“There’s still room,” I said.
“You don’t think it’s too crowded, too competitive?” he asked.
“It may be, but if you find an area where nobody is working…there’s likely a good reason,” I replied. “And besides, we’re not talking about a high cost to enter and get started, and to find out if you can carve out your own corner.”
Competition is great. It’s fun. Sure, it’s good for consumers, but as a business person I enjoy it.
Mentioned in today’s show are three guys. They help illustrate that competition can be based on personality, approach and connectivity. One person isn’t going to effectively serve everybody shopping for a service or product…even if the niche is as narrow as podcasting. By the way, I like all these guys and admit I hope they’re all doing well because they all bring something special and unique to the space.
Daniel Clark – QAQN.com – Daniel is very involved in various Internet marketing areas, most notably affiliate marketing. He has his own unique style and personality. Don’t we all? He has his own unique circle of friends and acquaintances, too. Daniel is illustrative of just doing it. He produces shows and doesn’t let kid noise or anything else stop him. Wrap it all up and you’ve got Daniel’s unique approach to podcasting and coaching.
Cliff Ravenscraft – PodcastAnswerman.com – Cliff has a different story than Daniel or Mark. He dumped a career in insurance to pursue a dream of being a full-time paid podcaster. A wife, three kids and a mortgage – they’re all part of his story. But there’s more to his story. He’s got a religious background having served in various capacities with churches. He peels back lots of areas of his personal life. It’s part of his story and he’s very willing to share it. Cliff is a geek’s geek and you can tell he loves technology. Bundle all that together and Cliff has is own unique approach.
Mark Jensen – NewMediaGear.com – Mark is different yet. He doesn’t market himself as a podcasting coach or consultant, and frankly I don’t even know if he does it, but he’s in the space of podcasting having started a show years ago called PodSqod. He morphed that into New Media Gear some years ago and his show is just what the title says, it’s very focused on gear. Mark’s YouTube channel is popular with guys who suffer mic envy (ahem, I resemble that remark). Mark has broadcast radio experience and voice-over experience. He’s very technical when it comes to gear and hardware.
Three different guys. Three different approaches. Three different focal points and backgrounds. And guess what? There are plenty of others I didn’t mention. I think there’s room for these and others because one-size-doesn’t-fit-all.
Competition helps us become better. As Jack Welch often said during his tenure at General Electric, “Get better or get beaten.”
Yes, I’m a strong proponent of competition and being competitive. That doesn’t mean I believe in scarcity. It means I believe in trying to be the very best, which necessarily means others are left in the dust.
