Stop Piggybacking!
Not because competing “seems somewhat inevitable” it means you can’t avoid it if you don’t want to.
I’m willing to bet your perspective was born from the misconception that underserved implies a lack of more in a superficial sense: skills and ideas aren’t unique to one person; anything one person can do, another person can learn, manifest, become another player in that space and by extension, competition.
Except, skills aren’t experienced in the same measure, neither are ideas expressed with the same understanding, from the same perspective, nor delivered with the same impact: a fact that is magnified when experience is absent; but more importantly, a weak reason for why you’re “better” because you’re competing against something that contributes to your compeition being a big fish in a small pond. Not that the industry has one player, but that they stand-out to a specific segment of people within a larger group because of the service they provide.
By all means, feel inspired by all that provider represents, but don’t fool yourself into believing you can actually be them. The likelihood of you sending business their way is much higher than you ever out-doing them.
Well, What Is Meant By Underserved?
It’s not so much what it means, but rather what it alludes to. Underserved alludes to “unmet needs” your services specifically cater to. Maybe you understand a specific group of people who feel misunderstood on a specific topic. Maybe dealing with specific problems no one in your industry cares about or knows what to do about is where you shine to those you serve. Maybe you have an approach that sets you apart from others in your industry to your ideal clients.
The key to note here is local founders who associate “losing cash” with focusing, tried it themselves, failed and by extension, ened up with delusions of “competition being somewhat inevitable”.
It defeats the purpose of focusing your services if in the end you’re no better off than when you hadn’t.
Long Live Piggybacking!
“Piggybacking on the point you made…” or “piggybacking off the first reason…” have you ever heard or read where someone made those statements?
It’s used to point out something that was done before to support something seemingly different, presently happening. Moreover, a competitive free zone like so many other concepts and approaches in business isn't new, and yet it is. The language used to describe it may thwart your ability to connect the dots, but there is nothing new under the sun.
And although piggybacking gives the impression that it's acceptable to rip-off someone, by nature, nothing can be further from the truth when reinventing the wheel is one of the first things you’re admonished against when you become self-employed.
According to Business Dictionary, piggybacking is a supportive exchange between/among businesses with complimentary products or services. But it’s also an expression of awareness: a necessary route to know whether or not you’re on the right track. I’m sure Beyonce did her homework on the first visual album ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ by The Beatles before creating ‘Lemonade’ and ‘Black is King'.
So, in conclusion, there’s no excuse for a lack of individuality or ignorance. The path has already been created. Enjoy learning but with all intention of leaving your mark.
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