“Managers get into trouble when they attempt to compete head-on with other companies. No one wins that kind of struggle. Instead, managers need to develop a clear strategy around their company’s unique place in the market … Managers who think there is one best company and one best set of processes set themselves up for destructive competition. The worst error is to compete with your competition on the same things. That only leads to escalation, which leads to lower prices or higher costs unless the competitor is inept. Companies should strive to be unique. Managers should be asking, ‘How can you deliver a unique value to meet an important set of needs for an important set of customers?’ … Strategy has to do with what will make you unique.”

Michael Porter, strategy guru