Who are my competitors?

Hey there, buddy. That's a great question, and it's a point where many tech-savvy folks tend to overthink when they first start a business.

Don't overcomplicate the idea of "competitors," and don't just focus on big companies making identical products. It's actually quite simple: ask yourself one question:

"If my product didn't exist, how would my users solve the problem I'm currently solving for them?"

The answer to that question is your competitor.

When you think about it this way, you'll find that competitors fall into several categories:

Type 1: The Direct "Rice Bowl Snatchers"

These are the easiest to identify. If you do A, they also do A. For example, if you've built an online photo editing tool, then Meitu Xiuxiu and Photoshop's web version are your direct competitors. Your functions are similar, your target users are alike, and it's a head-on battle. They're easy to find: just search for the core problem your product solves on Baidu, Google, or the App Store, and the top results are usually them.

Type 2: Different Paths, but "All Roads Lead to Rome"

These competitors are the easiest to overlook, but also the most lethal. They address the same need, but use completely different methods and product forms.

For example:

• You've created a "Weekend Local Events App" to help people solve the "what to do this weekend" problem. Your direct competitors are other event apps. But what about your indirect competitors? They could be Douyin (TikTok, where an afternoon can fly by scrolling through short videos), Honor of Kings (a mobile game), movie theaters, or even the mahjong parlor downstairs. Because they are all competing for users' "weekend time" resource.
• Or, let's say you developed complex project management software. Your competitors might not necessarily be Jira or Trello; it could very well be just an Excel spreadsheet or a WeChat group. Many small teams manage progress with Excel and communicate via WeChat groups. Though inefficient, they're free and require no learning curve.

Type 3: The Most Powerful Competitor – "Doing Nothing"

Yes, you read that right. Users "doing nothing," maintaining the status quo, or stubbornly sticking to old methods – that's your most formidable competitor.

For instance, you've built a budgeting app to help people manage their finances. For many, the biggest "competitor" isn't another budgeting app, but the habit of "being too lazy to keep accounts." They'd rather be clueless about their monthly spending than put in the effort to record expenses daily. No matter how good your product is, it can't beat their "laziness."

So, as a tech person, how do you find them?

1. Don't search tech terms, search "human language": Don't search for "high-concurrency IM solutions"; instead, search for "what software to use for team communication" or "which chat app is good." Imagine you're a user who knows nothing about tech; how would you search?
2. Go where users are and "eavesdrop": Check Zhihu, Xiaohongshu, relevant vertical forums, Tieba, and Douban groups. See what problems people are complaining about and what tools they're recommending. For example, if you want to build a recipe app, go to food groups and see what people are using and discussing.
3. Ask directly: Find a few of your target users, invite them for coffee, and chat. Don't rush to pitch your idea; just ask them: "How do you usually solve problem XX?" Their answers will surprise you. You'll discover many "primitive methods" you never considered, and these primitive methods are the competitors you most need to study.

In short: Your competitors aren't who you think they are; they're what users perceive as your alternatives. First, understand how users are currently "making do," and only then will you know who your product needs to win over.