A story of honour
The first Ultimate Fighting Championship wasn't just a fighting tournament, it was my favourite childhood movies come to life. Game of Death, Bloodsport, Best of the Best…. But now real! In retrospect, the first UFC was also a masterclass in marketing and how to disrupt an entire industry.
What? How can this be, you may ask.
Well let's take a time machine back to 1993 and look back at the greatest fighting tournament in history (actually it wasn't that great, but still).
In 1993, the Gracie family didn't just enter a tournament, they architected it. The rules were carefully crafted: no weight classes, minimal regulations, and crucially, no time limits in early rounds. These weren't random choices. Each decision helped to showcase Brazilian JiuJitsu's advantages while exposing the limitations of traditional striking focused martial arts. In the movies, pushing and flying kicks looked amazing. In the Octagon, it was the ground game that made the difference. When Royce stepped into the octagon, the game was already designed for his victory.
That's also a lesson for product leaders: Market disruption isn't just about having superior technology. Leadership is about strategically designing the entire playing field where you compete.
Three strategies I've learned from this:
- Design your battleground. The Royce Gracie didn't just compete in an existing format, his family created one that showcased their strengths. When launching your product, is there a way to reimagine the entire way accomplishes their job at hand?
- Control the evaluation criteria. Just as the Gracies shifted focus from striking to submission victories, help customers reframe success metrics from incumbent expectations to something unique to your offering.
- Turn perceived weaknesses into advantages. Royce's smaller size became a story of technique triumphing over power. Perhaps your startup's lack of legacy features can be a narrative about agility and specialization.
By controlling the competitive framework and narrative your product doesn't need to compete in someone else's tournament. You can design a game entirely of your own.
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