"There are already three products doing this."

I hear this as an objection. It's not—it's validation.

If nobody else is building what you're building, that's actually concerning. It might mean nobody wants it.

The Competition Fear

Most founders fear competition:

"Someone else is already doing this." They have a head start. Why bother?

"They have more resources." Bigger teams, more funding, better marketing.

"I can't compete." They're established. I'm unknown.

These fears feel rational. They're mostly wrong.

The Reframe

Competition means the market exists.

Someone else built this because people need it. They validated the problem for you.

Competition means people pay for this. Money is being spent. The budget exists.

No competition might mean no demand. If no one's built it yet, maybe no one wants it.

The absence of competition isn't a green field. It's a warning sign.

What Competition Tells You

Use competitors as research:

The problem is real. They found users willing to pay. The problem exists.

Money is being spent. Customers are already allocating budget for this category.

Distribution channels exist. They found ways to reach customers. Those channels exist for you too.

You can study what works. Their marketing, their positioning, their features. It's a blueprint.

How to Compete as a Solo Founder

You can't outspend them. Don't try. Compete on different dimensions:

Be more focused. They serve everyone. You serve someone specific, really well. Simple wins.

Be faster to respond. They have layers and process. You can ship a feature this week.

Be simpler. Their product is bloated. Yours does one thing well.

Be more personal. They're a faceless company. You're a human who answers emails.

Finding Your Angle

Where's the gap?

What do customers complain about with competitors? Read their reviews. Join communities where users talk. Find the pain.

What segment is underserved? The enterprise solution ignores small businesses. The developer tool ignores non-developers. Who's being left out?

What can you do that they can't? Sometimes it's simplicity. Sometimes it's specialization. Sometimes it's personality.

You don't need to be better at everything. You need to be better at something that matters to some segment.

When Competition Is Actually a Problem

Competition isn't always good:

Winner-take-all markets. Network effects mean one winner. Being second is worthless.

Commoditized offerings. No differentiation possible. Pure price competition.

No angle available. Sometimes every niche is served. Sometimes the problem is solved.

But these are rarer than you think. Most markets have room for focused alternatives.

Using Competitors Wisely

Here's how to engage with the competition:

Study their marketing. What resonates? What words do they use? What do they emphasize?

Read their reviews. What do customers love? What do they hate? The complaints are your opportunities.

Don't copy—differentiate. You're not building their product. You're building yours.

Don't obsess. Check in occasionally. Don't spend all day on their site. Build your thing.

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