Ask HN: Can I compete?

It's near impossible to find anything with zero competition. If you think you can build and market it, do it. You never know what direction your competition is going to take.

I'm working on project that would have been in direct competition with a YC funded company. Then they were bought by Twitter and dissolved a month before my launch date.

Find a niche and own it.

Undoubtedly.

It's really up to you. With most things, it's really about the execution and first-mover advantage is increasingly becoming even less important.

As for competition, that's generally a good thing. It simply means that you might be on to something if other people are pursuing the same opportunity.

If you have an idea, at least 5 different people have already had it. Blah blah blah all boils down to if you think you can make it, then will make it.

With regards to market position and all that stuff, thats where strategic thinking come in. Its how Apple unseated RIM. Google slammed Yahoo, Altavista and all those others. And lets not forget YouTube. None of these companies were the first in their field, but they are at the pinnacle today.

All that said, practically speaking, it would be an excellent idea to involve others - mentors, board members, financiers, and/or cofounders. Best course of action is to find a startup incubator nearby and get the feel for the people there.

If the competing company is not one of many, then sure you can compete! Compete by doing everything they do better. Do a better marketing strategy. Provide better value. Make it your manifesto to provide more value.

I grew up relatively poor, in a small town (800 people), didn't do that great in college, went to a no-name college in the midwest. I used to think like you "How will I ever compete"

And then I started to meet people the exact opposite of who I was. I realized they are just like me, and there is nothing to be afraid of.

If you're motivated and half way intelligent you'll be fine. Things probably won't turn out how you expected, but you'll be okay.

I once read somewhere (I honestly can't remember where) that if you are the only one pursuing a business idea with absolutely no competition, you are either a genius, or a fool.

This all comes down to such trite sentences as: "Ideas are a dime a dozen", "Execution is everything", blah blah blah.

You could ALWAYS compete. When you have a great idea and it seemed obvious and there is no one doing it, you should reconsider it. A good idea is afraid of being lonely.

I have been cataloging my ideas for several months now, in preparation for bringing others into the loop to help further refine and develop them,

By every metric bandied about on most start-up/entrepreneur websites involving initial position to make a good jump, I wouldn't appear to have a chance. I certainly don't fit the model of elite-school graduate with powerful social networks/resources installed from boot-up.

I don't even think about that stuff. It's information detailing other people. Not me. Not my thoughts. Not my ideas. Not my approach. Not my experience. Not my insight. Not my life.

Not a problem.

They say there's nothing you can say or do that hasn't been said or done before... but we've got more resources at our fingertips this instant than the entirety of all civilizations on Earth did just 20 years ago. We have the ability to grow our thoughts into real things like never before in history, and I mean to use them. You should too-- be exited, not pensive.

Be awesome-- your inspiration is not like others, and your implementation need not be the same either.

I think of articulating ideas in a software solution context as describing Mona Lisa's smile. Many people will use many different words. Some will sound better to some people than others, and others will sound good to everyone-- but there is no perfect answer for everyone. Just remember the most important thing: they are all describing the same thing! Of course there will be similarities between them. They're trying to solve the same problem(s). No worries.

All you can do is observe, watch others observe, and learn to describe your solution the best way you can-- using your vision and the world around you as a feedback mechanism to tweak and develop your approach.

You might have a superior element to your design that the current developers will not even ponder until they see you implement it.

TL;DR: JUST DO IT.

Make it and release before them, steal their thunder.

1 competitor is nothing to worry about. Like everyone has said competitors mean there is likely a market. That being said given they haven't launched nothing is proven.