Mike Beckham, Founder and CEO of Simple Modern, talks about entering competitive markets, selling established products, strategy differentiation, achieving excellence, being generous, American manufacturing challenges, and scaling as a player and coach.
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Quick takeaways
Entering markets with high competition can still lead to success by offering a unique value proposition and differentiating strategies.
Building moats, such as culture, licensing, and distribution, can protect businesses from competitors and drive sustainable growth.
Scaling a business requires transitioning from a player to a player-coach to a coach, emphasizing the importance of delegation and team development.
Deep dives
Entering Established Markets with High Competition
In this podcast episode, Mike Beckham, the founder and CEO of Simple Modern, discusses the approach of entering markets with high competition. He challenges the belief that one should avoid competition and highlights that most successful businesses are actually in established fields with existing products. By focusing on offering a unique value proposition, differentiating strategies, and delivering excellence, businesses can thrive even in competitive industries.
The Importance of Building Moats
Mike Beckham emphasizes the significance of building moats, or competitive advantages, for long-term success. He identifies different moats, such as culture, licensing, and distribution, that businesses can leverage to defend their market share. By prioritizing and strengthening these moats, companies can protect themselves from competitors and create sustainable growth.
The Evolution from Player to Player-Coach to Coach
Beckham shares insights on the different roles entrepreneurs go through as they scale their businesses. He describes the transition from being a player, responsible for executing tasks, to becoming a player-coach, where founders need to hire and coach a team while still performing on the field. Finally, he discusses the coach stage, where leaders step back from operational responsibilities and focus on coaching and leading the organization. He emphasizes the need for leaders to let go, delegate, and take time to develop their teams.
The Benefits of Domestic Manufacturing and Inventory Management
Domestic manufacturing provides additional demand capture, agility, and inventory management benefits for consumer brands. Inventory management is crucial as bad decisions can bankrupt a company faster than lack of sales. During a period of supply chain disruptions in 2020-2022, inventory was stuck on ships and docks, highlighting the importance of managing inventory closely. By manufacturing inventory closer to the point of sale, companies can better manage and take advantage of trends. Despite the challenges, making things domestically allows companies to be more nimble and better positioned for certain political and global events.
The Roles and Growth of a Leader in Scaling a Business
In order to scale a business from its early stages to significant growth, leaders need to excel in three roles: player, player and coach, and coach. In the player role, leaders are heavily involved in executing various tasks, wearing multiple hats, and gaining a diverse education across different areas. As the business grows, leaders transition to leading and coaching the core leadership team, providing guidance and leveraging their expertise. Additionally, leaders focus on high-leverage activities such as social media engagement and speaking engagements to have a greater impact. Recruiting exceptional talent becomes crucial, and creating a strong culture with shared core values helps attract and retain the right team members.
Mike Beckham is the founder & CEO of Simple Modern, a global producer of premium drinkware & lifestyle products. In this conversation, we talk about entering markets with high competition, how to sell an established product, strategy differentiation, core principle of achieving excellence, why you should always be generous, challenges of American manufacturing, and how to scale between a player & coach.
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