7 Signs That Separate Category Owners From Renters
Why growth feels harder than it should - and what to do about it
Growth feels harder than it should.
You can have a good product, a strong team, and a clear strategy—and still feel like every win costs too much.
Deals close, but the sales cycle drags.
You ship, and competitors match you within months.
The team executes, yet everyone’s more tired each week.
At some point you start asking, “Do we ever get past this?”
You’ve seen the other version in case studies: prospects show up already understanding you. Calls are about fit, not schooling. Pricing talks aren’t anchored to a rival’s rate card. Growth starts stacking.
That’s not magic. It’s position.
Some companies own a place in the buyer’s mind. Others rent one.
When you rent, you keep paying to explain, compare, and defend. When you own, the market does some of that work for you.
Ownership doesn’t slip away in one big decision. It leaks in small moments: how a sales call opens, the words customers use when they refer you, the first question in a strategy meeting.
Here are seven signs you’re renting.
Sign #1: You have to explain what category you're in.
The first ten minutes of every call is the “who we are / why us” deck.
Owners get a different first ten minutes.
The buyer already did the homework. They’re asking, “Can you handle our situation?”
The call is mostly qualification.
You’re here when your team jokes about needing a “who we are” slide before “what we do.”
Sign #2: Strategy meetings start with competitors.
“What are they doing?” is the opening line.
Owners start with a different question: “Where else does what we do apply?”
Competitors show up late, if at all.
You’re here when someone can recite a competitor’s last release from memory.
Sign #3: Customers describe you differently than you describe yourself.
Testimonials need rewriting. Case studies need translation. Prospects say, “You’re like [competitor],” and your team spends five minutes correcting them.
Owners hear their own language echoed back. Referrals carry the message without warping it.
You’re here when your best customer says, “Like [competitor] but cheaper,” and your positioning doesn’t match that frame.
Sign #4: Pricing talks default to competitor comparisons.
“[Competitor] charges less” shows up in most deals. Your team defends with feature grids. Discounts show up to “stay competitive.”
Owners talk about the change the buyer gets, not the checklist.
Comparisons fade because the category is clear.
You’re here when you have an internal script titled “When they bring up [competitor]’s pricing.”
Sign #5: New features don’t create distance.
Every release buys you a short window, then you’re back to parity.
Owners ship in a way that deepens what they already own.
Copycats prove the category exists—and owners keep deepening what they already own.
You’re here when last year’s “differentiator” is now a checkbox on everyone’s comparison page.
Sign #6: Marketing rewrites positioning every quarter.
The homepage headline changes with the mood of the market. The positioning deck has multiple “latest” versions.
Owners keep the foundation steady. Trends affect execution, not the core message.
You’re here when a new hire asks which deck to use and nobody’s sure.
Sign #7: Growth is linear
Revenue can rise, but each customer still takes the same education and the same effort.
Costs climb. Momentum never really shows up.
Owners get compounding: each customer makes the next one easier.
You’re here when your best quarter and your worst quarter required the same grind.
Why it feels like pushing uphill
Every company fights two fights:
Win customers.
Establish what you are in the buyer’s mind.
If you own your position, the second fight is lighter. Buyers already have a frame for you.
If you rent, you fight both on every deal. That’s the tax. It shows up as longer cycles, constant comparisons, and a team that’s always tired.
These dynamics aren’t new, but the pace is.
AI shrank the time between “we shipped” and “they copied.”
Buyers also do more homework before they’ll talk.
The grace period is over.
The signs cluster around 3 areas:
Definition (Signs 1, 3, 6): You haven’t named the change you own, so you keep explaining and your message keeps drifting.
Comparison (Signs 2, 4, 5): You’re playing on terms someone else set, so competitors become your reference point.
Compounding cluster (Sign 7): Nothing stacks because the market isn’t carrying any of the story for you.
Look back: which signs show up most for you? Which cluster is heaviest?
What to do if you’re renting
You don’t fix all seven. You find the one that’s upstream and move it.
Step 1: Score yourself.
Read the seven signs and write down the numbers that are true for you.
Prompt 1: Signal Check
Seven signs you’re renting your market position:
1. You have to explain what category you're in
2. Strategy sessions start with competitors
3. Customers describe you differently than you describe yourself
4. Pricing conversations keep coming back to competitors
5. New features don’t create distance
6. Marketing rewrites positioning every quarter
7. Growth stays linear
Which of these are true for you? List the numbers.
Then cluster my answers:
- Definition cluster (1, 3, 6): Haven't defined the category
- Comparison cluster (2, 4, 5): Competitors are the reference point
- Compounding cluster (7): Growth doesn't multiply
Tell me which cluster is heaviest and what that pattern reveals.Step 2: Reframe one.
Pick the clearest sign and ask a better question.
Prompt 2: The Root Question
My heaviest group is: [Definition / Comparison / Compounding]
Trace it back:
Definition → We haven’t named the change we create, so we spend time teaching it
Comparison → We’re competing on terms someone else set
Compounding → Nothing stacks because we don’t own a clear place in the buyer’s mind
Now ask me:
“What change do you create for customers—the shift that, if you owned it, competitors couldn’t credibly claim?”
After I answer, be blunt: does this sound specific and ours, or could a competitor say the same thing?Prompt 3: The Intervener