Where do you sit
on the barbell?
Five questions. AI is squeezing every three-tier market into a barbell: premium on one end, commodity on the other, nothing in the middle. Find out which side you're on.
Business Application
Where Do You Fall on the Premium–Commodity Spectrum? Free Tool
AI isn't replacing the best or the cheapest. It's squeezing out everyone in between.
Find a detailed explanation right below this free tool.
Based on the article The $5,000 Problem.
Check out more of my tools.
Why Your Market Position Matters More Than Your Product
Most businesses describe themselves as "quality at a fair price." That used to work. AI changed the math.
When acceptable quality gets cheap and fast, the middle of every market thins out. Clients either pay a premium for something AI cannot touch, or they pay commodity prices for AI-accelerated output. The squeeze happens whether you notice it or not.
This tool gives you a clear read on where you sit today, not where you think you sit.
How the Spectrum Works
The premium-commodity spectrum maps your business against two forces: how replaceable your work is and how much pricing power you hold. Answer a few honest questions and the tool places you in one of three zones.
- Premium End - You sell judgment, relationships, or taste that AI cannot replicate. Clients pay for you, not just your output.
- Squeezed Middle - You charge mid-range prices without a clear reason clients could not get similar results for less. This is the danger zone.
- AI-Powered Commodity End - You compete on speed, cost, and volume, using AI as an engine rather than fighting it.
Who This Is For
Freelancers wondering why proposals keep losing on price. Agency owners watching margins shrink. Solo founders pricing a new product. Anyone building a service business in a market where AI keeps lowering the floor.
If you have felt pricing pressure in the last year and could not explain exactly why, this tool will clarify it.
What You Get
Your result includes a specific profile explaining what your position means and what to do about it. Each profile is a standalone guide, not a generic label. Browse all three result profiles below the tool to understand the full spectrum before or after you take it.
The Real Risk Is Not Knowing
Most founders and freelancers avoid this question because the answer might be uncomfortable. But the market will answer it for you, through lost deals and compressed margins, if you do not answer it first.
Positioning is not a marketing exercise. It is a survival decision.
If AI is shifting how your clients perceive value, you might also want to check whether that shift is affecting your confidence. The AI self-esteem test measures whether AI feels like a tool or a threat to your identity. And if you are building an AI product yourself, the AI Flywheel Test will tell you whether you have a real moat or just a head start.
Find Your Position Now
Scroll up and take the spectrum assessment. It takes two minutes. The answer will either confirm your strategy or show you exactly what needs to change.
Version 1.0
Browse Premium-Commodity Spectrum result profiles
Each profile explains what a result means and what to do next.
Frequently asked questions
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1
What is the premium-commodity spectrum?
It describes the two positions that survive as AI reshapes markets. Premium players command high prices through expertise, taste, or relationships that AI cannot replicate. Commodity players compete on cost and speed, often powered by AI itself. The middle, where most businesses sit, is the zone getting squeezed out.
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2
How does AI squeeze out the middle of a market?
AI lowers the cost and effort needed to produce acceptable-quality work. Customers who once paid mid-range prices for mid-range quality can now get similar results cheaper and faster from AI-assisted commodity providers. That pulls demand away from the middle toward the low end, while premium providers retain clients who value judgment, trust, and outcomes AI cannot guarantee.
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3
How do I know if my business is stuck in the squeezed middle?
Common signs: your pricing feels hard to justify, clients increasingly compare you to cheaper alternatives, and your differentiators sound generic when you say them out loud. The tool asks targeted questions about your positioning, pricing power, and replaceability to surface whether you are at risk.
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4
Is it better to be premium or commodity?
Neither is inherently better. Premium requires deep expertise, strong client relationships, and a willingness to say no to low-margin work. Commodity requires operational efficiency, scale, and comfort with thin margins offset by volume. The worst position is pretending to be premium while delivering commodity-level differentiation.
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5
What should I do if the tool says I am in the squeezed middle?
Start by identifying which direction you can credibly move. If you have rare expertise or strong client trust, lean into premium positioning and raise prices. If your strength is speed and efficiency, embrace the commodity end and use AI to drive costs down further. Staying in the middle without a plan is the highest-risk option.