“Even in the fact of massive competition, don’t think about the competition. Literally don’t think about them. Every time you’re in a meeting and you’re tempted to talk about a competitor, replace that thought with one about user feedback or surveys. Just think about the customer.”
– Mike McCue, CEO Tellme Networks, Former VP of Technology Netscape
“Competition starts at $100 million.”
– Glenn Kelman, CEO Redfin
If you don’t understand the customer better than the competition, quit.
If you can’t recruit a team that can serve your customers better than the competition, quit.
If you don’t think the market is big enough for competitors, quit.
Assume you have 30 competitors. Assume half of them have more money than you. Assume they’re ahead of you. Don’t worry when they launch before you do. Every overnight success story is the result of years of sustained, focused execution.
If you want to be #1, ignore the competition.
Had Netscape paid attention to the competition, they might have avoided getting their ass handed to them by IE
The comment thread on this article is actually at YC news.
I think that’s a bit unfair, there are always exceptions, and MSFT had a bit of an advantage in their install base of Windows users…
I would modify the point of this post just a bit, but I think the general premise is spot on: Be aware of what your competition is up to, but don’t let it distract you from delivering the compelling user experience you need to be a success in the marketplace.
Also, as a startup grows, it’s possible to have the product people focused 100% on the customer, while the BD / Strat guys think more about positioning and direction and drop hints to the Product guys about what may be cool to develop…
[…] At the very early stages of a company, it’s best to just ignore your competition. […]
Netscape: “Ignore the competition!”
LOL - Too funny Nivi.