Someone else is already doing my passion, so why bother?

[momo313]

I have a silly belief that I need help re-framing or eliminating.

I'm really passionate about X and I want to help people who have problems with X, but I notice there's already someone in the marketplace who is also passionate about X doing a great job of creating products, blog articles and so on, about X, to help people.

When I see this person, I have the thoughts "Why bother going into this field? They're already kicking-ass and doing a great job... I don't want to copy them and be another "me too" guy".

On some level I know this is a silly and limiting belief, there are many needs out there that can be filled by catering my passion for X to a specific need. Competition is apparent in the business world, it's normal for others to compete with one another in fulfilling the same need. In spite of this, I still feel uneasy about moving forward.

EDIT:

In the process of writing this and knowing it would be seen by others, I came to a realization: I think I have nothing of value to offer and I'd be seen as a rip-off or scam artist by the market leader and potential customers should I try to enter the market with my own products on the topic of X.

The perceived potential for massive humiliation and rejection is pushing some primal part of my brain that's keeping me stuck from pursuing an online business.

Can you recommend an article, blog post, a book, or whatever to help me get over this?

[Steph4n1e]

Follow your passion.

You may have the same theme, but like a writer, a theme is only the beginning. If you gave 100 authors the same theme they would all come up with a different story.

Most people spend there lives searching, and often times never realizing, there passion. You know it, follow it and see where it takes you.

With 6 billion plus people in the world, that one person in your field, or a dozen, won't have the answers everyone is looking for, and yours might be the idea, thought, or advice they needed.

[Lucidism]

I don't have any book or article to send you, but I did want to say that just because someone is already doing something doesn't mean you can't follow your passion as well. There were already "enough" personal development sites when Leo started ZenHabits.net, but he did it anyway, and it gained a large following.

If you have something really good to share, then go for it. Do it just as well (or better) as the person who is already doing a great job.

I understand where you're coming from. I've been into lucid dreaming for a long time. I thought about creating a web site about it many years ago, but decided not to, since LD4ALL was already in existence and such a good resource. Looking back on it, I wished I had started it. Even if it didn't turn out as good as others, I would have liked to pursue it. In fact, I plan to pursue it anyway, starting some time this year.

So yeah, go for it, if you are truly passionate and having something worth giving. Maybe there are people who are not fully satisfied with X, and you can offer them the Y they've been hoping for.

[Curtis2011]

Originally Posted by momo313

I have a silly belief that I need help re-framing or eliminating.

I'm really passionate about X and I want to help people who have problems with X, but I notice there's already someone in the marketplace who is also passionate about X doing a great job of creating products, blog articles and so on, about X, to help people.

When I see this person, I have the thoughts "Why bother going into this field? They're already kicking-ass and doing a great job... I don't want to copy them and be another "me too" guy".

On some level I know this is a silly and limiting belief, there are many needs out there that can be filled by catering my passion for X to a specific need. Competition is apparent in the business world, it's normal for others to compete with one another in fulfilling the same need. In spite of this, I still feel uneasy about moving forward.

EDIT:

In the process of writing this and knowing it would be seen by others, I came to a realization: I think I have nothing of value to offer and I'd be seen as a rip-off or scam artist by the market leader and potential customers should I try to enter the market with my own products on the topic of X.

The perceived potential for massive humiliation and rejection is pushing some primal part of my brain that's keeping me stuck from pursuing an online business.

Can you recommend an article, blog post, a book, or whatever to help me get over this?

Can you please be specific about what the heck you are talking about.

If "X" is one small need in a tiny niche, then obviously you cannot compete unless you can do it better than the current market leader.

But if "X" is a huge niche with many thousands or millions of customers, there will always be room for a smaller operation such as yourself to fill a micro-niche need within the bigger niche.



But seriously dude, you don't have to hide whatever topic you are thinking about going into. These are your interests, not ours, and nobody reading this thread is going to steal your idea, because we each already have our own pre-defined interests and aspirations, none of which have to do with stealing your idea.

/rant.

[ancksunamun]

If you are truly passionate about 'x' then don't let an existing competitor put you off from following you passion.

We each have different ways of operating and different people will warm to different approaches. Yours might be just right, for the right group of people.

Try and plot what your point of difference will be. Or what will be special about how you will follow your passion. And work to that strength.

I am in the Life Coaching field and there are a fair few of us but it is about recognising what your style, or personal speciality is and marketing to that so people also recognise what it is and can decide if that's what they want, over someone else.

You state a 'perceived potential for massive humiliation and rejection...'. I can assure you, it is only perceived, and this is called fear. Face your fears front on and don't miss out on living your passion.

[ssandra]

Everybody is different. There will be people who will be helped a lot by what your competitor is writing, they will feel drawn to their message.

However, there will also be people who will not understand it the way that guy/girl is writing it. They will not be helped by their wordings.

That's where you come in. By wording things just differently (although essentially saying the same thing) you can reach a whole new audience.

That is why there isn't just one popular PD blog, but a LOT that are successful. They all say basically the same things, but some just resonates with one person, and some just with another person.

[Tom90]

I totally understand where you’re coming from, because I’ve been there, still am there in some cases.

But it sounds you like you know what you really want to do — it’s your passion — just do it! You want to live your dreams, right? You don’t want to settle for second best, do you?

It’s like the other posters here are saying: so what if someone else is doing something similar? The world’s big enough for many voices. You have your own particular unique voice, because your life is yours. Your insights are unique to you, your experiences, your stories — and we should all get to hear them.

[momo313]

After reading your responses and doing some journalling, I'm think I'm just afraid of launching my own business, or rather, creating content for others because I'm maintaining a "I'm not good enough" complex: "I'm not good enough to help people about X, and if I try, I'll get humiliated, rejected, abandoned and destroyed by a missile from the heavens."

I must of unconsciously known this when I created this thread because I didn't feel the need to talk specifics since I knew it didn't matter -- I already know the business how-to and theory: identifying needs, niche competitiveness, positioning -- instead I needed to trigger series of events via a post that would help me consciously face a deeper limiting belief, "I'm not good enough", and it has.

Now I'm going to use the Lefkoe Method to obliterate this silly belief.

[ancksunamun]

Who told you you aren't good enough?

Do you have any proof that you are not?

And what is "good enough'?

Confidence is important in running your own business so you won't go wrong spending time on smashing this limiting belief. It will be your best investment at this point. For business, and for life.

Let us know how you go.

[danthony]

Easy, put your own spin on this passion and build your own USP around this passion. If you're passionate about something, your audience will listen usually.

[Andrew Brunelle]

Just because someone else is doing what you are passionate about, and even doing it better doesn't mean you shouldn't do it too. It would be one thing if you were no good at your passion, but if you are good enough at your passion to give valuable insights and bring along your unique perspective, then you could be a success.

That being said, I don't know why you are so passionate about the letter X.

[mikethedrummer44]

Originally Posted by momo313

I have a silly belief that I need help re-framing or eliminating.

I'm really passionate about X and I want to help people who have problems with X, but I notice there's already someone in the marketplace who is also passionate about X doing a great job of creating products, blog articles and so on, about X, to help people.

When I see this person, I have the thoughts "Why bother going into this field? They're already kicking-ass and doing a great job... I don't want to copy them and be another "me too" guy".

On some level I know this is a silly and limiting belief, there are many needs out there that can be filled by catering my passion for X to a specific need. Competition is apparent in the business world, it's normal for others to compete with one another in fulfilling the same need. In spite of this, I still feel uneasy about moving forward.

EDIT:

In the process of writing this and knowing it would be seen by others, I came to a realization: I think I have nothing of value to offer and I'd be seen as a rip-off or scam artist by the market leader and potential customers should I try to enter the market with my own products on the topic of X.

The perceived potential for massive humiliation and rejection is pushing some primal part of my brain that's keeping me stuck from pursuing an online business.

Can you recommend an article, blog post, a book, or whatever to help me get over this?

I recommend actually trying something so you can realize it's not nearly as bad as you're making it out to be.

If you want to succeed in business, you're going to need to look outside of your passion. Yeah, it's awesome to make money doing what you love. However, successful businesses are the ones that cater to what OTHER PEOPLE love.

Follow someone else's passion (make sure there's a lot of people following it as well), and you've got a recipe for success.

As far as competition goes, just look at what other people are doing and do it better. It really is that simple.

[curiouslyrandom]

I went through the same line of thinking when I started my online retail (and very niche) business. I looked at my competition, how they did their sites, blogs, stores, etc. and found that it didn't matter... customers still bought from me. Some switched from my competitors to me, some bought from all of us. Ultimately we all broadened the market and ended up bringing in MORE CUSTOMERS because there were more of us to buy from, providing more information, acceptance and visibility.

So really, it's a win-win. Join the competition, do things with your own spin, and go for it. What's the worst that can happen? Probably not as bad as you imagine.

[Humancure]

This feeling arises from lack of self confidence - I sometimes felt that about my services, and in a way, its a good thing; because later down the line, I realized, its because of this very feeling, the quality of my services and products have dramatically improved!

Dont beat yourself up - your competitors are human, and so are you! Your not really scamming anyone, otherwise you wouldn't be on a personal development site, asking this very question.

If you feel providing product "X" is being "me too" - then add something more to it! Research about side products related to it, and add value by adding a well researched ebook with the product - make it a "must have" and your competitors wont have.

Everyone's passion has been covered by thousands if not millions of human beings - but we still enjoy abundance of wealth despite that..

what your suffering from is good - dont eliminate it altogether - this is what will improve your services/products quality over time!

[tayehassan]

Your feelings are not out of place, like it has been said to you, it stemmed out of fear and lack of confidence. All you need to do is to change your focus and have believe in yourself. Under study your presumed competitors vis-a-vis the market your passions is in; what are the competitors offering the market? How can you improve on that and at what price or is it going to be free, while designing other methods or ways to make money out of it? You must talk yourself out of the fear and for the fact that someone is doing it might suggests to you that if you put your mind and energy into it you will definitely make a headway. You are unique, so also are the medium you choose to deliver your skills and knowledge even if such knowledge/information is available to your competitors. So, you might use a medium to deliver your services better than your competitors and you can only do this successfully when you know your competitors inside out by studying him!

Best of luck!

[danthony]

something that i've also thought about is that if you don't offer others value in terms of your passion, you might be leaving a lot of money and satisfaction on the table. You don't want to be one of those people that says "I wonder what would have happened if I tried this?"