Eben Pagan teaches how to create powerful positioning by establishing new categories in customers' minds rather than competing in crowded markets. He demonstrates this strategy using his own success with "Double Your Dating" and explains how to become the "first" and "leader" in your niche.
How To Create A Powerful Reputation
How to Create a New Market Category -- Step-by-step process for establishing yourself as the leader in a new category rather than competing in existing ones
Position for Where Your Industry Heads in 10 Years
For personal positioning, look at where your industry is heading in 10 years and position yourself as the expert in that emerging niche
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Promote the Category Not Just Your Business — Higher-Level Persuasion
When you create a category, you should also promote the category itself, not just your business - this is higher-level business persuasion
▶ 5:04
Home Infrastructure Eliminating Double Rent Cost
Instead of trying to compete in crowded categories, create a new category that you can be first in - "bring your own bucket"
▶ 2:39
Seven Plus or Minus Two — How Mental Categories Fill Up
Human minds can only remember about seven plus or minus two pieces of information in any category - once a mental category is full, no new items get added
▶ 1:47
Three Separate Positioning Exercises — You Product and Business
Position yourself, your product, and your business as separate positioning exercises - consciously position all three elements
▶ 7:40
How to Create a New Market Category -- Step-by-step process for establishing yourself as the leader in a new category rather than competing in existing ones
Seven Plus or Minus Two — How Mental Categories Fill Up
Human minds can only remember about seven plus or minus two pieces of information in any category - once a mental category is full, no new items get added
First in Category Beats Better Product Every Time
It's better to be first in a category than to have a better product - people choose the first thing they remember, not necessarily the better option
Promote the Category Not Just Your Business — Higher-Level Persuasion
When you create a category, you should also promote the category itself, not just your business - this is higher-level business persuasion
Creating the Dating Advice for Men Category from Scratch
Eben created the "dating advice for men" category by focusing on getting dates rather than relationships, generating millions in revenue
Position for Where Your Industry Heads in 10 Years
For personal positioning, look at where your industry is heading in 10 years and position yourself as the expert in that emerging niche
Three Separate Positioning Exercises — You Product and Business
Position yourself, your product, and your business as separate positioning exercises - consciously position all three elements
Home Infrastructure Eliminating Double Rent Cost
Instead of trying to compete in crowded categories, create a new category that you can be first in - "bring your own bucket"
Launch Every Product as the First of Its Category
Try to launch every new product as its own category, saying "this is really the first product of its kind"
Why People Choose the First Thing They Remember — Not the Best
People remember and choose the first thing that comes to mind in a category, not necessarily the best option. Human minds can only hold about 7 items per category, so being first gives you automatic mental real estate that's hard for competitors to displace.
Create a New Category Instead of Competing in a Crowded One
Instead of trying to compete in categories where customers' minds are already full of competitors, create an entirely new category that you can be first in. This gives you automatic leadership position rather than fighting for space in crowded markets.
Be First in a Category You Create
Create a new category that you can be first in, rather than competing in crowded existing categories. Position yourself as the original and leader of that category, which gives you tremendous leverage when persuading customers.
Position Every Product as the First of Its Kind
Try to position every new product as its own category, saying 'this is really the first product of its kind.' Name the category and promote the category itself, not just the product, to establish leadership position.
Position Yourself in an Emerging Niche Before It Gets Crowded
Look at where your industry is heading in 10 years and position yourself as the expert in that emerging niche. Create content, get education, and build a reputation in that specific area before it becomes crowded.
People Choose the First Thing They Remember Not the Better One
People will often choose the first thing that they remember, not the thing that's better.
Bring Your Own Bucket — Create the Category You Lead
Bring your own bucket. In other words, create a new category that you can be first in.
Better to Be First Than Better in Your Market
It's better to be first than it is to be better.
Why Being First Beats Being Better in Business
Why is it better to be first than better in business?
How to Position Yourself for Career Advancement
How do you position yourself for career advancement?
How to Build a Powerful Business Reputation
How do you create a powerful business reputation?
What Does Bring Your Own Bucket Mean in Business
What does bring your own bucket mean in business?
Spotting Results-Driven Candidates in Interviews
How do you launch new products successfully?
Concepts
Questions
Canonical Teachings
Human minds organize information into categories of about seven items each. Once these mental categories are full, new entrants struggle to get noticed. This creates a fundamental challenge for businesses trying to compete in established markets.
Rather than fighting for space in crowded mental categories, successful positioning involves creating entirely new categories where you can be first. This 'bring your own bucket' approach gives automatic leadership positioning and tremendous persuasive leverage.
Eben demonstrates this principle with his own business success, carving out 'dating advice for men' from the broader relationship category. This focus on just getting dates (rather than relationships) generated millions in revenue by establishing clear category leadership.
The positioning principle applies to personal career development and product launches. By anticipating future market needs and positioning as the expert in emerging niches, professionals can build powerful reputations and competitive advantages over time.
Claim: “You need a better product to win in the marketplace”
Reframe: It's better to be first than it is to be better - people choose the first thing they remember, not necessarily the superior option
Claim: “Compete harder in existing categories to win market share”
Reframe: Create new categories that you can be first in rather than trying to displace established competitors from crowded mental categories
The Psychology Of Creating A Name Your Customers Can't Forget
Discover why Coca-Cola, BlackBerry, and M&Ms became unforgettable brands while others fade into obscurity.
How to Reach NEW CLIENTS By Sharing What’s Most Valuable To You (Rapid Success)
The dropout who built a multi-million dollar business reveals his secret formula for turning any skill into unique market value.
How To Innovate In Your Business
Discover why being first beats being better, and how Eben scaled from a single ebook to a multi-million dollar business empire by mastering the art of business innovation.
Getting Inside Mind Customer
The secret to mesmerizing marketing lies in understanding your customer so deeply that they feel you're reading their mind.
Business Frameworks
