Own a Core Drive the category lacks (OCT-M08)

How it works

Drives the whole category provides are a baseline, not a reason to switch. A drive no competitor delivers gives users a reason to choose and to stay, and it protects veterans from a rival that copies the core function; Chou notes that utility alone is a retention floor, not an Endgame. Adding a touch of an absent drive is cheap, while pushing an already strong drive higher needs experts and testing.

How to build it

B2B

Chart the product next to the main competitor and a loved product from another category, then build one feature around the drive neither competitor delivers.

Web

Add community or creation to a utility category where rivals compete only on features.

Mobile

In a category that competes on progress tracking, add real connection between users.

What can go wrong

• Competing only on drives the whole category delivers.
• Adding a drive the product cannot make credible.
• Spreading effort across many weak drives instead of making one strong.

Pairs well with

• Benchmark against a direct competitor and a loved product from another category.
• Make a few drives strong rather than sprinkling all eight.