AI Switching Costs will be Surprising [2026w13]

Is switching your AI "daily driver" really as simple as opening a new tab and copying a prompt? In this episode of Lead Prompt, John Collins explores the hidden, surprising costs of migrating between LLMs: costs that go far beyond subscription fees. We dive into the "muscle memory" required to master a model’s nuances, the "context moat" built through weeks of domain-specific interaction, and the undeniable impact of an AI’s "vibe" on an engineer's flow. Discover why treating AI as a generic commodity is a leadership mistake and why respecting your team's choice of "intellectual partner" is the key to maintaining high-level productivity. What is your favourite AI model right now, and why? Let’s talk about it in the comments. Show notes are here: https://leadprompt.sh/a/733-AI-Switching-Costs-will-be-Surprising-2026w13 Keywords: Lead Prompt, John Collins, AI switching costs, LLM lock-in, AI model preference, software engineering leadership, engineering management, AI productivity, Claude AI, Gemini AI, Kiro AI, prompt engineering, technical debt, AI strategy for business, developer tools, developer experience, DevEx, AI workflow, context window, RAG, AI for developers, cognitive friction, technical leadership.