Value monopoly

We can’t all be category kings and queens. 

There’s only one Kleenex, one Coca-Cola, and one Apple. 

Many brands aspire to be the Apple of their category. Few are willing to do the work that Steve Jobs did to build an iconic brand. Make no mistake about it, both are inextricably linked. 

Fewer still have his taste, work ethic and impeccably high standards. According to biographer Walter Isaacson, Jobs motivated employees with a combination of charm and public humiliation. 

After an engineer put in 90-hour weeks for 10 months, Jobs told him he was unimpressed with his work. The engineer quit on the spot.

But back to this idea of category dominance. 

If you can’t create the next Apple, what can you do?

Well, you can create a value monopoly. 

The idea is that you have a monopoly on your brand value, personal or business. 

What can you do better than your competitors? 

The best product doesn’t always win. 

Perhaps your company can offer an unmatched service guarantee or a superior delivery system. This could be your value monopoly. 

Lean into it.