Stop trying to create a category. Hijack one instead.

CATEGORY CREATION VS. HIJACKING

Stop being new. Start being obviously better.

We have all seen yet another pitch deck claiming to invent a “revolutionary new category.” The founder is excited. The investors are polite. But the operational reality is a disaster waiting to happen.

You are confusing innovation with illegibility. When you insist on creating a category, you force yourself to explain what it is, why it matters, and how to buy it before you can even mention your product. You are spending your limited runway educating the market on a problem they don’t know they have, using a budget they haven’t allocated. This is the “Category Creation Tax,” and for most startups, it is fatal.

The alternative is Category Hijacking. Instead of trying to be “new,” you aim to be the “obviously better” version of a line item that already exists on the CFO’s spreadsheet.

Here is the mechanical difference. Category Creation is building a new foundation in the middle of a swamp. It takes 18 to 24 months just to get to zero. Category Hijacking is walking into a finished building and replacing the furniture. The infrastructure is already there; you are just upgrading the utility.

Consider the economics. If you are “creating a category,” you are asking a buyer to find a new budget. In this macro environment, that answer is almost always “no.” If you are hijacking a category, you are asking them to redirect existing spend from a legacy vendor that has not innovated for five years. That conversation is infinitely easier because the money is already approved.

The decision framework is simple: Does a line item for your general solution already exist?

If yes: Hijack it. Position yourself as the modern, high-velocity alternative to the incumbent dinosaur. Don’t be “The First AI-Driven Revenue Intelligence Platform.” Be “Salesforce Reports, but they actually work.”

If no: You aren’t a category creator; you are a science project. Proceed with extreme caution.

Stop trying to be the “first” X. Be the “better” Y. Your roadmap shouldn’t be about novelty; it should be about displacement.

What existing category could you hijack instead of trying to invent?