Start-Up Suicide: “Just Fine” Competitive Positioning
This usually happens when the developers hit a bump in the original ambitious plan. That’s the problem with converting words to deeds or transferring technology from the controlled lab to messy reality. Oops. It doesn’t work like we thought it would. No problem! We’ll just sell what we can do and it’ll be “just fine.”
People aren’t looking for a “just fine” alternative. They’re already doing something now that solves the (real or perceived) problem you’re addressing. “Just fine” means you’re just another one of the wooly flock. I’m sure a shepherd and fellow sheep can tell one sheep from the other, but your customers aren’t going to take the time to look, nor are they interested in the finer points of ewe beauty (unless they’re really lonely…)
Related Posts:
Start-Up Success: People Before Plan Check-out Dawn Rivers Bakers’ riff on this, Micros as perpetual start-ups.
Start-Up Success: Look Stupid. Be Silly!
Start-Up Suicide: Free Business Plan Help.
Start-Up Suicide: Mine is Bigger than Yours.
Tags: business planning, competitive positioning, entrepreneurship, entrepreneur sanity check, product development
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