Who cares? That's my first thought. If you don't have competitors, then your idea probably wasn't that good. That being said, if your idea depends on a network

Who cares? That's my first thought. If you don't have competitors, then your idea probably wasn't that good. That being said, if your idea depends on a network effect (like Amazon), then you've got a bunch of other problems and you should read this: http://www.changethis.com/8.StrategyLetter http://www.changethis.com/8.StrategyLetter. If you're building a company where you charge a price and bring in revenues directly from your customers, and you don't have the need of a network effect, then you will have competition throughout your life. But don't worry, they will just keep you on your toes and help you to produce the best thing possible.