Too many enterprise software companies are caught in a trap.
It’s an obsessive focus on features, a constant chase of competitors, and a deeply held belief that the best technology will win.
This is the fast path to the commodity trap. It leads to a brutal war on price, forcing companies to constantly defend their value against a dozen other tools that do roughly the same thing.
The breakout companies think differently. The shift that changes their trajectory happens when they stop thinking about what their software does, and focus on who it empowers. They stop selling to a company's functional problem and start selling to their champion's personal and professional ambition.
It’s a simple idea that changes everything about a business.
First, the emotional need. A CFO’s job isn’t just to close the books; it’s to walk into a board meeting feeling bulletproof. Software that merely automates reports is useful. But an AI platform that stress-tests a plan against thousands of scenarios, giving that CFO a good night's sleep before a high-stakes meeting—that's indispensable.
This is where breakout companies find real pricing power. You can’t commoditize confidence.
Second, the social need. A VP of Marketing wants to be seen as a visionary. An AI tool that finds insights to make him look brilliant in front of the CEO doesn't just help him do his job; it helps him get promoted.
This is how a real moat is built. When a product is directly tied to someone's career success, the churn rate drops to near zero. The software is no longer a line item on a budget; it's a career asset that is impossible to rip out.
This mindset transforms an entire go-to-market strategy.
Marketing stops shouting about features and starts whispering about ambition. Sales calls are no longer demos; they become career strategy sessions with a champion. This approach attracts better customers—the ones who see the deeper value and aren't just shopping on price.
Ultimately, the real competition isn't the other startups in the space. It's the customer's old, manual, "good enough" workflow.
And you don't beat 'good enough' with a slightly better feature. You beat it by tapping into a deep, human need for confidence and a powerful desire to be seen as a star at work.
That’s how you build something truly indispensable.