Dear Startups, 

Another short note on why you should be thinking deeply on building a monopoly (however small it may be) at all times. I've said this on my earlier note on the topic: For a given point in time/technology - a business problem has only one optimal solution, leading to a broader "monopolies win" philosophy.

The reality is that more than one company in an ecosystem usually reaches the same point in solutioning for a problem - inevitably leading to competition. The following sequence ensues:

1. Significant spend into upstream marketing i.e. a marketing show of arm-wrestling
2. Many loss-making decisions with a "long-term" market domination view
3. Investment into larger sales teams (sometimes this = more offices)
4. Price competition
5. Margin erosion
6. Eventual need for consolidation and inter-linked ecosystem 
7. Actual consolidation.

There's a way to avoid this value-destroying arm-wrestle:

Drop Steps 1-6, and consolidate early. Create a new monopoly.

In a masterstroke, we saw Uber do this in China recently, although they did embark on Step 1 before taking a call that it wouldn't be worth it. Recent news is of regulatory checks here, but let's not allow that to distract us from a strategic masterstroke.

Uber and Didi know the basic tenet of startups: Competition is for suckers. 

nly Monopolies win.