---
title: "Do You Know Your Competitors?"
section: "Market"
sectionId: "market"
date: "2026-05"
---

You should be able to name your top 3–5 competitors, how much money they've raised, and why your product is better for customers.

## What good competitive knowledge looks like

A strong competitive answer is specific and shows you've done the research:

> "Roblox takes a 30% fee and focuses on kids. We take a 15% fee and pay creators more than anyone else."

Bonus points if you know ballpark revenue numbers. This information is usually easy to find through Crunchbase or Pitchbook.

## "We don't have any competitors" is always wrong

This answer comes up constantly when founders are pitching. It always signals a lack of preparation.

**You always have competition.** Even if nobody is going after the exact same customer segment, there are still other companies in your vertical competing for attention, budget, or time.

Even Uber — who effectively created a new industry — had competitors. In the beginning, they were competing against yellow cabs.

## Why this matters for fundraising

Knowing your competition thoroughly signals credibility. Investors know your market well. If you tell them you have no competitors, they will immediately think of several — and wonder why you didn't.

When you're raising money, credibility is everything. Showing you understand the competitive landscape demonstrates:

- You've done the market research
- You understand where you fit
- You have a clear view of your differentiation
- You're not naive about the challenges ahead