---
id: "prereq-domain-expertise"
type: "prereq"
source_timestamps: ["§ Training for a Marathon When You Can Only See Two Feet Ahead"]
tags: ["knowledge-management", "product-development"]
related: ["claim-proprietary-models-not-competitive-advantage", "entity-moodys-research-assistant"]
reason: "Commercial LLMs are generic; competitive advantage requires tailoring them to highly specific professional workflows and proprietary data."
sources: ["execution"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-execution"
originDay: 8
articleStem: "hbr-cl-93-legacy-financial-all-in-genai"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2025/03/how-a-legacy-financial-institution-went-all-in-on-gen-ai"
sourceTitle: "How a Legacy Financial Institution Went All In on Gen AI"
---
# Deep Domain Expertise

## Prerequisite — Deep Domain Expertise

To build commercially viable AI products (like [[entity-moodys-research-assistant|Moody's Research Assistant]]), the organization must possess **deep domain expertise** about how professionals in its specific industry actually work. The **AI technology itself is commoditized**; the value comes from applying it to specific, expert workflows.

**Why it's required:** commercial LLMs are generic; competitive advantage requires tailoring them to highly specific professional workflows and proprietary data.

### Connections
- The claim it underwrites: [[claim-proprietary-models-not-competitive-advantage]] and [[contrarian-off-the-shelf-over-proprietary]].