By Matt Doan · Nov 22, 2025 · 3-min read

The Anti-Black Friday Principle

You’ve seen it before…

Every November, the same clown show plays out.

Brands slash prices. Torch margins. Fight for scraps of existing demand.

And call it “strategy.”

That's not strategy.

That's surrender.

Black Friday is when a business admits out loud:

“We don’t have a real category. No real differentiation. No real value… so here’s 40% off.”

Translation?

“We’re a commodity. Please buy us anyway.”

And here’s the part no one tells you:

People do this to themselves, too.

They Black Friday their own identity.

They discount their genius.

They lead with tired, safe, low-differentiation labels:

VP. Consultant. Coach. CFO. Strategist.

That’s not positioning. That’s jumping into a box. That's hiding in the crowd. That’s becoming a replaceable line item on a spreadsheet.

And when you commoditize yourself, the only way to compete is to cost less.

That’s the ultimate race to the bottom—and you lose by winning.

You know who lives this way?

People who think “more credentials” equals more credibility.

People who wait for permission.

People who’ve forgotten how to own.

And that’s why I’m obsessed with Category Design.

Because it flips the script entirely.

Apple doesn’t discount the latest iPhone.

Rolex laughs at Cyber Monday.

Ferrari has no clue what “rebate” even means.

They own their category. They are the category.

That’s the game.

And it’s not just for companies—it’s for you.

If you want to stop renting your brilliance to the system and start owning it…

If you want to design a life that rewards your insight instead of muffling it…

You can’t Black Friday yourself.

You need to define the space you dominate.

Frame, name, and claim your work as a category of one.

And build a future that fits your real value—not your fallback résumé.

This is Founder energy.

And it’s exactly what we’ll unlock inside the Founder Era™ Workshop on November 24th.

One session only. No discount. Just new trajectories.

Be legendary or be discounted.

Pick one.

—Matt

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PS - Your Founder Era™ is the premium move in a world gone discount.

Let the rest of the world battle for a “40% off” life.

Directors, VPs, and execs are choosing themselves—and building premium futures.

We go live on Nov 24th. Can't make it live? Recording's included.

Don't you dare Black Friday your future.

​→ Get your ticket here​

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PPS - I kinda miss those 4AM Walmart brawls for a $99 TV.

Amazon stole all the fun. Elbows flying, carts crashing… that was real Black Friday energy.

Simpler times. Terrible decisions.

See how deep the rabbit hole goes:

🎧 Dive into our podcast for bold strategies on Corporate Graduation™ and how to build your next chapter.

👀 Scan the feed. Get inspired.

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