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269 points mtlynch | 6 comments | | HN request time: 0.711s | source | bottom
1. openplatypus ◴[] No.43954247[source]
> Competitors don't really matter

This is so spot on.

I am also in a competitive space. Couple of my competitor man-child founders blocked me on social media for simply being on their feed. I took it as a blessing. I tuned out from their noise quickly and focus on customers rather than social media attention disorder.

Do yourself a solid. Don't watch competitors. Watch customers and the market.

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2. MarcelOlsz ◴[] No.43954812[source]
Haha! I had a YC founder threaten to sue me and tell me that she owned all my IP after seeing a demo :)
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3. andrewmcwatters ◴[] No.43955832[source]
Nice! I hope you did something like frame the communication. I think that would be great inspiration.
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4. MarcelOlsz ◴[] No.43958102{3}[source]
I do have the call recorded. I can print out her disgusted face the moment I said "it took me like, two weekends".
5. dannyxertify ◴[] No.43959192[source]
What a helpful insights bro!
6. gwd ◴[] No.43960653[source]
One book I read actually put it a different way: Lots of competition is actually a good thing.

If you come to a market that's "wide open" with nobody else there, there are two possibilities:

1. You're the first person to ever think of that idea

2. Lots of other people have had the same idea, but failed to make it work.

I mean, #1 is possible -- somebody has got to be first -- but #2 is much more likely.

By contrast, if you're in a space with lots of competitors, that demonstrates that the business idea is sustainable: if the market can support N sustainable companies, is can probably sustain N+1, particularly if you bring something new to the table.