Christopher Lockhead

If you get category right, once people see something, they can't unsee it.

If you get category right, once people see something, they can't unsee it.

If you get category right, once people see something, they can't unsee it.

You can build a legendary company business model. Uh, but if you don't have a category, there is nobody that's going to buy it. So that's kind of problem one. Problem number two is if you look at most new, whether it's a startup or an innovative new product that is trying to pioneer an innovative new category from an existing company, the same dynamics are true.

You can build a legendary company business model. Uh, but if you don't have a category, there is nobody that's going to buy it. So that's kind of problem one. Problem number two is if you look at most new, whether it's a startup or an innovative new product that is trying to pioneer an innovative new category from an existing company, the same dynamics are true.

You can build a legendary company business model. Uh, but if you don't have a category, there is nobody that's going to buy it. So that's kind of problem one. Problem number two is if you look at most new, whether it's a startup or an innovative new product that is trying to pioneer an innovative new category from an existing company, the same dynamics are true.

If you get category right, once people see something, they can't unsee it.

If you get category right, once people see something, they can't unsee it.

If you get category right, once people see something, they can't unsee it.

I guess the big aha is, you know, here's a simple one that that I like that tends to resonate. If you want to sell Bibles, there's got to be Christians. And so what most people do is they shout, look how great my Bible is. Legends spread the religion. And in the HBR research that I mentioned, we discovered this incredible thing.

I guess the big aha is, you know, here's a simple one that that I like that tends to resonate. If you want to sell Bibles, there's got to be Christians. And so what most people do is they shout, look how great my Bible is. Legends spread the religion. And in the HBR research that I mentioned, we discovered this incredible thing.

I guess the big aha is, you know, here's a simple one that that I like that tends to resonate. If you want to sell Bibles, there's got to be Christians. And so what most people do is they shout, look how great my Bible is. Legends spread the religion. And in the HBR research that I mentioned, we discovered this incredible thing.

76% of the total value created as measured by market cap or valuation goes to the company that dominates the category. And so the aha here is categories make the brand. Google has a legendary brand because they dominate a category called search.

76% of the total value created as measured by market cap or valuation goes to the company that dominates the category. And so the aha here is categories make the brand. Google has a legendary brand because they dominate a category called search.

76% of the total value created as measured by market cap or valuation goes to the company that dominates the category. And so the aha here is categories make the brand. Google has a legendary brand because they dominate a category called search.

When they take that legendary brand and they slap it on a category that they're not designing, aka social networking, they have their ass handed to them, in this case by Facebook. And so most companies believe they can win by screaming their brand. Look at us, look at us. Aren't we awesome? Aren't we awesome? Brands are about us. Categories are about customers.

When they take that legendary brand and they slap it on a category that they're not designing, aka social networking, they have their ass handed to them, in this case by Facebook. And so most companies believe they can win by screaming their brand. Look at us, look at us. Aren't we awesome? Aren't we awesome? Brands are about us. Categories are about customers.

When they take that legendary brand and they slap it on a category that they're not designing, aka social networking, they have their ass handed to them, in this case by Facebook. And so most companies believe they can win by screaming their brand. Look at us, look at us. Aren't we awesome? Aren't we awesome? Brands are about us. Categories are about customers.

And so legends actually market their category. And in so doing, there's this other interesting thing that happens. Prospects, customers, consumers, the only company they've ever seen market the category is the category queen. So when you're the one evangelizing the category, the market, people in the market assume you're the leader because that's what leaders do.

And so legends actually market their category. And in so doing, there's this other interesting thing that happens. Prospects, customers, consumers, the only company they've ever seen market the category is the category queen. So when you're the one evangelizing the category, the market, people in the market assume you're the leader because that's what leaders do.

And so legends actually market their category. And in so doing, there's this other interesting thing that happens. Prospects, customers, consumers, the only company they've ever seen market the category is the category queen. So when you're the one evangelizing the category, the market, people in the market assume you're the leader because that's what leaders do.

Non-leaders, that is to say followers, compare themselves to others. Take the Pepsi challenge. Pepsi tastes better than Coke, right? And when they do that, they're telling the market category, Coke's the leader. And so the only companies that consumers ever see attacking and comparing themselves are are by definition not the leaders, not the category queens and kings.

Non-leaders, that is to say followers, compare themselves to others. Take the Pepsi challenge. Pepsi tastes better than Coke, right? And when they do that, they're telling the market category, Coke's the leader. And so the only companies that consumers ever see attacking and comparing themselves are are by definition not the leaders, not the category queens and kings.

Non-leaders, that is to say followers, compare themselves to others. Take the Pepsi challenge. Pepsi tastes better than Coke, right? And when they do that, they're telling the market category, Coke's the leader. And so the only companies that consumers ever see attacking and comparing themselves are are by definition not the leaders, not the category queens and kings.

And so if you want to be perceived as the company that's designing and dominating the market category, evangelize the category.

And so if you want to be perceived as the company that's designing and dominating the market category, evangelize the category.

And so if you want to be perceived as the company that's designing and dominating the market category, evangelize the category.

At a high level, the companies that really break through, the companies that change the future, the companies that are worth the most going forward, they really get three things right at the same time. We call it prosecute the magic triangle. And what that means is they get company design. business model, culture, distribution, all of those things. They get product design.

At a high level, the companies that really break through, the companies that change the future, the companies that are worth the most going forward, they really get three things right at the same time. We call it prosecute the magic triangle. And what that means is they get company design. business model, culture, distribution, all of those things. They get product design.

At a high level, the companies that really break through, the companies that change the future, the companies that are worth the most going forward, they really get three things right at the same time. We call it prosecute the magic triangle. And what that means is they get company design. business model, culture, distribution, all of those things. They get product design.

So do we have a truly breakthrough product that solves a unique problem in a completely differentiated way? And they get category design, right? So product, company, and category And if you get all three of those right at the right moment in time, that's how you get Airbnb. That's how you get Zoom. That's how you get, you know, pick your breakthrough company.

So do we have a truly breakthrough product that solves a unique problem in a completely differentiated way? And they get category design, right? So product, company, and category And if you get all three of those right at the right moment in time, that's how you get Airbnb. That's how you get Zoom. That's how you get, you know, pick your breakthrough company.

So do we have a truly breakthrough product that solves a unique problem in a completely differentiated way? And they get category design, right? So product, company, and category And if you get all three of those right at the right moment in time, that's how you get Airbnb. That's how you get Zoom. That's how you get, you know, pick your breakthrough company.

And, you know, based on our research, based on our experience, based on my experience of doing this for over 30 years, it really is equal parts of those three. The one addition I'd say there, Ryan, is of those three, there's one that is a single point of failure and that's category. Cause if there's no market, there's no marketing that you can get a, you can build a legendary product.

And, you know, based on our research, based on our experience, based on my experience of doing this for over 30 years, it really is equal parts of those three. The one addition I'd say there, Ryan, is of those three, there's one that is a single point of failure and that's category. Cause if there's no market, there's no marketing that you can get a, you can build a legendary product.

And, you know, based on our research, based on our experience, based on my experience of doing this for over 30 years, it really is equal parts of those three. The one addition I'd say there, Ryan, is of those three, there's one that is a single point of failure and that's category. Cause if there's no market, there's no marketing that you can get a, you can build a legendary product.