A business arch-enemy is a powerful construct.
I heard of this idea first from Jeff Atwood, one of the founders of the programming behemoth Stack Overflow. (He, in turn, heard it from 37Signals.com about BaseCamp, likely penned by David Heinemeier Hansson.)
The website that Stack Overflow loved to hate was Experts Exchange. (Experts Exchange added a hyphen to their URL. I'll leave it to you to figure out why.)
Atwood recalled the most effective way to explain what Stack Overflow was about was this:
We're like experts-exchange, but without all the evil.
~ Jeff Atwood, speaking about Stack Overflow
Stack Overflow was founded in 2008. In 2021, Prosus bought it for a cool $1.8 billion.
Being the opposite of their arch-enemy was quite profitable!
My currency-collecting arch-enemy
One common thread on Facebook currency groups is that they're not particularly welcoming of beginning collectors. The groups appear to be frequented by many of the same people, who are serious collectors or dealers. They already like what they like, or know what sells, and dismiss most everything and everyone else.
As such, this kind of attitude stifles the hobby, which should be fun. Time after time, I'll see someone post all excited about a bill they found, only to have several people either laugh at them, respond with “And so what?”, or simply call their bill a “spender” — meaning that it's face value, go buy a snack with it or something.
One group in particular was exceptionally harsh. The admin of the group was very controlling and brusque with most of his interactions. I eventually stopped visiting the group because it was such a downer. I'd occasionally get a post in my timeline, and it was the admin posting that he'd taken action against a member for this or that. Nothing about currency collecting and everything about heavy-handed control.
That was the opposite of the way I wanted my group to be. That group was my arch-enemy.
What my group has become
I wanted a group where beginners were welcome and could get excited about the hobby without every dealer in the area telling them to throw their bill back into the wild.
I wanted the chance to see what they saw in their bills. I wouldn't get that chance if they got piled on all the time.
Time after time, I hear about how friendly and supportive the group is. I make a point to find something good to say about someone's bill.
I get my share of criticism for it, though.
People question why I say a bill is cool when it can't be sold for more than face value.
They'll accuse me of encouraging people to flood eBay with worthless currency.
Or they'll roll their eyes when I make up names for different bills and tell me “there's no such thing as X.”
I don't care.
I don't want my group to be like all the others. I want it to stand out from the others.
My Cool Serial Facebook group has over 21 thousand members as of this writing. People keep requesting to join.
My arch-enemy's group? That group is now paused and isn't taking new submissions.
What an arch-enemy gains you
1. Clarity
When you see something that you want not to be, it becomes easy to see what you do want to be.
- I administered the group not with a heavy hand, but with a light touch.
- I wasn't dismissive with my comments, but instead was encouraging.
- I didn't give canned, restrictive evaluations, but instead treated things playfully.
“Look at them and do the opposite.”
2. Branding
If you're your own thing, you stand out.
If you're the same as everyone else, you blend in.
At the very least, you won't be confused with your arch-enemy.
3. Appeal
If what you have is better, people will come over from where it's worse.
I've heard time and again members comparing their experience at Cool Serial with their experience elsewhere, and they like what Cool Serial has going on.
4. Momentum
When you're clear on what you are and what you aren't, when you stand out from the crowd, and when you're an appealing choice, you get the momentum of a loyal tribe.
Your tribe knows what you're about, and will assist you in keeping things moving forward.
(Cover photo by Monika Simeonova on Unsplash)