Competition Isn’t the Enemy

Subh Deepawali, Friends!

Deepawali is a festival of light, which gives us new hope and thoughts to move ahead in life by burning all worries and blessing us with prosperity.

Something interesting happened to me on this Deepawali, and I wanted to share it with my beautiful community, who always wait for exciting articles on Wednesdays. I am pleased and thankful to all of you who read the article and share your love.

Last week, I was at a Deepawali party with some business friends. A conversation about competition started somewhere between the jokes and festive sweets, and it caught my attention fast.

It was an intense discussion – seven business owners, all in manufacturing, trading stories about rising competition. Some felt pressured by lower-priced rivals, while others depended heavily on relationships to secure deals. They saw competition as something to fend off constantly. And listening to this, I could see a shared mindset among them: most were focused on battling competitors, trying to stay on top by undercutting prices or banking on old relationships. They were all feeling squeezed.

That night, something happened that pulled all these ideas together. My mother asked me to order curd in the morning, and I just remembered that I needed to order when I got the reminder, time was around 10:30 pm, and all the nearby shops were closed. But I just opened Blinkit , and 10 minutes later, the curd was at my door. I didn’t even have time to change clothes! That instant delivery didn’t just solve a problem; it highlighted something crucial: Blinkit wasn’t competing on price or just trying to beat someone else. Instead, they tapped into what people need – convenience and speed – and built their business around that.

As I reflected on the party discussion, I realized that my friends were missing the bigger picture in their concern about competition. Blinkit wasn’t worried about competing with grocery stores; they were focused on serving customers better and faster. This realization brought a sense of liberation-when you shift your focus to your customers, you free yourself from the pressure of competition. It's a powerful feeling of empowerment.

Imagine if those business owners could shift their focus like Blinkit. Instead of getting bogged down by what their competitors are doing, they’d study their customers and ask, “What do they really want?” Because that’s the edge. The most successful brands don’t obsess over what others are doing. They innovate based on customer needs. Look at 苹果 . Steve Jobs didn’t care about 微软 moves; he cared about building something beautiful and intuitive for the user. This power of innovation based on customer needs should inspire and motivate you to innovate in your own businesses.

In my own journey, I’ve found that focusing on customer feedback, staying creative, and constantly improving keeps me energized and always a step ahead. The thrill of staying creative and constantly improving should keep you energized and always a step ahead, making competition mere background noise.

So here’s my challenge: let go of the competition mindset. Build from a place of authenticity. Stop looking sideways and start doubling down on the value you bring to your customers. When you create with passion, no competitor can shake you.

Let’s change how we see competition—not as a threat but as a push to improve our customers' experiences. That’s the real win.

I would love to hear your thoughts.