The Category Creator Guide

Find what you need to create your category of one, fast.

Dear Friend, Subscriber, and Category Pirate,

Most newsletters are noisy.

This one is designed to help you think different and get paid different—whether you're building a business, a reputation, or both. You didn’t join Category Pirates to read another productivity tip or growth hack. You came here to discover how to escape competition (forever) and design a category of one.

This is your compass.

No matter why you’re here, you’ll find what you need to move forward.

The Category Creator Guide 🏴‍☠️

Here, you’ll find everything you need to design a new and different category.

• Content for new Category Designers

• Content to clarify your strategy

• Content to grow and scale your category

• Content to help you design a legendary career

• Content to help you shift how you think and lead

Click into any category to find what you need. Something missing? Tell us—we're pirates, not perfectionists. This guide is always evolving.

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(Start Here) Design A Category Of One

If you’re new to category design and need the foundations.

• What is Category Design (and why it matters)

• Shift from a “better” to a “different” mindset

• Identify the problem only you can solve

• Explore frameworks and tools to start creating your category

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Clarify & Validate Your Strategy

Cut through complexity. Focus your ideas. Build a strategy that actually works.

• Align your company, category, and product

• Language your POV to frame, name, and claim your category

• Build a different strategy that no one can compete with

• Figure out if you’re on the wrong path (before it costs you)

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Grow Your Category

Get noticed. Build trust. Attract the right people—and only them.

• Understand and serve your Superconsumers

• Leverage Category Science to uncover “weird” opportunities

• Create a Lightning Strike marketing plan

• Generate word of mouth that grows your category for you

• Create marketing that matters

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Design A Legendary Career

Turn your ideas, experience, and knowledge into income. Build a life that pays to be you.

• Escape the “career ladder” trap

• Discover the value of your value

• Accelerate your career

• Design a category-of-one career

• Create, package, and price your offers

• Spot non-obvious opportunities others miss

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“Think Different” About The World

Expand your mind and sharpen your category lens.

• Get insights from Category Queens & Kings

• Learn from legendary Category Designers

• Sharpen your category lens

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Need Hands-On Help?

• [Strategy Sprint] — Free 5-day crash course on how to be “different”

• [Strategy Therapy] — Get clarity on your problem, POV, and pitch

• [Category Design Academy] — Get personalized mentorship and category design training in our community

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Our Bestselling Category Design Books

Master Category Design the Analog way—offline, dog-eared, and full of notes.

• Snow Leopard

• The 22 Laws of Category Design

• The Category Design Toolkit

• A Marketer’s Guide to Category Design

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This guide will evolve as we continue to publish and respond to what you want most. Got feedback? Comment and let us know what to add.

Remember: You're not just reading a newsletter.

You're learning to think different—and create a category of one.

Welcome aboard.

Arrrrrr,

Category Pirates 🏴‍☠️

Eddie Yoon

Christopher Lochhead

Katrina Kirsch

P.S. - If you’re serious about Category Design…

The Founders Deck is where we go deeper—bigger ideas, more examples, and real frameworks. It’s what separates casual readers from committed creators. Start there to set yourself apart.