Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets

Imagine a world where businesses don’t just compete by being better—they create entirely new worlds for customers to live in. This is the realm of category kings. These are the companies that don’t just sell products; they invent categories that redefine how we think about problems and solutions. Think of a frozen pea versus frozen food. The frozen pea existed, but frozen food as a category was born when someone saw the possibility of preserving freshness in a new way, creating a market that didn’t exist before. Clarence Birdseye’s innovation wasn’t just technology; it was category design—building an ecosystem of freezer cars, packaging, and marketing that made frozen food a household staple.

Fast forward to the digital age, and the story repeats with Uber. Taxi services have long been frustrating, but Uber didn’t just make a better taxi app—it created a new category of on-demand transportation. Within a few years, Uber commanded a valuation 25 times that of its nearest competitor, a testament to the power of category kingship. This dominance isn’t accidental. Category kings capture the majority of their category’s profits and market cap, creating a winner-take-all economy.

But category creation is not about disruption as a goal. It’s about creation. Disruption is often a by-product when customers adopt a new category and abandon old ways. Elvis didn’t set out to disrupt jazz; he created rock and roll, a different category that ultimately displaced the old. Similarly, Airbnb didn’t aim to destroy hotels but created a new category of on-demand lodging that expanded choices for travelers.

For entrepreneurs and leaders, the lesson is clear: don’t just build a better product. Build a new category where your company can reign supreme, owning the problem and its solution. This requires vision, courage, and a strategic approach to shape markets and minds.

As we journey deeper into this book, we will uncover the discipline that makes category kings possible. Category design is the art and science of creating markets that pull customers to you, making you the undisputed leader. Let’s explore how this discipline transforms companies from mere players into legendary kings.

Now, let us move forward to understand the discipline that underpins this transformative power: category design itself.