Title: Rethinking “This Already Exists” as a Reason to Give Up
In many business-focused discussions online, you’ll find a recurring refrain: “This already exists, so there’s no point.” Often this comes from observers who haven’t built or scaled a successful venture themselves. The reality is the opposite: competition can be a powerful signal for pre-launch validation and a springboard for traction.
Why competition helps, not hurts
– Validation before you launch: When a market already has players, customers understand the value proposition quickly, reducing the need to educate them from scratch.
– Learn and improve from existing offerings: You can observe what works, what doesn’t, and where pain points lie, then refine your approach accordingly.
– A modest point of difference goes a long way: You don’t need a radical invention to gain traction. A small, well-timed differentiator—whether it’s a niche feature, a smarter marketing strategy, or a stronger lead network—can yield early momentum.
What “difference” can look like
– It’s not always about product features. A competing product can be identical in core experience, but you can stand out with unique marketing, a more efficient sales process, or superior partnerships.
– Alternatively, you can enter a crowded space with a smarter business model or distribution plan that reduces friction for customers.
Be wary of over-optimistic originality
– The hardest hurdle is often training users to adopt a new behavior or workflow. If your idea requires teaching customers a completely new way of doing things, that complexity can slow adoption. This doesn’t justify abandoning the idea, but it’s a critical factor to consider in your strategy.
Originality myths versus reality
– The “original” idea you hear about is frequently the version that gained attention, not necessarily the underlying concept.
– In practice, many successful launches occur in highly saturated markets. My own experience includes entering very crowded app categories and finding a path to success.
Historical examples of competition shaping success
– Facebook entered a market dominated by Myspace, Friendster, and LinkedIn.
– Google launched in a landscape with WebCrawler, Lycos, Yahoo, AskJeeves, AltaVista, and more.
– VRBO existed for years before the rise of Airbnb.
– The iPod didn’t exist in a market with only a single mp3 player; it emerged amid numerous competing devices.
A practical takeaway
– It’s rare to find a genuinely unconstrained, uncontested space. Even where a dominant player exists, disruption remains possible. For example, DuckDuckGo carved out a niche by aggregating results from multiple APIs, achieving a notable valuation without “winning” the dominant category.
Bottom line
– Don’t set impossibly high expectations for your first launch. Instead, test, learn, and iterate in competitive environments. Believe in your approach, stay pragmatic about differentiation, and give yourself permission to start—even in markets that already have players. End note: the path to success often runs through crowded terrain.
