LLM wrappers are everywhere right now and they feel like startups. Fast demos, clean interfaces, and instant traction have convinced a generation of builders that shipping quickly equals ownership. But when most AI tools rely on the same underlying models, what actually creates leverage?

In this Hot Bytes episode of culturally/INCOMPETENT, Nicholas Clements-Lindsey slows down the hype around AI startups to unpack why building on top of large language models feels entrepreneurial and where that feeling can become misleading. This isn’t a takedown of builders. It’s an examination of momentum culture, platform dependency, and how power really works in the current AI economy.

Driving question: If one clever UX and an API key can look like a company, where does real ownership actually live?