Every few quarters, some security giant announces a multi billion dollar acquisition. Two platforms merge. Five features get bundled. And just like that, your “unique” selling point is now a tab in someone else’s dashboard.
If you’re a niche player, it feels like the sky’s falling.
But survival isn’t about panic. It’s about precision on positioning, product, and partnerships.
Here’s how to stay relevant (and grow) when the big players start swallowing everything in sight.
Accept the Shift, Don’t Compete With It
When consolidation hits, the market doesn’t just change, it recalibrates. Buyers start thinking “platform,” not “point solution.” Procurement wants fewer vendors, tighter integrations, simpler contracts.
Your job isn’t to mimic the giant. It’s to get sharper at what they can’t do well.
Big platforms struggle with depth, agility, and fast innovation. They’re slower to adopt customer feedback.
Slower to patch the UI.
Slower to ship anything that isn’t in the top 10 requests.
This is where you live. This is where you win.
Double Down on “Only We Do X”
Consolidation makes messaging lazy. Everyone promises “end to end.”
No one explains what they actually do better.
Your edge is clarity. Tighten your message to one sharp idea:
- “The fastest way to detect X behaviour, period.”
- “The only tool that gives visibility into Y within 60 seconds.”
- “Built for MSSPs, not IT, everything’s multi tenant, always.”
Don’t claim more. Just claim what’s yours and prove it.
Don’t Hide from Platforms. Integrate With Them
Your users still need the big platforms. SIEMs, EDRs, clouds. Don’t position as either/or. Position as “we make your investment smarter.”
That means native integrations.
Real time syncs.
Dashboards inside their tools.
And yes, marketplace listings that turn procurement into a dropdown menu.
You’re not a threat to the platform. You’re the plug in they didn’t know they needed.
Build Relationships the Giants Can’t
Consolidation kills intimacy. Their customer success team has 400 accounts. Their roadmap is locked six months out.
You?
You still answer emails. You show up to onboard the third customer. You hop on Slack during a POC.
Leverage that. Feature requests become releases. Support becomes upsell. Loyalty becomes advocacy.
Big can’t fake personal. You can’t afford to skip it.
Make Noise When the Market’s Confused
The weeks after a big acquisition are noisy and full of fear.
Users worry about roadmap changes, price hikes, feature sunsetting.
That’s your window.
Run campaigns like:
- “Still need Z? We’ve got it, backed by 40 deployments.”
- “Lost your favourite tool in the merger? We’ll migrate you in a day.”
- “Here’s what changed. Here’s what didn’t. Here’s how we help.”
Don’t be cute. Be useful.
When giants merge, focus beats breadth.
Stay sharp, stay fast, and be the product your users actually like using, not the one they tolerate.
Leave a Reply