Your Venture's Unfair Advantage

1.       Connection to the supplement manufacturing industry through my father’s company.

a.       Valuable: Connections to manufacturing is vital for my businesses’ success when the scaling up of production is needed.

b.       Rare: not everyone who enters the supplement industry has immediate connections.

c.       Inimitable: this resource is imitable because many others have similar connections.

d.       Non-substitutable: this resource is also substitutable in the form of other connections.

2.       Connections to some internet fitness personalities through a bodybuilder friend.

a.       V: individuals with large followings can serve as an effective marketing medium.

b.       R: many of these connections happened through chance.

c.       I: This is imitable because others have connections to internet personalities.

d.       N: this resource is substitutable through connections to other marketing mediums.

3.       Skilled in interpreting scientific research.

a.       V: my research experience in college made me skilled at analyzing studies.

b.       R: not many individuals in this industry have prior research experience.

c.       I: my own personal research experience is non-imitable.

d.       N: research experience is non-substitutable as well.

4.       Connections to exercise/physiology labs.

a.       V: these connections give me access to labs that produce research relevant to my product.

b.       R: these connections are often only found through universities.

c.       I and N: others in the industry may have similar connections.

5.       Deep knowledge of certain marketing tactics supplement companies use.

a.       V: my own experience as a customer of the supplement industry for years has made me more aware of certain marketing tactics.

b.       R: knowledge of these tactics isn’t necessarily rare among those who have been using preworkout supplements for a long time.

c.       I and N: similar knowledge is imitable and substitutable.

6.       Knowledge of the composition of effective and ineffective preworkouts.

a.       V: this resource comes from a combination of my ability to read research and knowledge of marketing tactics.

b.       R: most people are unaware of the over or underdosing of certain components of preworkouts.

c.       I and N: see #5

7.       Credibility through obtaining a degree in the sciences.

a.       V: any degree in the sciences provides value and credibility when marketing scientifically effective products.

b.       R: few people in this industry have formal education in the sciences.

c.       I and N: a degree is simply one area of credibility and can be substituted.

8.       Good interpersonal skills.

a.       V: I have always been a good communicator which has helped tremendously in my elevator pitches.

b.       R: interpersonal skills are common.

c.       I and N: N/A

9.       Connections to a desired market.

a.       V: many of my friends and people I associate with would take interest in my product.

b.       R: most people pursue business in an area they’re familiar with.

c.       I and N: N/A

10.   Aim to create an organizational culture based on counteracting the scamming nature of the supplement industry.

a.       V: many supplement companies bank on misleading their audiences, and a culture to counteract this will stand out in the industry.

b.       R: not many supplement companies take this approach.

c.       I: this type of culture is replicable, although not replicated by many.

d.       N: every organizational culture is unique.

I believe that my top resource is my personal experience in research because it has provided me with valuable knowledge on how to tailor my product in the most scientifically effective manner. Not many people in this industry have experience in research which I believe also gives me an edge in terms of rarity.