Al Ramadan, co-author of Play Bigger and The Existing Market Trap, has spent decades studying what separates market leaders from everyone else.
His finding is simple but brutal: 76% of a market’s value goes to the category creator. The rest fight for what’s left.
He’s worked with companies like Salesforce, Qualtrics, and MongoDB to prove it. The “kings” design their markets. The “competitors” build products.
So if your pitch starts with “Uber for X,” “Airbnb for Y,” or “Robinhood for Z,” you’ve already lost.
“Positioning means putting yourself in an existing market. Category design means creating one.” — Al Ramadan
In This Week’s Episode of The Library of Minds
Al joins Dara to break down:
A tactical guide for how to create and dominate your own category
Why most startups are trapped in old markets
How Qualtrics grew from surveys to a $27B category
The 13 deadly sins that kill good companies
And how AI is changing category design forever
Step Inside Al’s Mind
Al has created a Digital Mind on Delphi that you can talk to directly.
Try asking:
How do I design my own market instead of entering one?
What are the 13 deadly sins of category design?
How can I escape the existing market trap?
Delphi
Open your mind.
