Talking Trash: Don’t Fuel the Fire
This past week’s tech journalist public smack down has been interesting to watch. The public exchanges got me thinking about something we’ve always practiced at GroupMe, which is to never talk negatively about competition, individuals, or other companies.
Since we launched GroupMe we’ve been part of a very competitive space. Between messaging, group messaging and private social networks, we’ve seen a whirlwind of activity from new startups to incumbents launching products in the arena. We were also fortunate enough to have amazing press coverage during a lot of the early storm. One of the things that would always bug me was when I saw people take direct shots at GroupMe publicly and through the press. It’s always a gut reaction to defend yourself and shoot back, but I’ve found it’s always best to take the high road. Keep calm and carry on.
Last year around SXSW we were asked every other day what we thought about specific competitors. Our messaging was and is succinct around the key differentiators between our company and the rest of the space, and we never have to cite “competitors” to get our points across. No one wins in a public fight, and your company has more important things to worry about than trash talking. Being negative is also a huge waste of energy that can be better spent doing something positive and productive for your startup.
If it drives you mad when your competition publicly talks negatively about you, it probably drives them even crazier when you don’t acknowledge them back.
Notes
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gbattle said:
Having the last word is overrated (especially if those words are spiteful or negative). That is a life lesson worth learning. Kudos to you Jared for taking the virtuous path and rising above the fray that no customer finds attractive.
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jared posted this
