Leading the competition

Let’s talk about what it takes to thrive when everyone’s fighting for the same space. The internet is full of advice on how to run a business, talk to customers, build a product. There are best practices everywhere you look. But here’s the catch: if you just follow what everyone else is doing, you’re not going to stand out. Success in a competitive landscape isn’t just about being better. It’s about being different. And to be different, you need to balance those industry standards with your own independent thinking. You need the guts to go your own way.

The danger of following the herd

Think about how easy it is to fall into the trap of copying. You read a blog post or watch a talk, and it’s all laid out for you—step-by-step guides, proven strategies. It feels safe. But the problem is, if you’re doing exactly what everyone else is doing, you’re invisible. You’re just another face in the crowd. The real edge comes from taking those ideas as a starting point, not the finish line. You’ve got to inject your own perspective, your own take. That’s what makes people notice. That’s what turns a product or a company from “meh” to “whoa.” It’s not enough to execute well. You have to think differently, and that takes courage.

Lessons from the design tool wars

Look at the design tool space for a clear example. A few years back, it was a battlefield. InVision was huge, a go-to for designers, but it’s gone now—faded away. Then you’ve got Figma, which spent a decade building something that let product designers design and prototype in a way that just clicked. Sketch had its moment, rising fast and then slipping. A bunch of add-ons like Abstract and InVision Studio popped up, trying to piggyback on the trend. Meanwhile, Canva did something else entirely. They didn’t fight over the same turf as the others. They made a design tool for everyone, not just pros, and carved out a space almost no one’s touched.

What’s the difference between the winners and the losers here? It’s hard to pin down exactly why some made it and others didn’t. But one thing stands out: the ones that lasted, the ones that really took hold, weren’t just copying. They had the nerve to think for themselves. They didn’t look at the competition and say, “Let’s do that, but a little better.” They asked, “What’s missing? What can we do that no one else is even trying?” That’s the kind of thinking that cuts through the noise.

The power of independent thought

Here’s the bottom line: in a world where everyone’s reading the same playbook, independent thought is your superpower. It’s not about ignoring best practices altogether—those exist for a reason. It’s about using them as a foundation, not a cage. Take what’s out there, sure, but then twist it, bend it, add to it with your own ideas. Be brave enough to chart a path that’s yours. That’s how you stand out. That’s how you build something that doesn’t just compete, but changes the game.