Comments on: Ignore The Competition

By: Don

Don — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 11:12:16 +0000

Wouldn’t a rockstar keep his compositions the best? how would he know he is best? by comparison factually !
I think it is difficult to ignore the competition, what would fuel you?

By: Henk Kleynhans

Henk Kleynhans — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:43:47 +0000

I have had a variety of competitors (both large and small) copy our sticker designs, our user manuals (same screenshots, same text in capital red), our sales collateral and even our entire Hotspot billing system INCLUDING 2-year old bugs!

What I’ve realised is that they can only copy what we’ve already done. Not what we’ll be doing tomorrow…

By: Zoran

Zoran — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:25:58 +0000

Do you manage to do it?

By: Adii Rockstar

Adii Rockstar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:57:44 +0000

Hehe… Hey – we’ve got to have a boss in our lives sometimes. Hopefully though you & your wife at least share that *responsibility*…

By: Adii Rockstar

Adii Rockstar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:56:17 +0000

LOL @ that last sentence.

I just think we should ignore competition to the extent that we’re not just reacting to their actions all the time, because that way we’re not being unique and acting on our own impulses / ideas. Always be aware of what’s happening around you though, but make sure you’re being more proactive than reactive.

By: Adii Rockstar

Adii Rockstar — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:54:44 +0000

That’s a good take on the whole situation I think. And I agree… There’s still an element of following others, but I think it’s important to not follow blindly and still make sure that you’re not being overly influenced by the ways that others approach things.

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:27:23 +0000

Adii, Thanks for this post. Very inspirational for me as a freelancer. I finished my contract with a big company from Seattle and then had to decide on whether to get out there and fight for a new programming job or start my own consulting thing. I just thought about something, it’s quite Rockstar not to have a boss…unless you count my wife

By: Chad Engle

Chad Engle — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:53:03 +0000

Adii,
These are great points. I think people get too caught up in “what is the other guy doing”. Instead of innovating. I think a great example is the transportation industry. Very few leaders and tons of followers. Great points. Great post.

By: David McKendrick

David McKendrick — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:54:13 +0000

I’ll agree to disagree It’s fine as long as you ‘pave your own path’, so to speak & find a niche to fill that no one else does — but to ignore your competition would be to ignore the entire industry in which you service.

Competitors can be wonderful alliances to forge as long as they’re doing everything wrong.

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:57:14 +0000

Interesting Extract from your Book:

To be a follower is not a bad idea until you are comfortable in your newly chosen profession.

For instance, No web developer will really know what the industry’s all about unless he observes and “follows”. To set himself apart he needs to spread his wings and shoots into a new direction creating a vacuum that pulls his own followers.