How to be Different

Everyone wants to be different.

It used to pay to be the same, conform to what everyone else did because if you didn’t you would be voted off the island or abandoned by the tribe.

Sometimes it’s so strong it produced physical symptoms like the time my friend thought he was high even though the brownie I gave him had nothing in it. 😂

However today, it pays to be different. You get 100x the eyeballs, attention and potential upside in revenue.

I’ve been thinking about this for years and here’s everything I’ve learned.

Do the Opposite

When I first started EntryLevel - I was determined to ‘revolutionise’ the way we did education & recruitment. I felt they needed to be connected somehow. However the product we launched with was an online course. Yep. Way to be different ay?

Yet I wanted to be different. To attract customers, investors and get my team excited.

So what I did was I wrote down absolutely everything that most people did in the space. Then I wrote down what the opposite might look like.

• Video Tutorials → No Videos, Text Only

• Worksheets → No Worksheets

• Quizzes → No Quizzes

• Online Community → Physical In Person Community

• Money Back if you do Less than 30% of the course → Money back if you finish the course?

My team looked at me like I was an idiot when I told them I wanted to try refunding people who finished the course. However, I persevered and pushed it through.

That’s how we started our unique model of “100% money back if you finish our course” and it was a hit! Some people didn’t believe it but once the testimonials flew in, it created a flywheel. Also the first thing investors or anyone said to be was - “Okay wait, how do you guys make money? Don’t you guys want people NOT to finish then”

However we 10x’ed the completion rates of typical courses and introduced a ‘pay it forward model’ with some additional perks if they let us keep the money. We only refunded 10-15% of total money in and treated it as a business expense.

Lesson: Write down what everyone usually does in your space and think of what the opposite would look like. Not everything will be a great idea, but every now and then you might come up with something.

Start with the Weird Ideas First

When you’re starting something new, don’t shy away from the weird ideas. Trust me, your project will become more conservative over time, so it’s best to start with the outlandish and unconventional.

Users don’t ask for weird ideas, they always ask for the more normal features and so if you don’t start with the quirky stuff first it just won’t happen.

Think of the following examples that redefined existing, monopolised spaces:

• Email → Hey.com: They started with quirky features like the “Screener” to approve or block new senders and the “Imbox” to prioritise important emails

• Browser → Arc: Spaces where you can have easier navigation between your ‘work’ space and ‘personal’ space. They also created mini arcs where it would open a mini browser when clicking on a popup so it wouldn’t disrupt your current tab.

Lesson: Start with the weird. Your crazy idea might just be the next big thing, and even if it evolves, it’ll retain that spark of originality that makes it special.

Do the Same Product but Target a New Demographic

Sometimes innovation isn’t about changing your product but about finding a new audience for it. This can mean targeting a different age group, gender, or even a new geographic market.

Look at the success of Nintendo. The Wii was revolutionary not because it had the best graphics or the most complex games, but because it targeted an entirely new demographic: families and non-gamers. While other consoles were duking it out for hardcore gamers, Nintendo went after your grandma, your little sister, and even your technophobe dad. The result? The Wii became a household staple, selling over 100 million units.

Lesson: Think about who isn’t using your product but could benefit from it. Shifting your focus can open up entirely new markets.

New Wrapper

Sometimes, it’s not about changing what you’re offering but how you’re offering it. If everyone has a digital newsletter, what if you started a physical newsletter that you mail to people?

Consider the case of Dollar Shave Club. Instead of competing directly with established brands like Gillette in the usual retail space, they changed the game by offering a subscription model. Razors delivered to your door, no more running out last minute to the store. It wasn’t a new product, just a different way of delivering it.

Lesson: Look at how you can wrap your product differently. Sometimes, a new delivery method can set you apart in a crowded market.

Find a Really Niche Area to Innovate In

Specialisation allows you to be more focused and personalised. Find a niche and dominate it.

Take YETI Coolers, for instance. Instead of trying to make coolers for everyone, they zeroed in on a very specific market: outdoor enthusiasts who needed durable, high-performance coolers. By focusing on this niche, they built a brand synonymous with quality and ruggedness. Their coolers might be overkill for a backyard BBQ, but for those who need them, nothing else will do.

Lesson: Going niche can give you a loyal customer base that values your specialized product or service over generalized competitors.

Do it at Level 12

If someone does customer support at level 10, what does level 12 look like? Maybe personalised phone calls to each person, instant 24/7 support, or calling customers before they even realise there’s a problem.

Zappos is legendary for its customer service. They don’t just respond to queries; they surprise and delight. There are stories of Zappos sending flowers to customers, upgrading shipping for free, and even helping a customer find a pizza place at 2 AM. Their commitment to going above and beyond has created a loyal customer base that can’t stop singing their praises.

Lesson: Think about how you can elevate your service or product to an unprecedented level. Break the frame and redefine what’s possible.

Build a New Category Altogether

Instead of waffles or croissants, create the new Croffles category. Innovation can sometimes mean creating something entirely new that doesn’t fit into existing categories.

Red Bull didn’t just enter the beverage market; they created the energy drink category. Before Red Bull, there wasn’t really a drink specifically designed to boost energy and mental performance. By creating a new category, Red Bull was able to dominate the market and become synonymous with energy drinks.

Lesson: Think about what new category you could create that meets an unaddressed need.

Adopt New Technologies Fast

Sometimes it pays to be an early adopter. Jump on new technologies quickly and become the go-to brand for innovation.

When Instagram Stories launched, a lot of brands took a wait-and-see approach. But some, like National Geographic, jumped on it immediately, using it to share behind-the-scenes content and engage with followers in a new way. By being early adopters, they gained a significant advantage and set a trend that others followed.

This will make you different because barely anymore has adopted it yet. Even if they have 1M users that is a tiny fraction of the world’s population.

Lesson: Don’t be afraid to jump on new technologies or trends quickly. Being a fast adopter can set you apart as an innovator and leader in your field.

How I can help  🚀
Here are a few recommendations or ways I can help you. Follow the links if any of these are interesting.

🌍 Hiring Global Talent: Fine A+ players at lower costs with Athyna
👨‍🎨 Get Unlimited Design Work: Want great designs at a low monthly cost? Try ManyPixels
📰 Build a Newsletter: Want to build a newsletter like me? Try Beehiiv
👨‍💻 Tech Courses: Want to do a tech course you’ll actually finish? Try EntryLevel

Cheers,

Ajay

P.S I’ll only write to you when I have something interesting to say. The