Google, Baidu, Netease, Cisco, are in different countries,
compete in different market categories and are lead by different styles
of management.
But all of them have one thing in common: they are startups that became gorillas of a new market category.
Now they are brands respected around the globe, public corporations profitable and growing.
That is your objective as a startup: to become the gorilla of a new category.
In this series I'll explore what a startup gorilla is, why it is important to become one, who does that and how it is done.
===================================================================================
Who should focus on becoming a gorilla?
Answer: Not every startup.
For example, today I met a very talented medical professional. His idea for a business is not yet ready for working on a plan to become a gorilla. Instead, he needs to go through the "proof of concept" phase next. That will reveal the potential of his idea. If it is large enough, then he can do the hard work of preparing a plan to become a gorilla of a new space.
Also, don't aim at becoming a gorilla of a market already dominated by a gorilla. He will crush you. Beware of dreaming your technology will overcome the gorilla (that has inferior technology). And don't expect your "quicker, faster, cheaper, better" to leapfrog the gorilla. Instead, find a different market segment to focus on, use a flanking strategy to avoid confronting the powerful gorilla.
And, if you insist on "this is my company" as your rock solid position, then you should instead focus on becoming a big fish in a small pond. Soleproprietorships are made of that. There is nothing wrong with such a lifestyle, but do avoid dreaming you'll become the next Dolby Labs within five or ten years. It took him a lifetime to get there and most die trying.
Who should focus on becoming a gorilla?
Answer: Everyone else (than the above).
Why? Here is what I suggest you consider:
- Gorillas win. They end up on the top of the mountain, victory cup in hand. They are branded as the winner of the new space (category). That not only feels good, it also is worth a lot of money. Customers win as they benefit from the value your product/service has brought them. Employees win as they bath in the glory and wealth of having build a portion of the gorilla everyone is raving about. And so on goes the list of people who love it when thestartup wins by becoming the gorilla.
- Only a few will survive. The race is to win. There is room for only three on the awards platform at the end of the race: one gorilla and two chimpanzees.Either you enter to try to become the gorilla, or just be a spectator. Joggers will get trampled by the herd stampeding to become the gorilla.
- Investors run to potential gorillas (and ignore the rest). The investing world is intense, highly competitive and very risky. Experienced venture capitalists have learned (the hard way) that their money is best spent investing in people who have the idea and talent to convert those resources into a huge winner. That is why it is so important to dream large from Day One. Without the big dream you'll not get the attention of the quality investors you need to win.
- There is no other race. There is no money for people who say to investors and employees and the media "We plan on selling to a rich corporation in three years." That is like telling the Olympics coach you are trying out to win the silver or bronze medal. If you don't set your sights high enough, you'll not even have a chance to win as a chimpanzee. No one remembers who won the silver, they just recall who lost the gold. You have to instead go for the gold from Day One.
BOTTOM LINE: Gorillas win big. They run the race for the gold. Most startups must do the same. The alternatives are not going to attract the people and money you need to succeed. Some ideas are not ready for prime time yet. They need work, proof of concept, before a believable plan can be created to convert the idea into a gorilla. When you figure that out, you'll understand how it feels to have an unfair competitive advantage. It will be worth you hard work.