- Vinay Nair
Ascendancy in facing a Goliath sized Startup Competitor
Do you remember the story of how in a battle between the Israelis and the Philistines, an ordinary man with cunning, bravery and intelligence managed to kill a giant, thus winning the war for them?
Yes, I am talking about the story of David and Goliath, where David the underdog, the misfit, the tiny shepherd boy, fights against the nine feet tall giant Goliath, who was coming to the battlefront every day to hurl insults at the Israelites for not being able to do anything or for being too scared. David is an ordinary shepherd boy, with neither warrior-like skill nor build, but he is smart enough to know his strength, his skill with a sling and Goliath’s disadvantage- speed and agility. David assesses the situation, uses these two components to his advantage and slings a stone at Goliath’s face, who as a result falls down, only to have his head cut off by David with his own sword.
The terms ‘David’ and ‘Goliath’ are common when it comes to businesses, while the former is used to refer to smaller enterprises, the later is used to refer to their larger competitors. It is a commonly known fact, that entrepreneurs are constantly stuck in a cycle of playing the role of David to their Goliath competitors. It would be an understatement to call these small businesses just underdogs because they are much more than that. Many hugely successful businesses today started their entrepreneurial journey as Davids and underestimating their skills, unique capabilities and non-confirmation to traditional rules were what catapulted their successes!
Here are ten ways in which the founders (the Davids) of today can beat the established players (the Goliaths)
Believe in yourself!
