𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗥&𝗗—𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗗𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 Sam Walton didn’t just watch his competitors—he studied them like a scientist. He’d drive overnight, sleep in his truck in a rival’s parking lot, and be first through their doors at opening to see exactly what they were doing better. I’ve done the same in my own way. Over the years, I’ve shamelessly stolen: Website layouts Vendor relationships Policy frameworks Bonus structures Another goldmine of market intelligence? Job interviews. Sure, you want to find the best people. But I always get curious—ask specifics about how their current or former company operates. It’s a quick way to test their expertise… and it’s amazing what people will share when they’re trying to impress you. It’s easy to look at a website and tell yourself you’re better. It’s harder—and far more valuable—to be brutally honest, benchmark against the best, and admit where they’ve got you beat. Your competitors are a free R&D department—if you’re willing to walk their lobbies, tour their units, dig into their marketing, and have the humility to learn from them. The edge goes to the operator who learns fastest, not the one who pretends they already know it all. What’s one thing you’ve actually stolen from a competitor and made better?