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The AI Pac-Man hunger games: when every platform becomes a digital devourer

// Tagged with 0-100k ARR Decoding AI

We are witnessing the most brutal competitive era in tech history unfold in real time. In the last fifty days, we’ve observed every major platform transform into a digital Pac-Man, systematically consuming every adjacent market they can reach. This is the endgame of AI-powered expansion, and here’s what it means for everyone trying to survive in the maze.

The Digital Maze: How Every Platform Became Pac-Man

Picture the classic arcade game, where Pac-Man moves through a maze systematically consuming every dot in sight. Now replace Pac-Man with OpenAI, Notion, Figma, and every other major tech platform. Replace the dots with market opportunities. Replace the maze with the entire digital workflow landscape. This is exactly what’s happening right now. Figma started in the design quadrant of the maze, methodically consuming prototyping dots, then graphics dots, then code generation dots. Notion began in the documentation corner, devouring note-taking dots, then search dots, then email dots, then meeting recording dots. Canva built a multi-billion business with making design accessible to everyone, now it has launched a vibe-coding tool that aims to make coding accessible to everyone. OpenAI emerged in the AI language sector and has been gobbling up coding tools, search engines, and research platforms. The pattern is identical across every major player.

Start with your core territory, then systematically consume every adjacent opportunity until you control the entire board. We’re witnessing the most aggressive competitive expansion in tech history. Companies aren’t adding features anymore; they’re consuming entire market categories in single product releases. The message is loud and clear: Every platform has become Pac-Man, and every adjacent market is a dot to be consumed. Why is this happening? Why now? What does it mean for the future of software?

Let’s dig in.

The Digital Maze: How Every Platform Became Pac-Man

Picture the classic arcade game, where Pac-Man moves through a maze systematically consuming every dot in sight. Now replace Pac-Man with OpenAI, Notion, Figma, and every other major tech platform. Replace the dots with market opportunities. Replace the maze with the entire digital workflow landscape. This is exactly what’s happening right now. Figma started in the design quadrant of the maze, methodically consuming prototyping dots, then graphics dots, then code generation dots. Notion began in the documentation corner, devouring note-taking dots, then search dots, then email dots, then meeting recording dots. Canva built a multi-billion business with making design accessible to everyone, now it has launched a vibe-coding tool that aims to make coding accessible to everyone. OpenAI emerged in the AI language sector and has been gobbling up coding tools, search engines, and research platforms. The pattern is identical across every major player.

Start with your core territory, then systematically consume every adjacent opportunity until you control the entire board. We’re witnessing the most aggressive competitive expansion in tech history. Companies aren’t adding features anymore; they’re consuming entire market categories in single product releases. The message is loud and clear: Every platform has become Pac-Man, and every adjacent market is a dot to be consumed. Why is this happening? Why now? What does it mean for the future of software?

The Digital Maze: How Every Platform Became Pac-Man

Picture the classic arcade game, where Pac-Man moves through a maze systematically consuming every dot in sight. Now replace Pac-Man with OpenAI, Notion, Figma, and every other major tech platform. Replace the dots with market opportunities. Replace the maze with the entire digital workflow landscape. This is exactly what’s happening right now. Figma started in the design quadrant of the maze, methodically consuming prototyping dots, then graphics dots, then code generation dots. Notion began in the documentation corner, devouring note-taking dots, then search dots, then email dots, then meeting recording dots. Canva built a multi-billion business with making design accessible to everyone, now it has launched a vibe-coding tool that aims to make coding accessible to everyone. OpenAI emerged in the AI language sector and has been gobbling up coding tools, search engines, and research platforms. The pattern is identical across every major player.

Start with your core territory, then systematically consume every adjacent opportunity until you control the entire board. We’re witnessing the most aggressive competitive expansion in tech history. Companies aren’t adding features anymore; they’re consuming entire market categories in single product releases. The message is loud and clear: Every platform has become Pac-Man, and every adjacent market is a dot to be consumed. Why is this happening? Why now? What does it mean for the future of software?

Let’s dig in.

The Digital Maze: How Every Platform Became Pac-Man

Picture the classic arcade game, where Pac-Man moves through a maze systematically consuming every dot in sight. Now replace Pac-Man with OpenAI, Notion, Figma, and every other major tech platform. Replace the dots with market opportunities. Replace the maze with the entire digital workflow landscape. This is exactly what’s happening right now. Figma started in the design quadrant of the maze, methodically consuming prototyping dots, then graphics dots, then code generation dots. Notion began in the documentation corner, devouring note-taking dots, then search dots, then email dots, then meeting recording dots. Canva built a multi-billion business with making design accessible to everyone, now it has launched a vibe-coding tool that aims to make coding accessible to everyone. OpenAI emerged in the AI language sector and has been gobbling up coding tools, search engines, and research platforms. The pattern is identical across every major player.

The Digital Maze: How Every Platform Became Pac-Man

Picture the classic arcade game, where Pac-Man moves through a maze systematically consuming every dot in sight. Now replace Pac-Man with OpenAI, Notion, Figma, and every other major tech platform. Replace the dots with market opportunities. Replace the maze with the entire digital workflow landscape.

This is exactly what’s happening right now. Figma started in the design quadrant of the maze, methodically consuming prototyping dots, then graphics dots, then code generation dots. Notion began in the documentation corner, devouring note-taking dots, then search dots, then email dots, then meeting recording dots. Canva built a multi-billion business with making design accessible to everyone, now it has launched a vibe-coding tool that aims to make coding accessible to everyone. OpenAI emerged in the AI language sector and has been gobbling up coding tools, search engines, and research platforms.

The pattern is identical across every major player.

// Tagged with 0-100k ARR Decoding AI


// About the Author

Sumanth Raghavendra

CEO and Founder, Presentations.AI

Advantage India
Advantage India is a meticulously crafted collection of thought leadership blogs that delve into the transformative realm of artificial intelligence. This series explores market dynamics, emerging trends, and the pioneering journeys of AI-first startups, offering a profound lens into the evolving landscape of disruptive innovation.