What Is an LLM Wrapper? And How to Avoid Building a Useless One

Don't Build a "Thin" App

Investors hate wrappers. If your entire startup is just a UI on top of OpenAI, you are one update away from bankruptcy. Here is how to avoid that trap.

What Is a Wrapper?

A "wrapper" is an app that simply passes user text to ChatGPT and shows the answer. It offers no unique value. If OpenAI releases a feature that does what your app does, you are dead.

The Solution: Go Vertical

To avoid being a wrapper, you need proprietary data or a complex workflow. Focus on "Vertical AI." Go deep into a specific niche (like dental supply chain, legal document review, or real estate compliance) where general models struggle.

The Moat Checklist

Ask yourself these questions:

1. Do you have proprietary data? If not, anyone can replicate you.
2. Is your workflow complex? Simple prompt-response apps have no moat.
3. Do you integrate deeply with existing tools? Deep integrations create switching costs.
4. Would it take a competitor more than a weekend to copy you? If not, you are a feature.

What Defensible AI Looks Like

The best AI products combine general intelligence with specific domain knowledge, custom workflows, and deep integrations. They are hard to replicate because the value is not in the model — it is in the system around it.

We build deep integrations, not thin skins. We combine LLMs with your unique business logic to create products that OpenAI cannot casually replicate with a feature update.