We are here to disrupt THEM

I think we can all agree that customer centricity is key for business success. That doesn’t mean, doing whatever the customer says, or “the customer is always right” it means understanding the complexity of their situations, perceptions, and expectations.

So you can abandon that quote by Henry Ford about customers wanting “faster horses” rather than a car. After all, customer centricity has come a long way since the 1930s, it’s a lot more nuanced.

So then, why do I see companies focusing on their competitors more than their customers?

Especially from startups towards their corporate counterparts. “We’re more nimble and faster than the market leaders” they often say, but that isn’t necessarily a compelling proposition for your audience. Competitor centricity isn’t a term, but I’d argue that many businesses have that approach.

Let’s use our fictional friend Sam as an example again. Sam runs a rapid grocery delivery service designed to disrupt the market.

Sam decides her service should only be available via an app, this is unlike the competitors who also have a browser version of their service. “Browsers are so 2012” says Sam, “We don’t want to look like the others, let’s be 100% app based”. But in the process Sam has ignored the fact that 42% of UK shoppers do their groceries through a desktop browser view.

Then Sam decides to reduce the selection of products, “the competitors have too many options, let’s make the customer choose faster with fewer choices”. As it happens, close to half of UK consumers (46%) are buying a 'greater variety' of brands after the pandemic. Once again Sam’s priority is the competitor and how they can be beaten rather than the end customer.?

The result is a service that feels narrow, unpersonalised and ultimately inferior to what already exists. So, where did it go wrong?

Sam made the disruption all about being different and independent and the result was an isolated process that lost track of the goal – innovation.

Instead of disrupting “them”, there are amazing gains to be found in collaboration – “us”. Partnering or working towards a common goal is more powerful than trying to go it alone.

The reality is that at some point your business will have to collaborate with those you initially wanted to disrupt.

It’s best not to burn your bridges!