How Do You Position When Tech is Moving at Warp Speed?
By Nick Copping, Co-CEO
Let’s face it. Staking out a position in the tech market feels like a moving target these days. With the recent popularity of AI, clients are racing to tell their story to reassure the market of their innovation and value. With this, clients are posing an interesting question: “How do you position in a marketplace where technology is changing so rapidly in such a way that the new positioning is valid for years, not months?”
Our response, based on our experience in the market, covers 3 ideas for your consideration.
1. Meet the new wave, same as the last wave
We’ve seen this situation repeat throughout several waves of technology, and the same question has been posed for the cloud and big data/analytics waves. Rather than react to weekly breakthroughs, we adopt a strategic perspective, shaping market discourse with forward-thinking positioning concepts. For instance, Snowflake's vision of a data warehouse built for the cloud (2016) was defined as instant elasticity, secure data sharing, per-second pricing, and multi-cloud compatibility; and, Databricks introduced the concept of Lakehouse to resolve technology conflicts between databases, data warehouses and data lakes.
2. Lead the conversation
Essentially, ZOOM’s approach is to define the way the market thinks about it in a more strategic vs. tactical manner. Technology waves will certainly disrupt, that’s expected. Your company wants to be the one that defines the conversation, not in terms of this tech feature or breakthrough, but in terms of what your company can do better or differently in the marketplace as a result of incorporating the breakthrough technology. The key is to focus on new and exciting solution capabilities, not on aspects like having a better model, better training data, or a faster edge-to-cloud LLM execution.
3. Where do you want to be in three months?
So rolling all this up, lead with what makes you different, powered by your existing IP augmented with this new technology, focus the conversation on the value you provide. This sets the conversation on the added value achieved with the technology rather than the flurry of new tech features. Without taking this approach, in three months you’ll be asking the same question and how to respond to new tech features rather than leading the marketplace with your breakthrough story.
Key Takeaways
In a world where technology evolves at breakneck speed, positioning your brand for longevity requires a strategic mindset. Rather than chasing every new tech trend, focus on timeless principles that transcend the waves of innovation. Lead the conversation by defining how your company leverages breakthroughs to deliver unique value, setting the tone for market discourse. Embrace your existing strengths augmented by new technology, emphasizing the value you bring to the table. By leading with differentiation and value, you not only future-proof your positioning but also pave the way for sustained success in an ever-changing landscape.
What’s in your future?
Reach out to explore how our data-driven process can future-proof your positioning and propel your business to new heights.