Stop Selling Shovels — Start Selling Treasure Maps

  Every time there’s a new technology wave, we rush in like it’s the California Gold Rush. Most run to the same place, swing the same tools, and hope to strike lucky. In AI, it’s no different. Right now, most companies are just selling faster shovels—tools to automate what we already do. But the real winners? They’re selling treasure maps. And that changes everything.

Why Speed Alone Isn’t the Answer
Productivity sells easily. Faster emails, quicker documents, sharper workflows. That’s the pitch for most AI tools today. And it works—until everyone’s doing it.

Speed becomes a commodity. Your edge disappears.

This is the shovel trap. Just doing more of the same, faster. But when the world is uncertain and noisy, the real value lies in knowing where to focus—not just how fast to move.

Treasure Maps Rewire the Game
Think of companies like Boeing, TikTok, and Walmart. They didn’t just use tech to improve old systems—they changed how they played the game.

• Boeing used digital design tools to reimagine how planes were built, not just drawn.

• TikTok used AI to change who content reached, turning away from the social graph toward engagement patterns.

• Walmart didn’t use barcodes to speed up checkout. They built an information advantage that shifted power from suppliers to shelves.

These companies used tech to build maps—new ways of seeing the landscape, making decisions, and staying ahead.

AI as a Strategic Compass
Great AI doesn’t just accelerate old tasks. It spots patterns before they’re obvious. It surfaces weak signals. It helps leaders ask better questions.

A Canadian AI company spotted early signs of COVID before most governments. Not by analysing lab results, but by connecting dots across news, flight paths, and hospital logs.

That’s a treasure map. A strategic compass in disguise.

The Real AI Advantage: Curiosity, Curation, Judgment
If you want to sell AI that sticks, stop pitching features. Start sparking curiosity.

• Curiosity: Ask different questions. Go deeper, like George Harrison did in South Africa when he found gold below the surface.

• Curation: Help customers focus on what matters. Think Michelin—originally a tyre company, but its curated road guides shaped wartime logistics.

• Judgment: Don’t just show data—help users act on it. Like Stripe Radar, which turns fraud signals into smart customer decisions.

These traits—when combined—turn AI into a strategic asset, not just a faster backend tool.

Selling Treasure Maps Is Harder—but Stickier
If you’re just selling AI speed, you’re probably talking to a department manager about cost savings. You’re easy to compare. Easy to replace.

If you’re selling maps, you’re in the room with someone leading change. You’re part of strategy. You’re shaping how the business thinks and competes.

And once your map becomes part of how an organisation makes decisions? You’re not getting ripped out anytime soon.

Conclusion
In an age where every competitor can buy the same AI tools, the real advantage comes from seeing what others can’t. It’s not just about faster digging—it’s about knowing where to dig.

The best AI companies don’t just sell software. They sell new ways of seeing.

So ask yourself: are you selling shovels, or are you selling treasure maps?

Based on insights from Sangeet Paul Choudary’s article “Don’t Sell Shovels, Sell Treasure Maps”: Read the full article here.