Finding customers and growing
Indirect competitor
An indirect competitor is anything your customer uses today to solve the same problem in a different way, such as a spreadsheet, a freelancer or doing nothing.
Also called indirect competition, alternatives
Looking this up for a class, a job, or something you want to build? If it is the last one, nommi reads your idea before you spend months on it.
A direct competitor sells a product like yours. An indirect competitor solves the same problem with something else. Founders often list only direct competitors and conclude they have none. The indirect ones are usually what you have to beat, because the customer already set them up and they cost nothing extra.
When this shows up
Example, not a real founder: you build an app that tracks shared costs for a group of friends. No app looks quite like yours. But most groups already settle up with a shared note and a bank transfer. That habit is your real competitor.
What to do next
Ask five people who have the problem what they did about it the last time it happened. Every answer, including "nothing", goes on your competitor list.