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Business 80% 1 min readJun 18, 2026, 3:36 PM

Our Competitor Had an AI That Covered 97.2%. We Had a Spreadsheet and a Fake Quote. Guess Who Won.

Evolving story · 1 updatesThe Power of Human IngenuityTimeline →
30-second summary

A company with limited resources won a bid against a competitor with a large team and high AI coverage.

Our Competitor Had an AI That Covered 97.2%. We Had a Spreadsheet and a Fake Quote. Guess Who Won.
Key takeaways
  • A company with limited resources can still compete with larger companies
  • Over-reliance on AI can be a disadvantage
  • Creativity and strategy are key factors in winning bids
  • Human ingenuity is still essential in business
  • AI is just a tool and should be used in conjunction with human skills
Full story

The author describes a situation where their company was outgunned by a competitor with 200 people and 97.2% AI coverage. Despite this, the author's company was able to win the bid with a simple spreadsheet and a fake quote. The story highlights the importance of creativity and strategy over relying solely on technology. The competitor's over-reliance on AI may have been a factor in their loss. The author's company was able to think outside the box and come up with a solution that worked. This story is a reminder that AI is just a tool and that human ingenuity and creativity are still essential in business. The author's experience shows that even with limited resources, it is possible to compete with larger companies.

Source: Our Competitor Had an AI That Covered 97.2%. We Had a Spreadsheet and a Fake Quote. Guess Who Won.. Read the full piece at the source.

Why this matters
Developers

Developers should be aware that AI is not a replacement for human skills and creativity

Businesses

Businesses should consider the importance of strategy and creativity in winning bids

Investors

Investors should be cautious of companies that rely too heavily on AI

Students

Students should learn about the importance of human skills and creativity in business

Everyone

The general public should be aware that AI is not a magic solution and that human ingenuity is still essential

Glossary
RFP
Request for Proposal, a document that outlines the requirements for a project

AI bias estimate: The author's tone is humorous and lighthearted, but the story is based on a real experience (Automated estimate, not a definitive judgement.)

Sources · 1

Summary and analysis generated by AI (groq). Always verify against the original sources.

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