Co-opetition š. Itās not a term you often hear outside partnerships circles, yet in the age of AI it has become the beating heart of tech. Giants like Microsoft build their own products, yet partner with others like OpenAI, Meta, etc.
But how do disruptive startups like PolyAI, navigate cooperation and competition with partners?
I had the chance to sit down with PolyAI's COO, Yan Zhang, to discuss this topic, including their partnerships with Amazon Web Services (AWS) and what was their thought process when deciding to list on AWS cloud marketplace.
š” Yan explained, "We have a very successful relationship with AWS. Amazon has its own entry in the enterprise voice assistant or conversational AI space...they run into situations where PolyAI would be a more appropriate partner rather than their own in-house solution."
Today itās all about the best fit for the customer, offering a AI products that are best in class.
Yan continued, "I think that enterprise customers are coming around to this using the best in class type of methodology."
That's why PolyAI, and other companies, are open to partnerships with companies that might be competitive in other areas of their business. But deciding where to cooperate and where to compete is a fine balancing act.
As Yan noted, there's no overarching rule about where you partner and where you compete - it's very much a case-by-case basis.
š Speaking of partnership with hyperscalers, PolyAI recently listed on the AWS marketplace. It's now a common practice for companies to list on cloud marketplaces, but why did PolyAI make this decision? Yan shared,
"I think [AWS] pursued us as a company that could add value to themā¦
I think everyone that we've spoken to on AWS has been incredibly helpful, but naturally as, because we are competitive in certain respects, it took several conversation to figure out where we draw the boundaries and where the most productive joint pursuits would be."
Joining the AWS marketplace wasn't just a right step towards broader exposure for PolyAI, the fact that AWS engaged them proactively (while having their own products that are somewhat competitive) is a testament to AWS's partner-friendly ecosystem.
Despite the growing competition in the age of AI , the ultimate goal remains the same. It is to provide value to the customer.
Do you see the nature of collaboration and co-opetition changing too?
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