They're living perfectly fine lives—why do I feel compelled to intrude?

This is an exceptionally good question, arguably one of the core issues one must clarify before starting a business. Many people, upon seeing a market already dominated by giants or several comfortably surviving companies, immediately think, "There's no opportunity, it's a red ocean." But in reality, this is often the biggest misunderstanding.

What you perceive as "doing well" might just be an illusion. Let's look at it from a few angles:

1. Are they truly "good," or just "surviving"?

Many seemingly stable companies are actually riddled with internal problems. Their "goodness" might simply be because users "have no other choice."

• Is it too difficult to use? Many established software products (especially those for enterprises) have interfaces stuck in the last decade, with complex operations and extremely high learning curves. As an IT engineer, you've probably complained about certain tools being counter-intuitive. This is a direct opportunity. You can use new technologies to create a more beautiful, user-friendly, and smoother product.
• Is it too expensive? Are their products bloated with features and prohibitively expensive, shutting out many small and medium-sized businesses or individual users? You could offer a lighter, more affordable model, or even a freemium model for a core feature.
• Is their service lacking? As companies grow, customer service often devolves into robots and ticketing systems. A small user issue might take days to get a response. Can you provide quick, attentive support? In the early stages of a startup, founders personally handling customer service—that sincerity and efficiency in itself is a powerful competitive advantage.

2. A "thriving" market proves that "there are fish in these waters."

If a market is completely blank, with no one in it, that's actually more dangerous. It might mean the demand is false, or the timing isn't right, and entering it would make you a "martyr." Others have already validated for you that this market is profitable, and users are willing to pay for such products. Your goal isn't to create something from scratch, but to "grab a slice of the cake." Grabbing a slice is always easier than baking a whole new cake.

3. You don't need to eliminate them; you just need to find your "base camp."

In the early stages of a startup, never think, "I'm going to disrupt the industry and take down the giants." Your goal should be to find a "niche" that they don't serve, or serve poorly.

• Underserved demographics: They might serve 80% of the general public, but they either overlook or are "too lazy" to meet the specific needs of the remaining 20%. For example, can a generic project management software offer the same experience as one specifically designed for "independent designers"? This overlooked group is your beachhead.
• Leverage new technologies for a "dimension reduction attack": They might be built on an old tech stack, making changes difficult and iterations slow. You, however, can use the latest technological architecture to implement features they struggle with, or achieve performance levels orders of magnitude higher than theirs. For instance, with the advent of AI, if you create a tool that can automate many repetitive tasks using AI, established software companies might take a year or two to even react.

4. As an IT engineer, you have a natural advantage.

Your biggest advantage is that you can not only identify problems but also solve them yourself. If you find a piece of software difficult to use or a process frustrating, you don't have to beg product managers for development resources; you can roll up your sleeves and build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) yourself. This allows you to validate your ideas at the lowest possible cost.

To summarize:

It's like a bustling commercial street already filled with various large restaurants. Why would you open a new one? Because you discover that people here want something spicy, but there isn't an authentic Sichuan restaurant; or you find that all the restaurant staff are indifferent; or perhaps, you can open a small, exquisite late-night diner specifically for those who work late.

So, the key isn't to "charge in," but to "drill in." You're not going to engage in a head-on battle with them; instead, you're going to find the corner they've left behind and, with your technology and focus, offer a much better option to that small group of people. As long as you can serve this small group well, you'll survive. Once you've survived, then you can talk about growing.