What a delightful time we just spent in Oregon! Beautiful nature and new encounters! Yet, an incident strongly reminded me about a mistake most of us still keep making about competitors.
Here’s the one-minute version of what happened:
The City of Eugene is a Mecca for runners. Nike was born there, the running community is strong, and trails abound. So, I decided to join the 20k version of a local trail race: the Ridgeline Ramble.
I felt confident he knew where he was going. He didn’t…
Around kilometer 10, it became apparent we were off track and completely lost in the woods!
Sadly, such a situation is familiar: most of us obsess over our competitors. We follow their every move.
When they seem ahead of us, we overreact by adjusting our product roadmaps or go-to-market strategies.
We shouldn’t.
Don’t get me wrong. You need to genuinely understand your competitive landscape and correctly anticipate the moves from potential disruptors.
Just don’t obsess over it and focus your passion on solving your customers’ most significant problems.
It might not prevent you from being disrupted. Still, the customer-centric foundation you build, coupled with enough agility, will help you adapt to ever-changing market conditions.
Back to the Ridgeline Ramble race, we eventually found our way back and had the “privilege” of running a 22k instead of 20. Needless to say, we arrived late to the post-race party!
Don’t follow your competitors!
And if you need help, let the Sherpa be your guide!