INSIDE Stellar - Episode 1: What to do if your competition is 100× bigger than you

For the first episode of the INSIDE Stellar podcast, we decided to kick things off with a simple question:

Is it a curse or a blessing to be the small fish in a big pond?

Competing in a space dominated by established giants could easily feel intimidating. But as you will hear us discuss in the episode, size isn’t everything especially in a world where agility, speed, and creativity give an edge.

There are advantages of being small: the ability to respond to customers in hours, not weeks; to adapt contracts instead of forcing rigid templates; to form partnerships within days instead of months. Our size allows us to listen closely, move quickly, and experiment freely.

Customers often come to Stellar after being frustrated by the rigidity of large suppliers and end up being surprised to find that we meet them where they are, without useless commitments or unnecessary bureaucracy. It’s like a coin with two sides: small companies may lack legacy, but they gain freedom from the weight of old systems and habits.

Of course, it’s not all smooth sailing because some customers still ask, “Why should we trust you if you haven’t been around for decades?” A fair question, but one we answer not with words, but with proof. We show them real deployments, real uptime, and real partnerships that ensure continuity and reliability.

In this episode, Natalia, Dursun, and Simone dive into what advantages smaller companies need to make use of to truly stand out from their dinosaur competitors. Because unlike what it may seem, being able to cater to the needs of customers is something much easier when you can think outside of the box and act on it. That is the blessing.

🎧 Listen to the full episode to get an insight into how Stellar deals with these questions and conversations with potential customers who cannot seem to let go of looking for legacy.

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