AI Makers, Takers, and Shapers: Finding Your Company's AI Identity

CEOs face endless pressure to "do something" about AI. But what does "something" mean? Do you dive into costly R&D, rapidly adopt existing tools, or influence industry standards? Deloitte and McKinsey both recently produced landmark reports, helping executives think clearly about AI. Their frameworks categorize companies into three distinct identities: Makers, Takers, and Shapers.

Understanding these identities isn't academic—it’s strategic. Choosing your role consciously makes the difference between expensive experimentation and targeted growth.

Let's unpack each identity clearly and practically, revealing how to align your AI strategy with your organization’s genuine strengths.

Who Are You: Maker, Taker, or Shaper?

Makers: The Innovators and Builders

Makers build AI models and tools from the ground up. Think of companies like OpenAI, Meta, or Anthropic, deeply investing in foundational AI models. These firms are pushing the frontier of technology, setting the pace of innovation, and absorbing significant risk and cost.

For Makers, AI isn't just a tool—it’s a business itself. They thrive on deep R&D, hiring the best talent, and are comfortable with ambiguity. But it comes with risks:

• High upfront cost: Massive resources go into research, talent, and infrastructure.
• Uncertain returns: Many experiments fail before yielding breakthroughs.
• First-mover burden: Early mistakes can become costly.

Yet Makers hold the advantage of differentiation and ownership. For companies like Meta (with Llama), building AI became a competitive asset and a strategic moat. If your competitive advantage depends deeply on proprietary technology, becoming a Maker might be your destiny.

But most companies shouldn't be Makers. Building AI from scratch rarely aligns with strategic goals—often it’s a distraction, not differentiation.

Takers: The Strategic Adopters

Most companies today are Takers. They strategically adopt existing AI models (like ChatGPT) to enhance productivity, customer experience, and market presence. Their strength lies not in raw technical innovation, but in rapidly deploying proven technology.

Being a Taker isn't inferior; it’s efficient and strategic. Consider Salesforce: they didn't invent large language models, yet they've quickly embedded generative AI into their CRM products, delivering immense value at scale without the headaches of original R&D.

The upsides are clear:

• Lower upfront risk: Proven technology reduces uncertainty.
• Speed to market: Immediate benefits, without long development cycles.
• Flexibility: Quickly pivoting to the most promising AI innovations.

But the hidden costs of being purely a Taker emerge clearly: vendor lock-in, unpredictable operational expenses, and limited strategic differentiation.

The key is to be a strategic Taker—leveraging existing AI while carefully managing dependency and cost.

Shapers: The Standard Setters

Shapers might seem less obvious, but their role is quietly powerful. These companies may not directly build AI, but they influence standards, regulations, and ecosystems. Companies like Microsoft or Google are certainly Makers, but they’re also Shapers—defining standards, privacy frameworks, and ethical guidelines.

Being a Shaper isn’t just for tech giants. Mid-market companies or even startups can become Shapers in niche industries by influencing how AI tools are adopted, regulated, and standardized.

Shapers enjoy strategic leverage:

• Ecosystem influence: Guiding AI standards or ethics increases long-term market stability.
• Indirect control: Even without deep technical ownership, shaping standards gives control over AI’s impact in your industry.
• Long-term vision: Shapers build strategic influence that lasts beyond any single technological trend.

Yet shaping requires resources, relationships, and industry credibility. It’s less tangible than building products, yet often more strategically valuable.

Why Your AI Identity Matters (and Why It’s OK to be Any of Them)

Here’s a crucial insight from both McKinsey and Deloitte: it’s not inherently better to be a Maker, Taker, or Shaper. Each identity offers clear strengths and weaknesses. Great CEOs don't chase trends; they consciously choose their AI identity.

Consider these scenarios:

• Startup: A fintech startup might choose to be a Taker, quickly integrating Llama or ChatGPT to deliver immediate value without expensive experiments.
• Mid-sized enterprise: A logistics firm might strategically combine Taker and Shaper roles, adopting AI tools while     actively participating in industry discussions about data ethics, standards, and interoperability.
• Enterprise leader: A global financial services giant might adopt all three roles simultaneously—building proprietary algorithms (Maker), using external models for rapid deployment (Taker), and influencing global standards (Shaper).

The secret: aligning your AI identity with strategic business objectives—not chasing technology for technology’s sake.

The CEO Roadmap: Finding Your Path

You can’t effectively leverage AI without first clarifying your identity. CEOs must understand where they stand today and where they need to go strategically:

Step 1: Evaluate Current Capabilities

• Talent and resources: Do you have top-tier AI researchers (Maker), strong engineering teams (Taker), or influential industry voices (Shaper)?
• Budget and risk appetite: Are you financially equipped for experimentation (Maker), speed-driven integration (Taker), or relationship-building (Shaper)?

Step 2: Align with Strategic Objectives

• Are you seeking differentiation through proprietary technology (Maker)?
• Do you want immediate market impact with minimal investment risk (Taker)?
• Do you aim for industry influence and long-term ecosystem strength (Shaper)?

Step 3: Map your Path

Your roadmap might begin as a Taker, integrating proven technology rapidly. As your AI capabilities mature, you might evolve into a Shaper, influencing standards and ecosystems. Eventually, if differentiation is paramount, you might selectively become a Maker, developing proprietary models.

Understanding your ideal path provides clarity and prevents costly detours.

Fractional CTOs: Your Navigator

Fractional CTOs play a critical role here, guiding CEOs in finding their ideal AI identity quickly and affordably. Their unbiased expertise ensures you:

• Avoid costly experimentation traps (Makers).
• Navigate effective integrations efficiently (Takers).
• Influence industry standards meaningfully (Shapers).

Fractional CTOs clarify your strategic path, avoid misalignment, and accelerate your AI maturity.

CEO Thoughts

Early in my leadership journey, I mistakenly thought innovation required building everything from scratch—that being a Maker was the only respectable path. I soon realized this mindset was expensive and rarely strategic. The Deloitte and McKinsey reports clarified something critical: great leaders choose consciously between Maker, Taker, and Shaper roles based on strategic realities, not industry trends or ego.

Today, I approach AI strategically. Some initiatives thrive by taking proven tech and rapidly integrating it; others benefit from strategically shaping industry standards. Occasionally, we invest deeply in proprietary technology, carefully choosing where differentiation truly matters. The lesson? Know who you are, choose your AI identity intentionally, and build a roadmap tailored to your genuine business goals. After all, your AI strategy isn’t about technology—it’s about strategic alignment.

 

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