Play The Board Not The Opponent

Everyone loves a good underdog story, right? Check out this post from 4 years ago about someone dissing the term “Data Lakehouse.”

What Databricks was doing with their original blog post was trying to own the category of “Data Lakehouse.”

Like any good origin story, people debate whether they actually coined the term.

Either way, they took it and ran with it, and the winner gets to write the history.

This is coming off the recent news of Databricks Raising $10B funding.  

I bring this up because trying to own a category demands strong conviction and stronger storytelling.

It is also usually met with harsh criticism from industry experts (as in this example).

Simply put, it is not for the weak.

This got me thinking: Where can we find strategy models from other fields to apply to business that would really drive home the idea of creating a category?

Look no further than chess. I've talked about concepts like Zugzwang before, but today it’s all about a different strategy:

"Play the board, not the opponent."

Because in chess—and in life—reacting to others' moves is easy. Controlling the game? That’s the real flex.

In chess, you don’t win by obsessing over your opponent—you win by focusing on the board: the position and opportunities in front of you.

This principle extends far beyond chess—it’s a master strategy in business, category creation, negotiation, and even career building.

The Strategic Insight: Why Play the Board?

Focusing on the opponent triggers reactionary thinking. You’re playing their game, chasing their moves, and living their narrative.

But when you play the board, you control the game itself by focusing on reality, gaps, and opportunities.

1. Stop Reacting, Start Creating

Playing the Opponent:

• Reacting to competitors’ features.

• Getting dragged into price wars.

• Fixating on winning today, not creating tomorrow’s market.

Playing the Board:

• Spotting market gaps competitors don’t see.

• Building where customer pain points actually exist.

• Letting competitors react to your moves, not the other way around.

2. The Databricks Example: Seeing the Real Board

So, back to our original example of Databricks.

In the early 2010s, Databricks faced two tech giants:

• Snowflake (Data Warehouses): King of analytics and structured data.

• AWS (Data Lakes): Ruler of cloud storage and raw data.

Rather than reacting to these behemoths, Databricks played the board. They saw the reality:

• Customers were stuck between two incomplete solutions.

• Data Warehouses were powerful but rigid and costly.

• Data Lakes stored vast data but lacked advanced analytics.

The real gap? A unified data solution that did both.

The Data Lakehouse.

By creating a new category, Databricks forced competitors to adjust to their rules. They didn’t build a better data warehouse or lake—they redefined the market entirely.

Create the Board, Set the Rules

When you play the board, you control the narrative.

What Databricks Did:

• Shifted the narrative: Competitors had to adapt.

• Owned the language: Everyone references “Data Lakehouse” now.

• Solved real problems: Not just chasing hype, but fixing unmet customer needs.

The Simple Playbook for 'Playing the Board' in Business

Step 1: See the Board Clearly

• What is objectively true about your market?

• Where are customers frustrated or underserved?

• Ignore competitors’ marketing—where are the real gaps?

Step 2: Redefine the Game

• Can you reframe the category with a new term, model, or approach?

• Position your solution around the problem, not existing labels.

Example:

• HubSpot created the Inbound Marketing category. However, the concept isn’t entirely new; it was just reframed. They coined the term, created the category, and now own the mindshare associated with Inbound Marketing.

Step 3: Own the Narrative

• Be the loudest voice in the new category.

• Invest in thought leadership, content, and education.

• Make competitors react to your definition of success.

Play the Board in Negotiations

In negotiations, playing the board means focusing on the structure of the deal, not just the personalities across the table.

Don’t let your opponent dictate terms—shape the game where you have leverage and control.

How to Play the Board in Negotiations:

1. Redefine What’s Being Negotiated:

   • Focus on the bigger picture, not just price or individual features. Frame the deal in terms of value delivered, not just cost.

2. Set the Anchor:

   • Establish the first credible number or term—this frames the entire negotiation in your favor.

3. Control the Agenda:

   • Decide what gets discussed and when. Control the order of issues so you can secure easy wins first and build momentum.

4. Make the Deal Irresistible:

   • Offer trade-offs that cost you little but mean a lot to the other party.

   • Ex: PR visibility, partnerships, integrations.

5. Let Them “Win” the Right Things:

   • Allow concessions on minor points while securing what matters most to you. This makes the deal feel balanced while keeping you in control.

Avoid the Reaction Traps

Playing the board isn’t just about creating categories—it’s about avoiding traps competitors set:

The Opponent Mindset Trap:

• Competitor launches a new feature? Don’t rush to copy it. Ask: “Does this solve a real customer problem we aren’t addressing?”

The Hype Trap:

• Industry buzzing about a “hot trend”? Pause. Trends fade—category creators last.

The Ego Trap:

• Don’t try to “beat” a competitor just for the win. Focus on dominating the category that truly matters.

Final Thought: Control the Board, Control the Game

Don’t build a better competitor. Build a better market category.

Let the competition react to you—not the other way around.

Where is the real gap on the board that competitors can’t see?