They stress all day long figuring out what others are doing and how to keep ahead. (Sure, there are markets where it is imperative to keep your foot ahead but I don’t see how in the tech space.) There are just so many problems to solve, and so many different ways to solve them!
As founders we should focus on building a sustainable company, an amazing team, catering to our clients all while at the same time aligning the company to what our life goals are.
I’ve started a few companies over the years and all of them are a direct reflection of who I am, what I want in life and how I want to impact others. Back when I started my first company, Ideaware, my main motivator was time & freedom.
After a few years all I wanted was to take care of my team and make sure that they grow. Now I’m taking that from local to a national scale. To add to that now a days my biggest motivation is also my family. This is why your competition shouldn’t matter: it’s about you, your family & your team. It’s about playing the long game. Building something sustainable. Something that makes you happy, that brings you peace of mind because you are helping others.
A company is there to support your own goals, not take them away. A company is there to serve your customers. … and in the intersection of meeting goals and having happy customers is where the secret of a successful, long term company lies.