My post on specificity prompted me to take a hard look at many of the memos and decks I built the past month. The phrase “steal share” jumped off the page and took hold of me. I often think about the concept of stealing share in the abstract - more occasions and sales for us and less for them. But after more thought, I saw a phrase that’s pretty ruthless - a MBA’s stick up game. The perfect match for Biggie’s “Gimme the Loot”.

When you decide to steal share from a competitor you are coming after the competition’s dollars. Their product. Their life.

Yeah, mothafuckas better know
I'm a bad bad bad
Lock your windows, close your doors

When I started streaming (and paying) for Spotify, I shifted time, money and energy away from buying vinyl records. Spotify robbed my record store. Took money out their register. Pretty gangster.

Huh, word to mother, I'm dangerous
Crazier than a bag of fucking angel dust
When I bust my gat, mothafuckas take dirt naps
I'm all that, and a dime sack, where the paper at?

There are only so many dollars in the customer’s pocket. That’s the reality. The customer is making a choice between whether he/she will devote that dollar to the Frappuccino or the cupcake. When you launch a new product that competes for an occasion or purchase, you are expecting that customer to take some amount of money they had previously spent with the competition and spend it on your product. You are taking money - dollars, loot, cabbage - from the competition.

Big up, big up, it's a stick up, stick up

Goodness gracious, the papers!
Where the cash at? Where the stash at?

Next time your strategy calls for a new product or a move to steal share, queue this track up and get ready. They may give up without a fight, but they may not. Are you ready to rob and steal?

The money-getter, motherfuckas don't know better
Rolex watches and colorful Swatches
I'm digging in pockets, motherfuckas can't stop it