Here’s how you get competitors to buy your company:
My last company, Applause Lab, turned customer interviews into testimonials & case studies.
Growth for us wasn't ads or SEO.
It was partnerships from day 1.
My first move: List everyone who had access to my ideal customers.
One stood out: A company doing the exact same thing. But they chased enterprise whales. I focused on SMBs. Usually I would exclude competitors but this company seemed different.
He saw small leads as a waste of time. I saw gold.
My pitch to him was simple: "Your 'too small' leads? Send 'em my way. If they sign, you get a cut. Zero work for you." At the time they weren’t doing anything with lost leads so this was found money.
That one "competitor" partnership became a huge growth channel.
A year later, they didn't just want the referrals. They wanted the whole damn operation. So they acquired us.
The Lesson: Your competitors aren't always threats. Sometimes, they're your biggest untapped revenue stream... or your exit strategy.
Stop seeing enemies. Start looking for creative angles. You never know where the next acquisition hides.
Keep stacking 🧱
TG