Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

How to become a category pirate | Christopher Lochhead (author of Play Bigger, Niche Down, Category Pirates, more)

365 snips
Sep 17, 2023
Christopher Lochhead, a 14-time bestselling author and the 'godfather' of category design, dives into the powerful concepts of defining your market. He breaks down the 'Frame It, Name It, Claim It' framework and why traditional notions like product-market fit can be misleading. Lochhead emphasizes the importance of 'languaging' in marketing, showcasing how it can transform brand perception. He urges entrepreneurs to innovate rather than just compete, offering insights on creating unique market categories for lasting success.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Category Design vs. Competition

  • Most businesses compete with "better" products in existing markets, fighting for a smaller share of the value.
  • Category design, however, focuses on creating new markets and capturing larger value.
ANECDOTE

Purell's Category Design Success

  • Purell's parent company, Gojo Industries, first designed the "liquid soap" category.
  • Later, they designed the "hand sanitizer" category with Purell, demonstrating the power of problem-focused innovation.
ANECDOTE

Gong's Missed Opportunity

  • Gong succeeded initially by dominating a niche within the emerging RevOps space.
  • However, they failed to expand their category vision, allowing Clary to define the broader market and dominate.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app