a single source, nothing corroborates it

Be the only answer for someone, not the equal of everyone

Buyers reach for the best available version of a thing, so parity with a trusted name at the same price gives nobody a reason to switch. Best is defined by one customer's particular need, which means a narrow capability a minority calls the only reason they bought decides more purchases than broad competence does.

The method

1. 01

   Assume shoppers are after the best available version of the thing, so being merely equivalent to a trusted brand at the same price gives nobody a reason to pick you.

2. 02

   Define best relative to one customer's particular need, because a product that leads the category overall can still fail someone whose requirement sits elsewhere.

3. 03

   Chase either broad daily use or a narrow feature that a minority names as the only reason they bought, since it is the second kind that decides purchases.

4. 04

   Fund the things that are true in every future, such as software being fast and responsive across a person's devices, and accept that these will not be your differentiators.

5. 05

   List the attributes this specific set of customers cares about, then pick the two or three you can genuinely be excellent at and differentiate there.

What it returned

• Justin draws on Cal Newport's reading of Sherwin Rosen's Superstar Effect: nobody chooses the second-best podcast on a subject when the best one costs the same effort.

• Justin quotes a reader, Kevin B., making this point.

• He compares it to a song that is somebody's favourite while most people find it merely fine, and notes buyers forgive a lot elsewhere when they love one thing, as they did with the iPod despite iTunes.

• Bezos framed it as customers always wanting lower prices, quicker delivery and fair service; Cohen adds that in tools like Notion, Figma and Gmail speed itself became something customers name.

Sources

• How to get people to choose your productJustin Jackson · justinjackson.ca · How to get people to choose your product · undated
• Lost confidenceJason Cohen · longform.asmartbear.com · Focus instead on customer impact · 2026-06-21