tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260056830686404550.post7403494211337098401..comments2023-09-18T03:19:35.476-06:00Comments on Horse Bits: Rework by Jason FriedJohnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06038956427789115440noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260056830686404550.post-66297926988218518342010-04-19T10:17:48.327-05:002010-04-19T10:17:48.327-05:00"Pick a fight with your competitors" ree..."Pick a fight with your competitors" reeks of too much machismo for my taste. I guess I equate it with mudslinging.<br /><br />While there was some (internal) machismo, the exercise was most useful in focusing us on solving a specific and pervasive market problem well enough to win over prospects whose integrated system didn't quite meet their needs.<br /><br />I agree the euphemisms are no way to differentiate a company. That's what makes fightthebull.com so funny. (I believe it was Barbara at Pragmatic Marketing who introduced me to the overused "bull" words: flexible, extensible, ...)Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14385180214495398029noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260056830686404550.post-86680499709881520262010-04-19T08:35:15.895-05:002010-04-19T08:35:15.895-05:00"Pick a fight with your competitors" ree..."Pick a fight with your competitors" reeks of too much machismo for my taste. I guess I equate it with mudslinging.<br /><br />The real issue is how you're going to win over prospective customers and that involves only you and the prospect.<br /><br />Setting a goal of being the true market share leader is different than just picking a fight. (I realize, of course, that they're trying to play off another of their ideas which is "stand for something".) I can't remember where I read it, but someone else wrote that you can't differentiate yourself with euphemisms. Who's not going to claim they're better, nicer, etc?<br /><br />Also note that one of Reworks nuggets is "underdo" the competition as opposed to outdo them, the idea being that you should let them solve all the big hairy problems.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06038956427789115440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3260056830686404550.post-73099953287268427112010-04-18T20:29:48.865-05:002010-04-18T20:29:48.865-05:00(Crap, just lost the well-crafted comment... let&#...(Crap, just lost the well-crafted comment... let's try again.)<br /><br /><i>"Pick a fight with your competitors"</i> - this is something I miss from my days at Tivoli. Frank Moss (the CEO then) provided the spark to rally the company around taking on companies much larger than us (in areas we felt we could win, of course). <br /><br /><i>"make heroes out of your customers"</i> resonates well with me as it's been one of the rewarding aspects of my current employer. FWIW, I saw numerous examples of this at the UGM last week.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14385180214495398029noreply@blogger.com