Be no 1 in whatever you do

“We are just starting to develop; how can you expect us to be at number one from day one? There are other players in the market. They are working for a few years and way ahead of us.”

It was a natural reaction from Yash to my demand. Every startup must start afresh, which obviously means following the competition. Right?

Being no 1 is a mindset  and not a position. Creating that mindset within the team can be done from day one. There are ways to reach that position sooner than you expect by following these simple methods.

Redefine that finish line. Number one does not always mean the revenues or the market share. Can you identify some other criteria? This will let you get to the position sooner. Once you get there, redefine the criteria, so that getting to the number one position again becomes an archivable goal.

Define a restricted market. Can we reach number one in a smaller market segment? The segment expands automatically as you get there.

Identify niche areas that are underserved. Can we become the best provider in any of that areas?

These are just examples.

Can you think of any other simpler way?