Focus: The Great Leveler

By my count, we’re up to 32 "Pandora killers.” When you face competition, especially from large incumbents, it’s very easy to fixate on all the advantages they have over you – seemingly infinite resources, a billion relationships, distribution, etc. Those advantages are easy to see, and can be daunting on the surface. But smaller companies have one very big advantage: focus.

Focus is not as obvious an advantage – but more and more it is the reason smaller companies are triumphing over large incumbents. Focus is immensely valuable because it’s the mother of excellence. Consumers want excellence, and with switching costs now virtually zero it’s easier than ever for them to get it. Good enough isn't good enough anymore. 

A focused company is much bigger than it appears. In times of increased competitive pressure, have confidence and reinforce the benefits of focus with your team:

• Study your competition, be direct and open in terms of assessing their offerings but don’t become preoccupied.
• Strive for agility and speed when it comes to responding to change or challenges.
• Don’t overreact with shortcuts – stay focused on the long-term; excellence is like great wine.