Podcasts Technology Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career How to become a category pirate | Christopher Lochhead (author of Play Bigger, Niche Down, Category Pirates, more)

How to become a category pirate | Christopher Lochhead (author of Play Bigger, Niche Down, Category Pirates, more)

Published: Sept. 17, 2023, 12:01 p.m.

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Christopher Lochhead is a 14-time #1 bestselling author, top podcaster, and former 3x public tech company CMO and has been an advisor to over 50 VC-backed tech startups. He is best known as a \u201cgodfather\u201d of category design, and Adobe named his book Play Bigger one of \u201cthe five greatest marketing books of all time.\u201d In this episode, we discuss:\u2022 What exactly category design is

\u2022 The \u201cFrame It, Name It, Claim It\u201d framework

\u2022 How to go about designing your category

\u2022 Why \u201clanguaging\u201d is so powerful

\u2022 Rating yourself on the category design scorecard

\u2022 Why Chris considers \u201cproduct-market fit\u201d a dangerous concept

\u2022 Chris\u2019s spicy take on positioning

\u2022 The \u201cbetter trap\u201d and why it\u2019s crucial to avoid it

\u2022 The magic triangle of product, company, and category

\u2022 How to embrace negative feedback

\u2022 Why the greatest time in the history of innovation is now

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-category-pirate-christopher

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Where to find Christopher Lochhead:

\u2022 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lochhead

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlochhead/

\u2022 Website:\xa0https://www.categorypirates.com/

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Where to find Lenny:

\u2022 Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

\u2022 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chris\u2019s background

(05:08) Why Chris shares his negative criticism on his website

(11:58) A simple explanation of category design

(18:00) How Purell mastered category design

(23:07) What Gong got right (and wrong)

(29:01) The \u201cbetter trap\u201d and why it\u2019s crucial to avoid it

(38:51) Reflective thinking vs. reflexive thinking

(44:45) How Lomi created a revolutionary solution for food waste\xa0

(48:50) The \u201cFrame It, Name It, Claim It\u201d framework\xa0

(49:08) The concept of \u201clanguaging\u201d\xa0

(54:00) Examples of languaging\xa0

(59:19) Spend more time on the problem than the solution

(1:01:37) The power of \u201cbackcasting\u201d

(1:07:33) The truth behind building legendary brands

(1:10:39) The problem with product-market fit

(1:16:11) Chris\u2019s spicy take on positioning

(1:19:20) \u201cDamming the demand\u201d

(1:24:49) Laws from Chris\u2019s book The 22 Laws of Category Design

(1:29:46) Word of mouth: the most powerful form of marketing

(1:34:05) Chris\u2019s closing message to listeners

(1:39:01) Lightning round

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Referenced:

\u2022 Rick Rubin Says Trust Your Gut, Not Your Audience: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rick-rubin-says-trust-your-gut-not-your-audience/id1570872415?i=1000606447333

\u2022 How to identify your ideal customer profile (ICP): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer

\u2022 Grant Cardone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantCardone

\u2022 Tai Lopez on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tailopez

\u2022 The Difference Between a First Mover and a Category Creator: https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-difference-between-a-first-mover-and-a-category-creator

\u2022 Gojo Industries: https://www.gojo.com/

\u2022 Gartner reports: https://www.gartner.com/

\u2022 Forrester reports: https://www.forrester.com/bold

\u2022 Gong: https://www.gong.io/

\u2022 Clari: https://www.clari.com/

\u2022 Threads, Instagram\u2019s \u201cTwitter Killer,\u201d Has Arrived: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/05/technology/threads-app-meta-twitter-killer.html

\u2022 Kevin Maney: https://kevinmaney.com/

\u2022 Red Bull cola: https://www.redbull.com/int-en/theorganics/organics-simply-cola

\u2022 Microsoft Copied Apple\u2019s Successful Retail Plan. Now It\u2019s Shutting the Whole Thing Down: https://www.inc.com/jason-aten/microsoft-copied-apples-successful-retail-plan-now-its-shutting-whole-thing-down.html

\u2022 A New Way to Think, with World\u2019s #1 Management Thinker Roger Martin: https://lochhead.com/roger-martin/

\u2022 A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness: https://www.amazon.com/New-Way-Think-Management-Effectiveness/dp/164782351X

\u2022 RJ Scaringe on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rjscaringe

\u2022 Lomi: https://lomi.com/products/lomi

\u2022 Otis elevators: https://www.otis.com/en/us

\u2022 How to build a breakthrough \u2026 the secret of Backcasting: https://medium.com/@m2jr/how-to-build-a-breakthrough-3071b6415b06

\u2022 John Bielenberg\u2019s website: https://www.thinknado.com/

\u2022 Eddie Yoon: https://www.eddiewouldgrow.com/

\u2022 Marc Andreessen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/pmarca

\u2022 Snow Leopard: How Legendary Writers Create a Category of One: https://www.amazon.com/Snow-Leopard-Legendary-Writers-Category/dp/1956934456

\u2022 Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets: https://www.amazon.com/Play-Bigger-Dreamers-Innovators-Dominate-ebook/dp/B015MOJ80G

\u2022 Niche Down: How to Become Legendary by Being Different: https://www.amazon.com/Niche-Down-Become-Legendary-Different-ebook/dp/B07FLKJJQQ

\u2022 The 22 Laws of Category Design: Name & Claim Your Niche, Share Your POV, and Move The World from Where It Is to Somewhere Different: https://www.amazon.com/Laws-Category-Design-Somewhere-Different/dp/195693457X/

\u2022 An inside look at Deel\u2019s unprecedented growth | Meltem Kuran Berkowitz (Head of Growth): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/an-inside-look-at-deels-unprecedented-growth-meltem-kuran-berkowitz-head-of-growth/

\u2022 Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah: https://www.amazon.com/Illusions-Adventures-Reluctant-Richard-Bach/dp/0440204887

\u2022 What They Don\u2019t Teach You at Harvard Business School: Notes from a Street-Smart Executive: https://www.amazon.com/What-Teach-Harvard-Business-School/dp/0553345834

\u2022 Inventing Anna on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81008305

\u2022 The rise and fall and rise of Tony Eltherington: https://www.swellnet.com/news/swellnet-dispatch/2017/04/27/rise-and-fall-and-rise-tony-eltherington

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.



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