Hi Transforminators,
Last week, Google launched Gemini Enterprise, a platform that brings AI directly into tools enterprises already use every day: Workspace, Salesforce, SAP, and others.
It didn’t make front-page news, but it’s a defining moment for how AI will be sold and adopted.
Enterprise AI is moving from standalone products to embedded layers inside existing platforms.
We’ve entered a new phase where buying happens inside ecosystems that already exist, not in a bubble.
💡 The Shift: From Innovation to Integration
In the pre-AI world, startups could win by moving faster than the industry leaders.
That playbook is changing.
Enterprises now prioritize AI that fits with their existing systems, data, and governance.
The next wave of spending will go to companies that integrate seamlessly, not those with the smartest model.
Google’s move with Gemini shows that AI is becoming a fabric layer.
It upgrades what’s already working rather than replacing it.
If you’re a startup CEO, this changes how you sell, position, and grow.
⚙️ Why This Matters for Startup CEOs
You don’t have to outbuild Google or OpenAI.
You have to out-position them.
Enterprise buyers are asking a different question now:
Who helps me make my systems smarter?
That’s the opportunity.
To win in this phase of the AI evolution:
Integrate with existing platforms like Salesforce, SAP, or Google Cloud
Co-sell with partners who already own relationships and procurement channels
Solve workflow-specific problems instead of trying to sell generalized AI
You don’t have to replace the enterprise stack. Enhance it in ways the bigger players can’t move fast enough to handle.
🧭 Your Playbook for the Platform Era
Here’s how to adapt your go-to-market motion:
1️⃣ Find your platform gap
Map out where major enterprise platforms are falling short. Focus on the vertical or workflow they don’t cover well.
2️⃣ Build where budgets already exist
Expansion inside current contracts happens faster than new procurement. Align your value to what’s already approved.
3️⃣ Co-sell with leverage
Work through marketplaces, cloud partners, and SIs that already have executive access.
4️⃣ Design for orchestration
Make your product connect multiple systems instead of competing with them.
📖 In Chapter 9 of my book, Lead With Transformation — Rally Champions and Partners to Win — I explain how to build champions and partners into your sales model.
⚡ The Bigger Picture
You don’t have to fight your way into enterprise accounts anymore.
You can ride the momentum of the platforms that are already shaping them.
Here’s how to think about your “land and transform” model:
Land within an ecosystem.
Transform how that ecosystem delivers value to your customer.
When you align with the platforms driving enterprise AI, you’re building a clear and credible path to scale your business.
⚡ Your Action Step This Week
Make a list of your top five customers.
Next to each one, write down the platforms they already depend on — CRM, ERP, cloud, data warehouse.
Then ask:
“How can we create more value by integrating, not replacing?”
You don’t have to own everything.
You scale by powering the flow between what already exists.
I hope you found this edition valuable. Hit reply and tell me what you’d like to see next.
—Ram Himmatraopet
Let’s Connect
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HOT OFF THE PRESS: Get my Book! (released last week)
📖 My book Lead With Transformation launched October 14, 2025.