The Formula To Standing Out From The Competition

Better doesn’t get noticed. There is too much noise and not enough time to notice better.

Different gets noticed, but can be a distraction. We generally like what we already have, so different is only good when it replaces something that I don’t already like. But. ..

Way better gets both noticed and is desired. The formula is simple: Be better by a factor of ten.

Serve hamburgers to customers in six seconds, ten times faster than McDonald’s, and customers will flock to you. Serve them in forty five seconds and you are simply part of the noise.

Sell a car with a 360 month (30 year) warranty, instead of the standard 36 months and customers will run to you.

Make a deodorant that lasts ten times longer and every parent of a teenager will buy your stock.

The formula to standing out from the competition? Be ten times better.


Comments

5 thoughts on “The Formula To Standing Out From The Competition”

    1. The most classic case study is with the video rental industry. This is how it went:
      1. The independent stores on Main Street or wherever dominated.
      2. Blockbuster offers 10x the video selection, and 10x (or more) copies of the hits. Customer doesn’t need to wait to see the hit. They wipe out the independents.
      3. Netflix makes the commute 10x+ shorter. Instead of driving to the Blockbuster store, the movie is in your mailbox. Blockbuster is crippled.
      4. RedBox puts $0.99 movies in your local food store / Walmart… where you go anyway. Your cost of a subscription with Nextlix is cut by 10x by using RedBox.
      5. NetFlix & Amazon and others, got to immediate delivery via online. Rental stores (and Redbox) are wiped out or pretty close to it, by this 10x improvement on speed of getting what you want.

  1. Great advice Mike
    Incremental improvement doesn’t cut it.
    Here are a few examples that come to mind:
    Getting coffee at Starbucks is 10x better than getting a coffee at the Gas station (maybe 100x)
    The original iPhone was 10x better than the Motorola Razr
    Disneyland is 10x better than the carnival on which it was modeled
    Thanks for helping the little guy. I have just bought both your books and they are awesome. But now I have to get off my a$$ and find a big bad wolf to take on.

    1. Rich – Thanks. I love your examples. Starbucks is 10x better than the gas station.
      I like your point with the original iPhone. And the fact you identified the original. Apple is losing its 10x as Samsung and others close the gap (or surpass it). Apple needs to turn up the heat, or they be in trouble.

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