---
title: The Expectation Reset · How AI Is Redefining Customer Expectations | RGM®
url: https://realgrowthmatters.com/learn/frameworks/expectation-reset/
updated: 2026-06-10
source_html: https://realgrowthmatters.com/learn/frameworks/expectation-reset/
---

## The customer is the variable, not the technology

Most AI strategy conversations focus on what AI can do. Brian Balfour's *Expectation Reset* argument is that the more important variable is what customers now expect AI to do. The capability frontier and the expectation frontier are not the same thing. Expectations can lag capabilities, but eventually they catch up — and when they catch up, every product gets re-evaluated against the new expectation baseline.

## Seven expectation shifts AI is driving

1. **Instant.** Customers expect responses in seconds, not minutes. Chat-style interaction becomes the default.
2. **Personalized.** Generic experiences feel obsolete. Customers expect output tailored to their context.
3. **Proactive.** Customers expect the product to suggest the next step, not wait to be asked.
4. **Conversational.** Form-based UIs feel slow. Natural-language interaction becomes the expected primary mode.
5. **Multi-modal.** Text, voice, image, code, video — customers expect to move fluidly between modalities.
6. **Generative.** Customers expect new output created on demand, not just retrieved from a database.
7. **Continuous.** Customers expect the product to learn and improve from the interaction.

## Why this is a treadmill, not a destination

Expectation shifts don't settle. Each capability advance pulls customer expectations forward, which pulls product requirements forward, which forces another capability advance. Reforge calls this the Product-Market Fit Treadmill: once you find PMF, you don't keep it by standing still. You keep it by running forward at the pace customer expectations move.

**Source & further reading.** This framework was originally articulated by the team at Reforge. For the original essay, see <https://www.reforge.com/blog/the-expectation-reset>. RGM has expanded the framework with operator-side examples, RGM playbook content, and integration with the broader RGM growth strategy.

## Related frameworks

[**Product-Market Fit Collapse**

PMF is not permanent. AI is causing sudden, complete PMF collapse in categories that previously had stable demand. Brian Balfour's framework for diagnosing collapse risk — and what to do about it.](/learn/frameworks/product-market-fit-collapse/)[**Is Your Product at Risk of AI Disruption?**

The four-factor AI disruption risk framework — Use Case, Growth Model, Defensibility, Business Model. How to assess your exposure and build the strategic response. Reforge's framework, expanded with operator examples.](/learn/frameworks/ai-disruption-risk-assessment/)[**AI Reality Check · 10 Charts in 10 Minutes**

AI hype vs AI reality. The data on what's actually happening with AI adoption, deployment, team composition, and ROI — separating narrative from numbers. Reforge's data-grounded view.](/learn/frameworks/ai-reality-check/)