Originally published in Entrepreneur Magazine

By Aquiles La Grave

If you’re a startup worried about Facebook or Google duplicating your technology or business model, you are not alone.

Such is the situation with the popular but miniscule Houseparty app, which Facebook has had in its sights, possibly to acquire, for months but has instead decided to develop its own product. Tentatively named Bonfire, the competing app should be released this fall by the tech giant.

All is not lost for the little guys, however. Startups can fight back against the big guys and win. For example, Facebook not long ago essentially copied and integrated tiny OfferUp’s app and called it Marketplace. As of last September, OfferUp is valued at more than one billion dollars, making it Seattle’s only unicorn.

What’s happened? OfferUp developed a clear value proposition that set its innovation apart from just being a feature on a platform. Connecting buyers and sellers in a safe, secure, curated space is all it does. In Wall Street parlance, it’s a pure play.

Read the full article at https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/300301

Aquiles La Grave is founder and CEO of Brandzooka, a video marketing platform.