feature protecting a castle against attack. That’s the metaphor. If it’s not their own device intrinsically protecting them then it’s not

A moat is a permanent feature protecting a castle against attack. That’s the metaphor. If it’s not their own device intrinsically protecting them then it’s not a moat in my book.

alephnerd 9mo ago
That is not how we use the term "moat" in this context, because competitors eventually converge on offerings within 1-2 years. I don't need some stuck up HNer telling me about stuff I deal with in my day-to-day job. Edit: can't reply > a business deal that can be transferred to a new partner the second it expires is much more temporary Generally, these kinds of equity deals include an MFN clause.
- afavour 9mo ago
  > That is not how we use the term "moat" in this context, because competitors eventually converge on offerings within 1-2 years. Then I guess we need a new term because that's not how I interpret the term moat either. To me, ChatGPT chat history is a moat. It allows them to differentiate their product and competitors cannot copy it. If someone switches to a new AI service they will have to build their chat history from scratch. By comparison a business deal that can be transferred to a new partner the second it expires is much more temporary.
  - jklinger410 9mo ago
    > To me, ChatGPT chat history is a moat. Every service has a chat history. You are talking about stickiness, which is (roughly) the same for every product. ChatGPT wins a bit with stickiness because their AI personalizes itself to you over time, in a way that others don't quite do. A moat is something unique. It can't really be a moat if all services offer it.