Hot Take: The Dos and Don’ts of Category Creation
Learn the essential dos and don'ts of category creation, including why category creators must convene competitors and become the market influencer rather than relying on traditional go-to-market playbooks.
About This Video
Executive Takeaways
- Traditional go-to-market strategies fail category creators because market-defining companies must build an entirely new path rather than follow existing market lanes.
- Category creation requires convening competitors to establish and validate the market category instead of solely attempting to beat them.
- Successful category creators position themselves as the primary market influencer rather than outsourcing influence or hiring third-party promoters.
- Founders and fractional executives must understand the critical operational pitfalls and common strategic missteps before committing resources to a category bet.
Key Questions Answered in This Deep Dive
Why don't standard go-to-market strategies work for category creators?
Traditional GTM playbooks are designed to capture existing market demand and follow proven paths. Category creators cannot rely on these because they must define an entirely new problem space and build the path from scratch.
How should category creators treat competitors?
Rather than focusing purely on defeating competitors, category creators should actively convene competitors. Bringing competitors into the conversation helps validate, define, and expand the newly created category.
What is the recommended approach to influencer marketing in category creation?
Instead of hiring external influencers, category creators need to become the influencer themselves. Leading the industry conversation and setting the category agenda builds direct authority and market ownership.
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