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The best business ideas come from noticing what's working and doing it better, faster, or for a different audience.

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Opposite Forces Market Theory

Reusability

When one solution becomes dominant, it creates market demand for its opposite characteristics

How It Works

Dominance creates cultural fatigue and unmet needs for contrasting approaches, opening new market opportunities

Components

1

Identify the dominant solution and its key characteristics

2

Map what the opposite characteristics would be

3

Find evidence of user fatigue or unmet needs

4

Design solution emphasizing opposite traits

5

Target users most frustrated with dominant solution

When to Use

When identifying counter-trend opportunities in mature or rapidly growing markets

When Not to Use

In nascent markets without established dominant players or cultural patterns

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

Being opposite just for sake of being different without real user needIgnoring why the dominant solution succeeded in the first placeTargeting the same user base as the dominant player

Example

Facebook's permanent, public photos created demand for Snapchat's temporary, private photos