Blue ocean entrepreneurs don’t follow the herd. They design their own arena. While others slash prices or copy competitors, these founders discover entirely new categories. They thrive not through incremental improvement, but through bold market creation and intelligent strategy. In this piece, I’ll show you how I’ve done that myself—and how you can too.
Why Compete When You Can Create?
Most people start with what exists. They analyze their competition, benchmark pricing, and try to build a “better” version of something already out there. That’s a red ocean. It’s bloody with rivals, margin pressure, and zero breathing room.
I’ve chosen a different approach. Instead of fighting over scraps, I look for areas where nobody else is even fishing. These uncharted waters are where blue ocean ideas thrive. They’re not empty—they’re just ignored. And that’s where value lives.
With Akiyaz, I didn’t try to beat traditional real estate firms in Tokyo. I focused on Japan’s millions of vacant rural homes—an unloved market with enormous potential. With Kaala Music, I didn’t open another record shop. I curated rare Japanese pressings that collectors abroad had no access to. These ideas weren’t obvious. But that’s the point.
Red Oceans vs. Blue Oceans
Understanding the contrast between traditional competition and market creation is critical. In a red ocean, everyone fights over the same customers. In a blue ocean, you’re alone—at least at first.
Think of Uber battling other rideshare apps. That’s red ocean. Now think of Tesla—not just selling cars, but redefining energy, status, and software all at once. That’s strategy that creates new value space. Cirque du Soleil didn’t copy the circus. It became something entirely different by blending theater, dance, and story into the live experience space.
You don’t win by being slightly better. You win by being the only one who matters in a field you defined.
How I’ve Built My Own Blue Oceans
I’ve never cared much for crowded rooms. The businesses I’ve built all started by identifying overlooked or misunderstood areas, then filling that space with something bold, useful, and deeply specific.
Akiyaz: Rethinking Real Estate
Most Japanese real estate firms target new condos in major cities. I saw a different opportunity: the akiya crisis. Over 8 million vacant homes scattered across the country, most seen as liabilities. But I saw them as assets—ripe for cultural reinvention and creative economic use. Akiyaz helps clients from around the world tap into these properties in ways traditional agents never considered.
Kaala Music: Infrastructure for Underground Sound
Japan’s extreme music scene is legendary but difficult to access. No centralized listings. Esoteric ticketing. Language barriers. I launched Kaala Music to fix that. What began as a niche blog became a global-facing platform with maps, events, tours, and editorial coverage. I created a bridge between Japanese underground music and the international scene, offering structure, access, and storytelling to a culture that had been effectively invisible online. That’s what market creation looks like in the arts.
How to Find Blue Ocean Opportunities
You don’t need a billion-dollar idea. You just need to look where others aren’t. Here’s how to start.
Look for Neglected Demand: What problem exists that nobody is addressing well? Rural Japan’s vacancy crisis is a perfect example. Everyone’s focused on Tokyo. Few understand the opportunity in the countryside.
Redefine Value: Don’t compete on price. Change what people care about. Cirque du Soleil didn’t offer cheaper clowns—it offered transcendent storytelling and artistry.
Ignore Norms: If everyone in your industry acts the same, doing the opposite often reveals new paths. I didn’t sell vinyl like a shop—I operated like a rare artifact hunter.
Test Small, Scale Smart: Start manually. Sell one thing. Talk to ten customers. Then build systems. Avoid premature infrastructure until you know your idea resonates.
What to Watch Out For
Blue ocean work isn’t risk-free. It requires a different muscle than traditional competition. Here’s where founders often stumble:
Audience Education: If your idea is new, people won’t understand it at first. You’ll need to teach them. Storytelling becomes essential. So does brand clarity.
No Benchmarks: With no competition, there are no comparisons. This sounds freeing, but it can lead to confusion. You’ll have to create your own KPIs and validate your assumptions from scratch.
Imitation Follows: If you succeed, others will notice. You need to keep evolving or you’ll lose the advantage you built. Protecting a market creation zone requires consistent innovation.
Real-World Examples That Inspire Me
Here are a few companies that have nailed blue ocean thinking in their own sectors:
Airbnb: Monetizing Underused Assets
Hotels owned the hospitality narrative. Airbnb reframed private spaces as short-term rentals. It wasn’t just a cheaper option—it was a cultural pivot.
Patagonia: Selling Ethics, Not Just Apparel
Instead of competing with outdoor brands on features, Patagonia competed on mission. They turned activism into product differentiation. That’s strategy with substance.
Canva: Democratizing Design
Adobe built for professionals. Canva built for everyone else. They didn’t improve Photoshop—they removed the need for it in 80% of cases.
What Market Are You Willing to Create?
You don’t need to find a totally untapped market. You can redefine an existing one. The key is to stop thinking in terms of competitors, and start thinking in terms of unmet energy—desires people have that no one is serving well.
Your job isn’t to fight harder. It’s to see clearer.
Whether it’s identity, convenience, ethics, fun, or access—there’s always a layer of value waiting to be reimagined. That’s where the opportunity lives.
Let’s Build Something Uncopyable
I’ve spent years helping people escape the grind of red ocean thinking. If you’re stuck in a race you can’t win—or bored of slight iterations—reach out. I’m here to help you build something deeper, weirder, and more enduring.
The most exciting projects I work on always begin the same way: with a hunch, a gap, and a bold bet. If you’ve got one of those, let’s talk.