How to View Competition — Don’t Be That Guy

**Originally published 9/8/2013

Don’t be that guy.

Don’t be that guy that freaks out every time you hear a new startup has entered your space. View it as market validation.

Don’t be that guy who spreads rumors and bashes his competition in private and public conversations. Rather embrace the competition and know that it makes you better.

Don’t be that guy who inwardly despises those working on a similar product. Understand they believe that one ounce of mental energy focused on anything but building a world-changing product is a waste of precious time.

Don’t be that guy who stalks his competition online and in backchannels, trying to gather as much intel as possible to measure progress. Instead focus on your internal KPIs and the goals you set for the company.

Don’t be that guy who works to kill his competitors. Kill market friction instead, and work toward the passion with which you started and the gap your product aims to fill.

Don’t be that guy who tries to hire away talented team members from other startups. Be so good that talent approaches you, and let it publicly be known that you have a policy of non-poaching.

Don’t be that guy that is jealous of big wins by the competition. Congratulate them publicly on their successes, then take stock of what you could have done differently to achieve what they just won and change.

Don’t be that guy that is so fearful of the competition that you can’t sleep at night thinking of yet another way your company will go down in flames. Take a deep breath, focus on leaving everything you have on the field each day, and you’ll sleep like a baby.

Don’t be that guy. Nobody likes that guy.