Inventing the Right Competition—How to Define the Battlefield On Your Terms

Launching something new often feels like screaming into a storm: why should anyone care, and how can you stand out? People—and the companies they work for—don’t make choices in a vacuum; they compare every offer to something familiar from the past and something currently hyped. Smart innovators anticipate this by picking two 'anchors': a market alternative (what most folks already do, even if poorly) and a product alternative (a trendy but still lacking solution). By choosing and naming these two points on purpose, you give your audience the context to understand, evaluate, and trust what you’re offering.

When Intuit launched Quicken, home finance enthusiasts already knew the market alternative—paper checks. The product alternative was 'Managing Your Money,' a complex software only power-users loved. Intuit didn’t just say “We’re better.” Instead, they declared, for everyday bill-payers frustrated with manual check-writing, Quicken automates and organizes, unlike the complicated power tools built for hobbyists.

This strategy isn’t about trashing competitors, but triangulating your value in terms your audience already cares about. Behavioral research shows most people will not evaluate or adopt something new unless it fits in their current mental map. By defining your competition, you define the rules of the game—and position yourself as the only real 'best choice' for your target’s special needs.

Take a moment to clearly name one mainstream approach your crowd currently uses, and the go-to new kid on the block that’s making noise but doesn’t fully fit your tribe. Write a quick, two-sentence pitch—one line nailing the pain with the current option, one line showing how what you’ve built is the best, most complete fix for people just like them, unlike the misunderstood new competitor. Use this story consistently across every introduction, pitch, or web page. If you force the right comparison up front, you make it easier for your audience to say 'yes' without confusion or doubt. Try updating your main bio or pitch with this today.