When do you "earn the right" to create your own category?

One of the main benefits of category creation preventing commoditization. However, if you really don't have much to differentiate yourself (i.e. - ARE commoditized), it seems that creating your own category kind of seems morally dubious. At what point can you say "ok, I can call this something else and be cool with it, because it's true."

Answer

2 Answers

Category Creation

Steve Feyer

WalkMe Director, Solutions Marketing & Competitive Intelligence • 8y

As usual, a five-star response from Anthony. I tend to be very direct, so my answer is simply: If you don't feel you have the right to create a category by virtue of your mere existence, you're not a leading-edge entrepreneur. Full stop. You just don't have the right personality for it. Which isn't a knock on you. You might still be an awesome entrepreneur in an established industry. Or a tremendous visionary, or a great leader. High-tech entrepreneurship is an important thing but could not pos ...Read More

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Anthony Kennada

AudiencePlus CEO • 8y

I definitely don’t think you need to earn the right – or at least, no one gave us the right to do so with Customer Success. At the end of the day, category creation has more to do with the people within the job function that you’re serving than the actual product that you sell. I don’t find that morally dubious, I believe that eventually all products become somewhat commoditized. Pepsi or Coke? At the end of the day, what people buy into is the brand that you’ve developed and the trust that you’ ...Read More

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