Why It’s Okay Not to be First to Market

The early bird catches the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Do you ever just scroll through your social media feed and bam! you see a quote that resonates deep within your soul? That’s how I felt last Friday when I came across this quote on my Instagram feed:

“Your voice is unique. Do not stay silent because you think someone else has already delivered the message.”

Do you ever think about an idea, shelf it for a second, make two spins and then discover that someone else also thought of the same idea — but they actually acted on it?

Yeah, me too.

My brain is always churning with ideas that I eventually talk myself out of pursuing because “somebody else is already doing it.”

But wait just a minute. We each have our own unique voice, an original spin that we can make on things; an audience or a market that we are better positioned to reach than another person or brand.

Being a first-mover comes with its advantages, yes, but so too does being a second-mover. We can be innovative by improving on what has been done before or by adding our unique voices, perspectives and flair to cater to the audiences with whom we have influence.

If you have an idea or a dream, go for it! If you’ve always wanted to sell your famous corn soup, don’t give up your dream just because you see soup on sale elsewhere.

However, you must be able to articulate your point of difference and your unique selling proposition (whether that’s taste, price, value, location, quality or something else) and identify and target the market that demands your ministry, product or service.

Think about this: Facebook wasn’t the first social media network and the iPhone was not the first smartphone, yet both enjoy market domination today.