You need the best team in the world to win. But in the beginning you can’t compete with Google on how much you pay to attract the best.
And since, the best in the world can work anywhere they want - they either choose money or to work on crazy problems that can change the world.
So, to compete with Google, you need to have a crazy ambitious mission that smart people want to solve.
Everyone wanted to work at SpaceX in the beginning because their mission was so incredibly ambitious. Young (cracked) engineers are now joining DOGE and sleeping at the office because they can solve a crazy difficult problem and work along side Elon. But if you are building the next X for Y, you won’t be able to attract the best, and will ultimately fail.
[A plus: Having a crazy mission allows you to pay below market value for the best in the world, think Palantir or SpaceX, known for not paying the highest salaries, which is a big plus in the beginning]
*Edit: In a conversation with one of the partners at Point Nine, he shared that he believes you can shape your narrative within a market, no matter how big, bold, or unconventional your mission is. He pointed to Attio as an example (one of their portfolio companies, which I use and consider a great product). At first glance, their vision might not seem particularly bold since they are ‘just’ building a better CRM. But in my view, taking on giants like Salesforce and HubSpot is, in itself, a bold and ambitious challenge—one that naturally attracts great talent.