--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you want to gain market share at your…" description: "\"If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify it.\" — Peter..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/peter-cohan-67733_competitors_if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your_33624.jpg" --- # If you want to gain market share at your competitor's… ![“If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify it.” quote by Peter Cohan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/peter-cohan-67733_competitors_if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your_33624.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/peter-cohan-67733_competitors_if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your_33624.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/peter-cohan-67733_competitors_if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your_33624.jpg) > “If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify it.” Peter Cohan ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Simplify overly complex products to attract customers frustrated with their current provider, thereby capturing market share. **In simple terms:** Complexity drives customers away; simplicity wins. Key Takeaway Simplify to win customers. Themes competition customer experience product design market strategy Mood optimistic strategic Type advice business strategy When to use this quote - B2B SaaS with - consumer electronics market - financial services platform Key Concepts complexity reduction value proposition customer pain points Practical Applications - Product redesign to reduce steps - Targeted marketing highlighting simplicity Questions to Reflect On - What aspects of our offering cause unnecessary complexity? - How can we communicate simplicity effectively? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Customer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/customer/) [Investing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investing/) [Market share](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/market-share/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) ## Related quotes > [When you improve your product so it does the customer's job better, then you gain market share.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/when-you-improve-your-product-so-it-does-the-customer-s-job-better/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [Listening to other companies' customers is the best way to gain market share, while listening to the visionaries is the best way to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-dyson/listening-to-other-companies-customers-is-the-best-way-to-gain-market/) [Esther Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-dyson/) > [Look after the customer and the business will take care of itself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kroc/look-after-the-customer-and-the-business-will-take-care-of-itself/) [Ray Kroc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kroc/) > [“The more concentrated the competition, the more you have to worry about it. If you don’t realize when a case involves high competitor concentration,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cheng/the-more-concentrated-the-competition-the-more-you-have-to-worry/) [Victor Cheng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cheng/) > [When regulations restricting competition are relaxed, nobody's market share is protected. If telephone companies can offer video programming, cable revenue will surely drop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kapor/when-regulations-restricting-competition-are-relaxed-nobody-s-market/) [Mitch Kapor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kapor/) > [The marketplace measurement in politics is something called an election. It's a pretty good barometer - it's transparent, it's numerical, it's objective. It gives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-pawlenty/the-marketplace-measurement-in-politics-is-something-called-an/) [Tim Pawlenty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-pawlenty/) > [Bebo has an opportunity to prove its products and services. Bebo plays in a very competitive space; it has big market share in specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-armstrong/bebo-has-an-opportunity-to-prove-its-products-and-services-bebo-plays/) [Tim Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-armstrong/) > [“Sure, but having jobs doesn't require destroying the environment which makes life possible. I mean, if you have participatory social planning, and people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/sure-but-having-jobs-doesn-t-require-destroying-the-environment-which/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Don’t buy market share. Figure out how to earn it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-kotler/don-t-buy-market-share-figure-out-how-to-earn-it/) [Philip Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-kotler/) > [“markets, races for market share driven by network effects, the convergence of different industries, and head-to-head”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/markets-races-for-market-share-driven-by-network-effects-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It is a fact that today steel can be made more cheaply outside America. This is also true of many other products: shoes, shirts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinesh-d-souza/it-is-a-fact-that-today-steel-can-be-made-more-cheaply-outside/) [Dinesh D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinesh-d-souza/) > [If competitors don't like our two to one advantage, dominating market share with both SP and DS, well, I've got bad news. Because we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-fils-aime/if-competitors-don-t-like-our-two-to-one-advantage-dominating-market/) [Reggie Fils-Aime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reggie-fils-aime/) > [In general, great companies prefer to grow 'organically,' as Wall Street likes to say. That is, from the inside out, by finding new markets…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/in-general-great-companies-prefer-to-grow-organically-as-wall-street/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [There are about 300,000 neighborhoods in the United States, and more than half of them have at least one millionaire living there. Most millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-j-stanley/there-are-about-300-000-neighborhoods-in-the-united-states-and-more/) [Thomas J. Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-j-stanley/) > [“consolidation, coupled with a desire among the survivors to restore normal profit levels, helps to usher in an era of orderly competition based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-thain/consolidation-coupled-with-a-desire-among-the-survivors-to-restore/) [Greg Thain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-thain/) ## More by Peter Cohan > [Fast growth in a start-up is a sign that customers like what you're doing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/fast-growth-in-a-start-up-is-a-sign-that-customers-like-what-you-re/) Peter Cohan > [Why didn't I just throw my money out of the window - and light it on fire?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/why-didn-t-i-just-throw-my-money-out-of-the-window-and-light-it-on/) Peter Cohan > [Demo: presentation of a specific set of capabilities needed to solve the customer's critical business issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/demo-presentation-of-a-specific-set-of-capabilities-needed-to-solve/) Peter Cohan Explore all 4 Peter Cohan quotes ## More Competitors quotes > [Talented people can predict with great accuracy what's about to happen just a tiny bit ahead of their competitors. It might be two seconds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/talented-people-can-predict-with-great-accuracy-what-s-about-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [Sports have always been a huge part of my life and my conversations. It is a thrill and an honor to be a part…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/summer-sanders/sports-have-always-been-a-huge-part-of-my-life-and-my-conversations/) [Summer Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/summer-sanders/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [Every coercive monopoly was created by government intervention into the economy: by special privileges, such as franchises or subsidies, which closed the entry of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/every-coercive-monopoly-was-created-by-government-intervention-into/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [As they grow, companies saturate their markets, become more complex and difficult to manage, and face larger and more entrenched competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/as-they-grow-companies-saturate-their-markets-become-more-complex-and/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [I learn from all our major competitors, whether they're in or out of the U.S. Wells Fargo is very actively, very aggressively, and very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-learn-from-all-our-major-competitors-whether-they-re-in-or-out-of/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [Many manufacturers secretly question whether advertising really sells their product, but are vaguely afraid that their competitors might steal a march on them if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ogilvy/many-manufacturers-secretly-question-whether-advertising-really-sells/) [David Ogilvy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ogilvy/) > [I've got to know my strength and weaknesses and the same for my competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-buchanan/i-ve-got-to-know-my-strength-and-weaknesses-and-the-same-for-my/) [Caroline Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-buchanan/) > [As a competitor and an athlete, you love that you get to go back and challenge someone, especially the world champs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-romo/as-a-competitor-and-an-athlete-you-love-that-you-get-to-go-back-and/) [Tony Romo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-romo/) > [We can never have too much preparation and training. We must be a strong competitor. We must adhere staunchly to the basic principle that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-bunche/we-can-never-have-too-much-preparation-and-training-we-must-be-a/) [Ralph Bunche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-bunche/) > [Even in the face of massive competition, don't think about the competition. Literally don't think about them. Every time you're in a meeting and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-mccue/even-in-the-face-of-massive-competition-don-t-think-about-the/) [Mike McCue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-mccue/) > [In the United States businessmen often do not trust their colleagues. If you trust your colleague today, he may be your competitor tomorrow, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akio-morita/in-the-united-states-businessmen-often-do-not-trust-their-colleagues/) [Akio Morita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akio-morita/) > [We're not competitor obsessed, we're customer obsessed. We start with the customer and we work backwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/we-re-not-competitor-obsessed-we-re-customer-obsessed-we-start-with/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I saw greatness in John and he lived up to it. I also saw a tremendous competitor who loved to win. John is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-davis/i-saw-greatness-in-john-and-he-lived-up-to-it-i-also-saw-a-tremendous/) [Al Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-davis/) Browse all 613 Competitors quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from too much complexity and simplify it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Peter Cohan" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Competitors" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/peter-cohan-67733_competitors_if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your_33624.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/peter-cohan-67733_competitors_if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your_33624.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ea/peter-cohan-67733_competitors_if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your_33624.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If you want to gain market share at your competitor's expense - look for a customer that's suffering from…” — Peter Cohan", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Peter Cohan", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-cohan/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If you want to gain market...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-cohan/if-you-want-to-gain-market-share-at-your-competitor-s-expense-look/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```