How to Create a Category of One

In this episode of the Rainmaker Podcast, host Gui Costin speaks with Mark Levy, a differentiation expert and founder of Levy Innovation, known for helping individuals and organizations stand out through what he calls “big sexy ideas.” Levy has worked with major companies and thought leaders, including Simon Sinek, and emphasizes the power of clarity, surprise, and storytelling in business communication.

The episode centers around the critical importance of differentiation in the investment business, especially for fundraisers and marketers constantly facing competition. Levy explains that being “better” than competitors often leads to vague or forgettable comparisons, whereas being “different” creates a unique category—a “category of one”—that sets a brand apart.

Levy shares techniques for uncovering differentiation, such as listing all industry assumptions and flipping them to find unconventional approaches. He illustrates this with the story of Schlitz Beer, which became a top brand after advertising its “ordinary” brewing process that, while standard in the industry, was unknown and impressive to the public. This story underscores Levy’s point that what’s obvious to insiders may be extraordinary to outsiders.

Costin and Levy agree that every investment strategy has a story, even if the portfolio managers don’t immediately see it. They discuss how identifying moments of surprise, change, or passion can reveal a firm’s uniqueness. A practical tip from Costin involves asking fund managers, “What gets you out of bed in the morning?” to uncover authentic motivation and inspiration behind a strategy.

Levy stresses that in fundraising, where clients must sell strategies internally, numbers alone won’t stick—memorable stories will. The goal is to tell a story so compelling that someone can repeat it to others and sound insightful. Storytelling becomes essential not only in marketing materials but also in meetings, pitches, and quarterly updates. These stories should reflect how the firm thinks, why decisions are made, and how anomalies or blips lead to insights and improvements.

The conversation concludes with a strong message: in a crowded, noisy, and data-heavy investment world, your differentiation is your brand. To stand out, you must communicate how you think, not just what you do, through stories that show how your approach uniquely benefits clients.

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