A Category-of-One (CO1) position is when your business steps out of the marketplace others are fighting in, and stands in a space that only you occupy.
It’s not about being better.
It’s about being incomparable.
When you’re CO1, buyers stop comparing you to competitors, and instead start asking:
How do I work with them?
How soon can I start?
What will it take to secure this?
Why it matters
If you’re in a crowded industry, every “value add” quickly becomes standard. Competitors copy. Margins shrink. Demand flattens.
But when you establish a Category-of-One, you create:
Demand gravity — clients are pulled to you, not chased.
Price power — you set terms without resistance.
Strategic dominance — you lead the conversation, not follow it.
What this newsletter does
Each issue of CO1 Live shows you practical ways to move toward a Category-of-One position — whether through a sharper narrative, a novel framework, or a strategic reframing that makes competition irrelevant.
If you can escape comparison, you can escape commoditization.
That’s the game.