never badmouth your competition. it makes you look insecure.

Many companies avoid talking about competitors because they don’t want to be seen as bad-mouthing the competition, which only makes them look bad.

To attack a rival is never good advertising. Don’t point out others’ faults. It is not permitted in the best mediums. It is never good policy. The selfish purpose is apparent. It looks unfair, not sporty.

“At both Viaweb and YC, every minute I spent thinking about competitors was, in retrospect, a minute wasted... It's exceptionally rare for startups to be killed by competitors — so rare that you can almost discount the possibility... Inexperienced founders usually give competitors more credit than they deserve. Whether you succeed depends far more

Don’t badmouth: Assign responsibility, never blame. Say nothing behind another’s back you’d be unwilling to say, in exactly the same tone and language, to his face.

above all, don’t talk about people, either to praise or criticize them, or to compare them.

Your brand should welcome healthy competition. It often brings more customers into the category.