Detail of The suitors take the devotee’s daughter out of her tomb after breaking it open, when the physician discovers she is still alive, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Twentieth Night by Unknown artist. Three suitors lift a shrouded woman beside an opened tomb.

Ask what remains unsolved

The presence of competitors does not prove that customers have a complete solution.

An existing product shows that someone saw the problem. It does not show that the response works well for every customer. Important gaps can remain in quality, access, experience, or reach.

Investigate the customer’s remaining difficulty. A new company needs a meaningful improvement, not simply a different name. The more complete the existing response, the stronger your difference must be.

Do not abandon a problem merely because another company works on it. Do not assume that competition validates your specific idea either. Return to the customer and the unresolved need.

The useful question is direct: what can you improve that matters enough for someone to choose you?

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