Christopher Lochhead (author of Play Bigger, Niche Down, Cat17 September 2023

How to become a category pirate

6Frameworks

15Insights

Episode overview

Christopher Lochhead argues that legendary businesses design and dominate new categories instead of competing to be marginally better within existing ones. He explains that category design begins with reframing and naming a meaningful customer problem, then using distinctive language and a category point of view to move people from the status quo toward a new future. Through examples including Purell, Gong, Threads, Lomi, Otis, Starbucks, Spinning, and Peloton, he connects category creation to market economics, word of mouth, and focused go-to-market execution.

Key ideas

In technology categories, Lochhead's cited research found that the category leader captures about 76% of total category value, leaving competitors to fight over the remainder.
Category design is not simply shipping first; it means shaping a market around a new distinction in value and getting people to accept a particular problem and solution frame.
The “better trap” occurs when a company attacks a well-understood problem with a similar but supposedly superior product; without reframing the problem, customers have little reason to switch.
Strategic “languaging” changes how customers think: new terminology can create new mental scaffolding and a new perception of value.
Backcasting asks founders to envision a successful future, stand mentally within it, and work backward to identify what created it, rather than extending assumptions from the present.
Category designers compete against the status quo rather than directly against another brand, using a compelling “from-to” story to redirect or create demand.
A legendary company requires the “magic triangle” of product, company, and category to be right at the right time.
Focused lightning-strike marketing, super-consumer targeting, education, and word of mouth can make a category point of view spread more effectively than constant reach-and-frequency promotion.

Transcript available · source text is retained privately and is not published

Frameworks in this episode

Innovation3 steps

Backcasting & Reject the Premise

Stand in the future you designed and look back — don't forecast forward from today's constraints.

Read →

Strategy4 steps

Category Design: Create Demand vs. Capture Demand

Design your own market category instead of competing for a slice of someone else's.

Read →

Strategy3 steps

Damming the Demand

Compete category-to-category against the status quo, never product-to-product against a rival.

Read →

Marketing4 steps

Frame, Name, Claim the Problem (Languaging & Point of View)

Use new language to reframe a problem so people see it differently and want a new solution.

Read →

Marketing5 steps

Lightning Strike Go-to-Market (Supers, POV & Word of Mouth)

Concentrate firepower on super consumers with a reframing POV to ignite word of mouth.

Read →

Marketing3 steps

The Better Trap

A 'better' copy of an existing solution to a well-understood problem almost always fails.

Read →

People & resources mentioned

Attributed to the moment in the episode. Timestamps are approximate.

People · 32

Christopher LochheadMentionsthat episode of Christopher Lockett where basically his pitch is that the most legendary companies always create their own category
“Today my guest is Christopher Lochhead.”
▶ Watch at ~0:30approx.
Steve OlsherMentionsthe founder and publisher of Podcast Magazine
“I'd have to check with Steve Ousler, the the founder and publisher of Podcast Magazine”
▶ Watch at ~5:00approx.
Elvis PresleyMentionsElvis was called terrible
“Picasso was called stupid, the Beatles were called terrible, Elvis was called terrible.”
▶ Watch at ~7:00approx.
Pablo PicassoMentionsPicasso was called stupid
“Picasso was called stupid, the Beatles were called terrible, Elvis was called terrible.”
▶ Watch at ~7:00approx.
Grant CardoneMentionsmentioned
“The reason Grant Cardone and Tai Lopez and all these douchebags pose in front of planes”
▶ Watch at ~9:30approx.
Tai LopezMentionsmentioned
“The reason Grant Cardone and Tai Lopez and all these douchebags pose in front of planes”
▶ Watch at ~9:30approx.
Lenny RachitskyCoinedtoday we've got another very special compilation episode something I've been pulling on more and more with the podcast and the newsletter
“the reason I called my newsletter Lenny's Newsletter is because that was the default recommendation Substack gave me when I signed up”
▶ Watch at ~10:30approx.
Meghan MarkleMentionsmentioned
“Meghan Markle gets canceled. Why? Because it's about her”
▶ Watch at ~11:00approx.
Elon MuskMentionsWhether you like him or not, Elon, this is similar to his um if you watch him, he has sets these really ambitious goals
“At the time there's all this discussion of Musk and and Zuck having a UFC cage fight”
▶ Watch at ~29:30approx.
Mark ZuckerbergMentionsit was sort of a random decision for Mark Zuckerberg to move from a uh monthly active to a daily active
“Why did one of the richest people in the history of the world who's potentially one of the smartest people in the history of entrepreneurship”
▶ Watch at ~32:00approx.
Kevin ManeyCoinedThe legendary Kevin Maney said that category design is a new lens on business.
“The legendary Kevin Maney said that category design is a new lens on business.”
▶ Watch at ~32:30approx.
Jeff BezosMentionsthe Jeff Bezos thing that like the success of today was set in motion three years ago
“So we could agree that Jeff Bezos is not a dumb person, yes?”
▶ Watch at ~35:00approx.
Steve BallmerMentionsmentioned
“And Ballmer famously told the team when the Apple stores took off”
▶ Watch at ~36:30approx.
Peter DruckerMentionsManagement thinker cited for prioritizing employees and for calling Mary Parker Follett the prophet of management.
“People call him the new Peter Drucker.”
▶ Watch at ~40:00approx.
Roger MartinCoinedRoger is one of the world's most trusted strategy advisers he's professor ameritus at the rotman school of management
“At a high level, there's two kinds of thinking. Reflective and reflexive.”
▶ Watch at ~40:00approx.
RJ ScaringeMentionsthe founder of Rivian
“RJ at or is it RJ or JR? I I can't remember now. At um the founder of Rivian”
▶ Watch at ~43:30approx.
Mike Maples Jr.CoinedMike is a legendary early stage startup investor and with his firm Floodgate
“my friend Mike Maples, the legendary venture capitalist from Floodgate, says the greatest entrepreneurs are visitors from the future”
▶ Watch at ~44:00approx.
Jay-ZMentionsthe great American poet Sean Carter
“their vision for the new category was so compelling, Jay-Z was one of their first investors.”
▶ Watch at ~48:30approx.
Elisha OtisCoinedinvented the elevator
“Alicia Otis invented the elevator.”
▶ Watch at ~50:00approx.
Elisha OtisCoinedinvented the elevator
“What if it was a vertical railway?”
▶ Watch at ~53:00approx.
Mike Maples Jr.CoinedMike is a legendary early stage startup investor and with his firm Floodgate
“He calls it backcasting as distinct from forecasting.”
▶ Watch at ~1:01:30approx.
John BielenbergCoinedthe legendary designer
“My friend, the legendary designer John Beldenberg, does this course on innovation and design with kids in in in university.”
▶ Watch at ~1:06:00approx.
Brian RobertsMentionsthe number one healthcare tech investor in the world
“if you ask Brian Roberts at Venrock, the number one healthcare tech investor in the world”
▶ Watch at ~1:08:00approx.
Don ValentineMentionsmentioned
“And I sat there with Don Valentine and asked him about why he signed a check to Steve and Steve.”
▶ Watch at ~1:09:30approx.
Marc AndreessenCoinedMark Andre had this visual on some podcasts have just imagined a 100,000 drones just coming out of China just at us.
“And God bless Marc Andreessen. He's the guy that framed it.”
▶ Watch at ~1:11:00approx.
Kevin ManeyMentionsThe legendary Kevin Maney said that category design is a new lens on business.
“And Kevin just wrote a really super thoughtful piece on why it's backwards.”
▶ Watch at ~1:11:00approx.
Les PaulCoinedthe innovator of the electric guitar
“So Les Paul is the innovator of the electric guitar.”
▶ Watch at ~1:23:30approx.
Gary VaynerchukMentionsmentioned
“If you listen to sort of a lot of the shysters and hustle porn stars, the Gary VDs”
▶ Watch at ~1:27:00approx.
Meltem Kuran BerkowitzMentionsHead of growth and an early employee at Deel.
“Meltem. Meltem Kuran Berkowitz.”
▶ Watch at ~1:31:00approx.
Richard BachCoinedmentioned
“Richard Bach, Illusions.”
▶ Watch at ~1:39:00approx.
Mark McCormackCoinedmentioned
“Mark McCormack's, What They Don't Teach You at the Harvard Business School.”
▶ Watch at ~1:39:30approx.
Tony EtheringtonMentionsa legendary surfer and surf explorer from the Gold Coast of Australia
“His name is Tony Etherington, but virtually nobody calls him Tony. Virtually everybody calls him Doris.”
▶ Watch at ~1:43:30approx.

Resources · 53

Niche DownCoinedbook · Christopher Lochhead and Heather Clancy
“Christopher is a 13-time number one best-selling co-author, including books like Play Bigger and Niche Down.”
▶ Watch at ~0:30approx.
Play BiggerCoinedbook · Christopher Lochhead, Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, and Kevin Maney
“Christopher is a 13-time number one best-selling co-author, including books like Play Bigger and Niche Down.”
▶ Watch at ~0:30approx.
Category PiratesCoinednewsletter · Christopher Lochhead and collaborators
“He's also a popular podcaster, co-creator of the excellent Substack Category Pirates”
▶ Watch at ~0:30approx.
MixpanelRecommendssoftware · Mixpanel
“Explore plans for teams of every size and see what Mixpanel can do for you at mixpanel.com/friends/lenny.”
▶ Watch at ~2:00approx.
Google AnalyticsMentionssoftware · Google
“Mixpanel's built to be more powerful and easier to use than Google Analytics.”
▶ Watch at ~2:00approx.
VantaRecommendssoftware · Christina Cacioppo
“Go to vanta.com/lenny. That's vanta.com/lenny to learn more and to claim your discounts.”
▶ Watch at ~3:00approx.
Podcast MagazineMentionsother · Steve Olsher
“I believe I'm the only podcaster in history to run a full-page ad in Podcast Magazine with just negative quotes in it.”
▶ Watch at ~5:30approx.
SubstackUseswebsite · Substack Inc.
“the reason I called my newsletter Lenny's Newsletter is because that was the default recommendation Substack gave me when I signed up”
▶ Watch at ~10:30approx.
Lenny's NewsletterCoinednewsletter · Lenny Rachitsky
“the reason I called my newsletter Lenny's Newsletter is because that was the default recommendation Substack gave me when I signed up”
▶ Watch at ~10:30approx.
Harvard Business ReviewMentionswebsite · Harvard Business Publishing
“incidentally had it peer-reviewed and published in the HBR.”
▶ Watch at ~15:00approx.
GeoCitiesMentionswebsite
“MySpace did. Or if you've been around for a little while longer, GeoCities did.”
▶ Watch at ~17:00approx.
MySpaceMentionswebsite
“MySpace did. Or if you've been around for a little while longer, GeoCities did.”
▶ Watch at ~17:00approx.
PurellMentionsproduct · Gojo Industries
“If I could own any product in the world right now, I think I'd probably want to own Purell.”
▶ Watch at ~18:00approx.
Gojo IndustriesCoinedcompany
“And Gojo Industries created a whole new category called liquid soap.”
▶ Watch at ~19:30approx.
GartnerMentionscompany
“on their homepage you'll see a Gartner report or a Forrester report on their homepage.”
▶ Watch at ~22:00approx.
ForresterMentionscompany
“on their homepage you'll see a Gartner report or a Forrester report on their homepage.”
▶ Watch at ~22:00approx.
GongMentionssoftware · Gong
“And so Gong comes up as an example.”
▶ Watch at ~23:00approx.
ClariMentionssoftware
“Clari and a handful of others in the beginning started to create the space that ultimately became RevOps.”
▶ Watch at ~24:00approx.
SAPMentionscompany · SAP
“we have a suite that's equivalent to that of SAP just for this other area.”
▶ Watch at ~24:30approx.
MicrosoftMentionscompany · Bill Gates and Paul Allen
“Microsoft proved it over 30 years ago”
▶ Watch at ~27:30approx.
The New York TimesMentionscompany · The New York Times Company
“New York Times, never mind TechCrunch, you know, all these places, Twitter killer, Twitter killer, Twitter killer, Twitter killer”
▶ Watch at ~29:30approx.
TwitterMentionswebsite · Twitter
“New York Times, never mind TechCrunch, you know, all these places, Twitter killer, Twitter killer, Twitter killer, Twitter killer”
▶ Watch at ~29:30approx.
TechCrunchMentionswebsite · Michael Arrington
“New York Times, never mind TechCrunch, you know, all these places, Twitter killer, Twitter killer, Twitter killer, Twitter killer”
▶ Watch at ~29:30approx.
GPTMentionssoftware · OpenAI
“Threads surpasses GPT is the fastest growing app ever.”
▶ Watch at ~30:00approx.
MetaMentionscompany
“And Facebook meta, you tell me, one of the 10 most powerful brands in tech?”
▶ Watch at ~31:00approx.
Amazon Fire PhoneMentionsproduct · Amazon
“So do you have an Amazon Fire phone?”
▶ Watch at ~35:00approx.
Red Bull ColaMentionsproduct · Red Bull
“when was the last time you enjoyed a Red Bull Cola?”
▶ Watch at ~35:30approx.
iPhoneUsesproduct · Apple
“I'm very happy with my iPhone.”
▶ Watch at ~35:30approx.
Apple StoreMentionsplace · Apple
“Well, they look exactly if you if you remember, they look exactly like an Apple store.”
▶ Watch at ~36:30approx.
A New Way to ThinkCoinedbook · Roger Martin
“his last most recent book came out, which I if I'm remembering correctly is called the new way to think.”
▶ Watch at ~39:30approx.
RivianMentionscompany · RJ Scaringe
“RJ at or is it RJ or JR? I I can't remember now. At um the founder of Rivian”
▶ Watch at ~43:30approx.
TeslaMentionscompany · Tesla, Inc.
“obviously Musk at Tesla. These guys are obsessed.”
▶ Watch at ~44:00approx.
FloodgateMentionscompany · Mike Maples Jr.
“my friend Mike Maples, the legendary venture capitalist from Floodgate”
▶ Watch at ~44:00approx.
LomiMentionsproduct · Pela
“Lomi is the category designer of the smart home compost composter.”
▶ Watch at ~45:30approx.
SegwayMentionsproduct · Dean Kamen
“Dean Kamen did when he launched the Segway, which is isn't this cool, nothing would have happened.”
▶ Watch at ~48:00approx.
StarbucksMentionscompany
“When Starbucks first starts, a coffee is 10 cents.”
▶ Watch at ~54:00approx.
OpenAIMentionscompany
“You see that today. OpenAI. Not that long ago, you did not hear the term large language model.”
▶ Watch at ~56:30approx.
VenrockMentionscompany
“if you ask Brian Roberts at Venrock, the number one healthcare tech investor in the world”
▶ Watch at ~1:08:00approx.
ThreadsMentionssoftware · Meta Platforms
“Threads achieved product market fit faster than any product in the history of the world.”
▶ Watch at ~1:12:30approx.
NielsenUsescompany
“For our book Snow Leopard, we did the first ever comprehensive data science research ever done using Nielsen data”
▶ Watch at ~1:14:30approx.
Snow LeopardCoinedbook · Christopher Lochhead, Eddie Yoon, and Nicolas Cole
“For our book Snow Leopard, we did the first ever comprehensive data science research ever done using Nielsen data to study non-fiction books.”
▶ Watch at ~1:14:30approx.
SpinningMentionscompany
“the category designer there is a company called Spinning.”
▶ Watch at ~1:20:30approx.
PelotonMentionsproduct · Peloton Interactive
“Then what happens? The next iteration in that space comes from Peloton.”
▶ Watch at ~1:21:30approx.
The 22 Laws of Category DesignCoinedbook · Category Pirates
“your newest book, I believe is your newest book is the law the 22 laws of category design.”
▶ Watch at ~1:24:30approx.
RedditUseswebsite · Steve Huffman, Alexis Ohanian, and Aaron Swartz
“the growth hacker gal, how how she went on to Reddit and stuff.”
▶ Watch at ~1:28:30approx.
Category PiratesRecommendsnewsletter · Christopher Lochhead and collaborators
“you have an awesome Substack, categorypirates.substack.com.”
▶ Watch at ~1:34:00approx.
IllusionsRecommendsbook · Richard Bach
“Richard Bach, Illusions.”
▶ Watch at ~1:39:00approx.
What They Don't Teach You at Harvard Business SchoolRecommendsbook · Mark McCormack
“Mark McCormack's, What They Don't Teach You at the Harvard Business School.”
▶ Watch at ~1:39:30approx.
Inventing AnnaRecommendstv show · Shonda Rhimes
“right now, we're watching Designing Anna or Inventing Anna or whatever that's called. So, that's been fascinating to watch.”
▶ Watch at ~1:40:00approx.
CategoryPirates.comRecommendswebsite · Category Pirates
“Probably categorypirates.com is the simplest simplest spot to go.”
▶ Watch at ~1:45:30approx.
Apple PodcastsRecommendssoftware · Apple Inc.
“you can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.”
▶ Watch at ~1:48:00approx.
SpotifyRecommendssoftware · Spotify
“you can subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.”
▶ Watch at ~1:48:00approx.
lennyspodcast.comRecommendswebsite · Lenny Rachitsky
“You can find all past episodes or learn more about the show at lennyspodcast.com.”
▶ Watch at ~1:48:00approx.

Spot an error or want something removed? Request a correction or removal.

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster29:00

Why 'Just Better' Products Like Threads Fail

Threads had arguably the greatest distribution advantage in software history, a top-10 brand, and a free product, yet it cratered because it attacked a well-understood problem with a direct, 'just better' copy of Twitter. Lochhead cites the same 'better trap' behind the Amazon Fire Phone, Red Bull Cola, and Microsoft stores. Problems create categories, not the other way around.

Threads had a billion-user brand and the best distribution ever, and still failed
Copying a known solution to a known problem gives the world no reason to switch
The Amazon Fire Phone, Red Bull Cola, and Microsoft stores all failed as 'better' copies
To win you must solve a new problem or reframe an existing one very differently

“Here's the aha. Problems create categories.”
Christopher Lochhead · 33:30

“can't take an existing problem with an existing solution, launch exactly the same [ __ ] tell the world it's better and have the world embrace it.…”
Christopher Lochhead · 34:30

#better-trap#category-design#threads#product

Hot Take· 3

Hot Take1:10:30

Why Product-Market Fit Is a Dangerous Idea

Lochhead argues product-market fit is backwards: it tells you to fit your product into a market someone else designed. Threads achieved product-market fit faster than anything in history and still failed. Categories make products, so you should design a market category for your product rather than squeeze it into an existing one.

Product-market fit means fitting your product into an existing market
Threads hit product-market fit faster than any product ever and still failed
Categories make products, not the other way around
Design a market category for your product instead of fitting into one

“Threads achieved product market fit faster than any product in the history of the world. Categories make products. Not the other way around.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:12:30

“what you want is you want to design a market category for your product, not fit your product into a market category.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:13:00

#product-market-fit#category-design#hot-take#strategy

Hot Take1:14:00

Nobody Cares About Your Founder Journey

Contradicting the 'share your startup journey' advice, Lochhead insists customers only care about themselves, their problems, and their opportunities. Backing it with Nielsen data from their book Snow Leopard, he notes the number one category of business/non-fiction books is personal growth and self-help, because people buy things about themselves, not about your product.

The 'share your founder journey' advice is misguided; nobody cares about it
Customers care about their own needs, wants, problems, and opportunities
Nielsen data showed personal growth/self-help is the #1 non-fiction book category
Categories are about customers; branding and marketing are about your product

“No one gives a [ __ ] about your journey. They really don't. You know what they care about? Themselves.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:14:00

“categories are about customers and their wants, needs, problems, and opportunities. Branding and marketing is about our product.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:15:30

#marketing#storytelling#customer-focus#hot-take

Hot Take1:16:00

Why Positioning Is 'For Losers'

Lochhead's spiciest take: positioning, by definition, means positioning against competitors, which means you've already accepted fighting for the 24% of demand someone else designed. He reframes positioning as 'category design for the cowards,' a way to carve a small niche instead of daring to create your own space.

Positioning always implies positioning against competitors
Positioning against competitors means fighting for the leftover 24% of demand
He calls modern positioning 'for losers' and 'category design for the cowards'
Differentiation at the product-to-product level is the same trap

“positioning in the modern context is for losers.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:18:00

“positioning has become sort of category design for the cowards.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:19:00

#positioning#category-design#hot-take#differentiation

Explainer· 3

Explainer14:30

One Company Takes 76% of a Category's Value

Lochhead shares peer-reviewed data from studying every US venture-backed tech company from 2000 to 2015. On average, one company (the category king or queen) captures 76% of the total market cap in its category, leaving everyone else to fight over the remaining ~24%. Choosing to compete rather than create a category is the unexamined decision most entrepreneurs make.

The study measured market cap/valuation across a whole category, not market share
One company earns roughly two-thirds (76%) of all value in a tech category
Competing means unknowingly fighting for the leftover 24% of demand
We admire the people who broke new ground, not the second or fifth best in a category

“In tech market categories, on average, one company earns 2/3, 76% to be exact, of the total value created as measured by market cap and/or…”
Christopher Lochhead · 15:30

“we have unwittingly said, "We're going to fight for the 24%."”
Christopher Lochhead · 16:00

#category-design#market-cap#strategy#data

Explainer39:00

Reflexive vs Reflective Thinking

Drawing on Roger Martin, Lochhead distinguishes reflexive thinking (instant, automatic reactions like a knee jerk or swerving to avoid a crash) from reflective thinking (actually questioning why you believe what you believe). Most people, and most entrepreneurs, run on reflex and assume the future continues the past. Legendary founders instead design a different future.

Reflexive thinking is automatic reaction; reflective thinking questions your own beliefs
Most people mistake reflexive thinking for reflective thinking
People unconsciously assume the future is a continuation of the past
Great entrepreneurs are 'visitors from the future,' obsessed enough to make it real

“At a high level, there's two kinds of thinking. Reflective and reflexive.”
Christopher Lochhead · 40:00

“the greatest entrepreneurs are visitors from the future telling us how it's going to be.”
Christopher Lochhead · 44:00

#thinking#mental-models#roger-martin#entrepreneurship

Explainer1:30:00

Super Consumers: The 8-10% Who Drive a Category

Lochhead introduces 'super consumers,' the roughly 8 to 10% of buyers in a category who account for the vast majority of profits and, more importantly, act as the category's thought leaders and taste-makers. Understanding who and where your supers are, and reaching them in the native digital world, is the ultimate low-cost growth engine.

Roughly 8 to 10% of a category's buyers produce most of the profits
Super consumers are the zeitgeists and thought leaders others aspire to
Find where your supers hang out, primarily in the native digital world
Reaching supers with a strong point of view can drive word-of-mouth cheaply

“it turns out that in most categories, roughly 8 to 10% of the buyers are responsible for the vast majority of the profits.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:30:30

“they are the zeitgeists. They are the thought leaders in the industry.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:30:30

#super-consumers#icp#growth#word-of-mouth

Story· 7

Story05:00

Why He Advertises His Own Negative Reviews

Lochhead explains why he ran a full-page ad and website wall of his worst reviews. Part sense of humor, part reassurance for creators terrified of criticism: anyone doing anything genuinely new gets attacked. He argues criticism is the price of trying to break new ground.

He may be the only podcaster to run a full-page magazine ad using only negative quotes
Every creator who puts themselves into their work feels devastated by criticism
Picasso, the Beatles, Elvis, and early hip-hop were all ridiculed before being celebrated
Displaying the criticism is a way to normalize it and not take yourself too seriously

“but I believe I'm the only podcaster in history to run a full-page ad in Podcast Magazine with just negative quotes in it.”
Christopher Lochhead · 05:30

“Picasso was called stupid, the Beatles were called terrible, Elvis was called terrible.”
Christopher Lochhead · 07:00

#criticism#creators#branding#resilience

Story17:30

How Purell's Maker Reframed 'Washing Your Hands'

Gojo Industries, founded ~80 years ago by a husband-and-wife team, hated the disgusting bar soap in their factory. Instead of asking 'how do I wash my hands,' they reframed the problem and invented liquid soap, then later hand sanitizer (Purell). The lesson: stay obsessed with the problem, not your beloved solution.

The founder reframed the problem as washing hands without a disgusting bar of soap
That reframing created the liquid soap category
Later they asked how to wash hands without water, creating hand sanitizer (Purell)
Most entrepreneurs fall in love with the solution instead of staying on the problem

“And Gojo Industries created a whole new category called liquid soap.”
Christopher Lochhead · 19:30

“Gojo focus on the problem, not just the solution. So they stay obsessed with the problem.”
Christopher Lochhead · 20:00

#problem-framing#category-design#product#examples

Story23:00

Why Gong Got Stuck and Clari Won RevOps

Gong smartly picked a tight slice of the emerging revenue/RevOps space and dominated it as a startup. But its mistake was staying in that micro-niche instead of expanding to frame the larger category. Clari claimed the bigger agenda, leaving Gong the choice of staying niche and diminishing or becoming a late Clari copycat.

Picking a tight niche is the right startup move early on
The mistake is never expanding to set the agenda for the bigger category
Your biggest barrier to growth eventually becomes your own current category
Clari framed the larger RevOps category and now leads the space

“they realize their biggest barrier to growth going forward is their current category. Because you can only be as big and successful as your market…”
Christopher Lochhead · 26:30

“Clari's crushing everybody in this space right now.”
Christopher Lochhead · 27:00

#category-design#rev-ops#startups#niche

Story44:30

How Lomi Created the Smart Home Composter Category

Lomi is the first kitchen appliance in 20 years to earn a permanent spot on the counter. It composts food scraps in three to six hours instead of three to six months, pairing a personal motivation (no more messy garbage) with an altruistic one (fighting climate change and a dirt crisis). They created demand for a ~$400 device in a market that was literally zero.

Composting that took three to six months now takes three to six hours
Lomi paired a personal upset (messy garbage) with an environmental mission
The smart home composter market was zero dollars before they launched it
Their category vision was compelling enough that Jay-Z was an early investor

“what used to take three to six months to compost gets composted in three to six hours.”
Christopher Lochhead · 46:00

“And their vision for the new category was so compelling, Jay-Z was one of their first investors.”
Christopher Lochhead · 48:30

#category-design#lomi#hardware#examples

Story49:30

How Otis Sold Elevators as 'Vertical Railways'

Otis invented the safety elevator but people saw it as a solution with no problem. By renaming it a 'vertical railway,' a term people already understood, he reframed the category and unlocked the idea of tall buildings. It is a masterclass in languaging: using strategic language to change how people think.

The 'safety elevator' name failed because people saw no problem it solved
Renaming it a 'vertical railway' connected to something people already understood
Languaging is the strategic use of language to change thinking
Reframing the problem opened people's minds to skyscrapers

“So what does Alicia call it? The vertical railway.”
Christopher Lochhead · 51:30

“And thanks to Alicia Otis, we have tall buildings.”
Christopher Lochhead · 53:30

#languaging#category-design#otis#naming

Story54:00

Starbucks Taught You New Words So It Could Charge $3

When Starbucks launched, coffee cost about 10 cents. To charge three dollars, they couldn't sell the same thing under the same name, so they invented new languaging (grande, venti, latte) to justify radical value and price differentiation. Lochhead adds his contrarian aside that Starbucks is really a milk company, not a coffee company.

To charge far more than the going rate, you must change the language
'Double grande latte' was not language anyone used 25 years ago
New languaging enables radical value and price differentiation
By volume, Starbucks is the number one milk seller in the country

“if you want to charge three bucks for something that heretofore has been 10 cents or a quarter, change the language.”
Christopher Lochhead · 55:30

“They're the number one milk seller in the country. They're a milk company, not a coffee company”
Christopher Lochhead · 55:30

#languaging#starbucks#pricing#branding

Story1:19:30

How Spinning and Peloton 'Dammed the Demand'

Category designers compete against the status quo, not against other products. Spinning redirected demand from risky road cycling to indoor classes ('why risk your life on a bike'), and Peloton then redirected demand again ('why drive to the gym when you could do it at home'). This is 'damming the demand': you thought you wanted this, but what you really need is that.

Category designers compete against the status quo, not brand-to-brand
Spinning redirected cyclists worried about accidents into indoor classes
Peloton dammed Spinning's demand with an at-home reframe, never attacking it
Damming the demand means: you thought you wanted this, but you really need that

“They say, "Why drive to the gym when you could do it at home?" They dam the demand for Spinning. They don't compete against it.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:22:00

“The enemy is the status quo. That is to say the way it is now.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:22:30

#dam-the-demand#category-design#peloton#spinning

Tool· 1

Tool1:40:00

The 'Is There Anything Else?' Question

Lochhead's favorite interview and conversation tool is simply asking, at the end, 'is there anything else?' After hours of detailed discussion, the single most important thing a person needs to communicate often surfaces only after that open prompt. He uses it in interviews, podcasts, and even hospital conversations with doctors.

He ends every podcast, and many transitions, with 'is there anything else?'
The most important point often only emerges after that question
He uses it in job interviews, podcasts, and medical situations
It is the most powerful open-ended question you can ask

“I end every single one of my podcasts with, is there anything else?”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:40:30

“the most important thing for that person to communicate comes out then.”
Christopher Lochhead · 1:40:30

#hiring#interviews#questions#communication

Key ideas

Frameworks in this episode

Backcasting & Reject the Premise

Category Design: Create Demand vs. Capture Demand

Damming the Demand

Frame, Name, Claim the Problem (Languaging & Point of View)

Lightning Strike Go-to-Market (Supers, POV & Word of Mouth)

The Better Trap

People & resources mentioned

People · 32

Resources · 53

Insights & moments

⚡Myth Buster· 1

Why 'Just Better' Products Like Threads Fail

◆Hot Take· 3

Why Product-Market Fit Is a Dangerous Idea

Nobody Cares About Your Founder Journey

Why Positioning Is 'For Losers'

✶Explainer· 3

One Company Takes 76% of a Category's Value

Reflexive vs Reflective Thinking

Super Consumers: The 8-10% Who Drive a Category

❝Story· 7

Why He Advertises His Own Negative Reviews

How Purell's Maker Reframed 'Washing Your Hands'

Why Gong Got Stuck and Clari Won RevOps

How Lomi Created the Smart Home Composter Category

How Otis Sold Elevators as 'Vertical Railways'

Starbucks Taught You New Words So It Could Charge $3

How Spinning and Peloton 'Dammed the Demand'

✦Tool· 1

The 'Is There Anything Else?' Question

Myth Buster· 1

Hot Take· 3

Explainer· 3

Story· 7

Tool· 1