Sprint scenario

AI is rapidly changing the economics of software. Capabilities that once required specialist applications or professional support are becoming easier to build, automate or access directly, while customer expectations of what a platform should do are moving just as quickly.

For Farud, the pressure is becoming strategic. Customers are expecting more, competitors are moving quickly and investors are asking how AI could reshape the platform's future value. Before committing the next product roadmap, he needs to determine whether the answer is better features — or a more fundamental evolution of what the platform should become.

The stakes are high, with the Nordic SME market expanding at 17% average growth rate through 2031.

Meet Faroud

Faroud is one of the fictional archetypes in the AI Business Council,  representing a founder in SaaS and technology. Now leading his third venture, an SME accounting platform, his challenge provides the starting point for this AIBC Lab sprint.

The challenge

What should our platform become as AI changes what customers can do for themselves?

Identify future value

Starting with Faroud's founder and industry perspective, we use AI to broaden the view across market dynamics, customer needs, competitive developments and alternative growth scenarios.

Customer jobs, pains and gains are mapped against current platform capabilities, competitors, emerging AI and build-versus-buy choices.

The Value Proposition Canvas helps identify which parts of today's value proposition may commoditize and where new value could emerge.

Synchronize insights

Customer needs · Value proposition · Platform capabilities · Competition · AI disruption · Build vs. buy

Simulate & stress-test

Platform futures · Customer adoption · AI-native services · Trust · Commercial potential · Defensibility

Test platform futures

We create alternative platform futures: AI-powered accounting automation, financial decision support, intelligent business workflows and a broader small-business financial ecosystem.

Each is treated as a strategic direction rather than a feature. Different customer types are used to challenge value, complexity and risk. DISC adds a lens around trust, control, automation and willingness to delegate financial tasks. Commercial potential, feasibility and defensibility are also stress-tested.

Shape the roadmap

The most promising territories are prioritized and translated into concepts for real customer validation.

The result clarifies what should be explored next — and what should not be built.

Decide & activate

Platform territories · Product concepts · Strategic priorities · Validation roadmap

Potential sprint outcome

A clearer strategic direction for the platform, including tangible product concepts, business priorities and a roadmap for customer validation.

More sprint challenges