Welcome to software. This scenario has played out forever, and resurfaces every time there is a new platform. In the early days on-disk-compression was an add

Welcome to software. This scenario has played out forever, and resurfaces every time there is a new platform. In the early days on-disk-compression was an add on, then it became part of DOS. pretty much the same thing happened with Apple (sherlock), Windows (zip), web (netscape) and I could go on. The underlying thread here is that when you hook on to a platform, and make a living "making thar platform better" you are in competition with the platform maker. Since the platform maker is improving their product all the time their overlap with you happens. In one sense what are they supposed to do? Ignore improving it because someone else is doing it? As a rule, the newer the tech, the more obvious the improvement, the more likely you are to be Sherlocked. (Yep, this effect even has a name.) The fact that "100s of startups" saw voice as a value-add means that it's obvious, and widely useful, so (duh) thats obvious to OpenAI too. Let me put it another way- if you are building for "lots of users" then expect that to be done. Assuming you don't have MS or Apple or Google or OpenAI resources, assume you shouldn't be targeting "millions" of users. If you're targeting something only a few thousand people care about then you're a lot safer. OpenAI is less likely to want to add a feature that say only helps left-handed, bald, pensioners than one that benefits "everyone". Don't be picking the low-hanging fruit. Find something that's waaaay more niche and hard to get to.