Having a rival worthy of comparison does not mean that their cause is moral, ethical or serves the greater good. It just means they excel at certain things and reveal to us where we can make improvements. The very manner in which they play the game can challenge us, inspire us or force us to improve.

Look at what competitors say, along with others in your space. Avoid almost all of the words they use.

Think of your competition as “approaches to the problem” rather than individual companies.

Never say anything about someone that you wouldn’t say to them directly and don’t try people without accusing them to their faces.

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.

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.