Skip to content
Product cover

How Would-be Category Kings Become Commoners

Category creation is the holy grail in business, but more often than not, the very companies that establish lucrative new markets don’t end up being the category kings. Why? Many executives undermine their own ventures’ standing by misinterpreting and misfiring on strategies considered fundamental to creating new categories. Here, the authors spell out three common mistakes that turn would-be kings into commoners in the categories they create.

Purchase Options

Educator and Student Discounts Available. Learn more »

  BENCHMARKS  
Loading Time: Base Classes  0.0006
My Controller Construct  0.0003
Build Nav  0.0006
Controller Execution Time ( Products / Route )  0.1390
Total Execution Time  0.1395
  GET DATA  
No GET data exists
  MEMORY USAGE  
1.5522 MB
  POST DATA  
No POST data exists
  URI STRING  
store/how-would-be-category-kings-become-commoners
  CLASS/METHOD  
products/route
  DATABASE:  MITSLOAN_DEV   QUERIES: 68  (Hide)
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`carts`)
WHERE `cart_id` =  'd9cf94aecd4b2f512a525517f59b3f5f'
ORDER BY `created_atDESC 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS cat_id
FROM 
(`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `url_friendly` =  'how-would-be-category-kings-become-commoners'
AND `parent_id` =  
0.0470  

SELECT c.parent_idc.format_id
                    FROM products 
AS pproducts AS c
                    WHERE p
.prod_id c.parent_id AND
                        
c.avail_id IN ('A','B','D') AND
                        
c.type_id 'V' AND
                        (
                            
c.sku 'how-would-be-category-kings-become-commoners' OR
                            if(
c.format_id 'Certificate'''p.url_friendly) = 'how-would-be-category-kings-become-commoners'
                        
)
                    
LIMIT 1 
0.0003  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  4739 
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '4739' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authorsON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '4739'
ORDER BY `sortAS
0.0001  

SELECT `cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4739' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_flags__products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4739' 
0.0001  

SELECT `sku`
FROM (`products__xsell`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '4739'
ORDER BY IF(position 010) AS, `position
0.0714  

SELECT `products`.`parent_id`
FROM (`transaction_lines`)
JOIN `productsON `products`.`sku` = `transaction_lines`.`sku`
JOIN `product_categories__productsON `products`.`parent_id` = `product_categories__products`.`prod_id`
WHERE `products`.`avail_id` =  'A'
AND TO_DAYS(transaction_lines.updated_at) < (TO_DAYS(NOW()) - 90)
AND `
product_categories__products`.`cat_idIN ('249') 
GROUP BY `products`.`parent_id`
ORDER BY COUNT(*) DESC
LIMIT 6 
0.0002  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '361' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '361' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authorsON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '361'
ORDER BY `sortAS
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '3961' 
0.0003  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '3961' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authorsON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '3961'
ORDER BY `sortAS
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '35' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '35' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authorsON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '35'
ORDER BY `sortAS
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '179' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '179' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authorsON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '179'
ORDER BY `sortAS
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '489' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '489' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authorsON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '489'
ORDER BY `sortAS
0.0001  

SELECT `parent_id`
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `prod_id` =  '2465' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `products`.`prod_id` =  '2465' 
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`authors`)
JOIN `products__authorsON `authors`.`author_id` = `products__authors`.`author_id`
WHERE `products__authors`.`prod_id` =  '2465'
ORDER BY `sortAS
0.0003  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_idposition
FROM 
(`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '4739'
AND `kind` =  'image_600x600'
ORDER BY IF(position 010) AS, `position
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media`)
WHERE `media`.`media_id` =  '2101' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`mime_types`)
WHERE `mime_types`.`extension` =  'jpg' 
0.0001  

SELECT *
FROM (`media_metadata`)
WHERE `media_id` =  '2101' 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_idposition
FROM 
(`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '4739'
AND `kind` =  'gallery_image'
ORDER BY IF(position 010) AS, `position
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`products`)
WHERE `avail_idIN ('A''B''C''H') 
AND `
parent_id` =  '4739'
AND `type_id` =  'V'
ORDER BY IF(position 010) AS, `position`, `title
0.0001  

SELECT `c`.`format_id`, `c`.`price`, `c`.`sale_price`
FROM (`productsAS c)
WHERE `c`.`prod_id` =  '4740'
LIMIT 1 
0.0002  

SELECT SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS media_idposition
FROM 
(`media`)
WHERE `foreign_key_table` =  'products'
AND `foreign_key_column` =  'prod_id'
AND `foreign_key_value` =  '4740'
AND `kind` =  'thumbnail'
ORDER BY IF(position 010) AS, `position
0.0002  

SELECT `product_categories__products`.`cat_id`
FROM (`product_categories__products`)
JOIN `product_categoriesON `product_categories__products`.`cat_id` = `product_categories`.`cat_id`
WHERE `product_categories__products`.`prod_id` =  '4739'
AND `product_categories`.`parent_id` =  1
AND `product_categories__products`.`cat_idNOT IN (1261)  
0.0005  

SELECT `cat_idAS id, `parent_idAS parent, `status_id`, `name`, `description`, `url_friendly`, `page_title`, `meta_keywords`, `meta_description`, `position`, `updated_at`
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `cat_id` != 1
ORDER BY 
`parent_id`, IF(position 010) AS, `position`, `name
0.0004  

SELECT *
FROM (`product_categories`)
WHERE `status_id` =  'A'
AND `parent_id` =  1
AND `cat_idNOT IN (1261) 
ORDER BY `name
0.0002  

SELECT *
FROM (`site_settings`)
WHERE `option_key` =  'announcement' 
  HTTP HEADERS  (Show)
  SESSION DATA  (Show)
  CONFIG VARIABLES  (Show)