You've seen them. Maybe you've even worked for one. They are the middle of the road pretenders—those companies or individual creators who play it so safe they essentially become invisible. They don't take risks. They don't have a "hot take." They just sort of... exist.
In a market that rewards the bold and the niche, being "okay for everyone" is basically a death sentence.
Business isn't about being liked by the masses anymore. It’s about being loved by a few. If you’re trying to please the entire world, you end up with a vanilla product that nobody actually remembers five minutes after they see it. This is the hallmark of middle of the road pretenders. They pretend to be market leaders while following a playbook that was outdated by 2015.
Honestly, it’s exhausting to watch.
The Safety Trap and Why It Fails
Most people think staying in the middle is safe. It’s not. It’s the most dangerous place to be because you’re being squeezed from both sides. On one hand, you have the high-end luxury players who own the premium space. On the other, you have the budget disruptors who are faster and cheaper.
The middle is a wasteland.
Think about the "Casual Dining Crunch" of the last decade. Brands like Applebee’s or Chili’s have struggled for years because they fell into that middle-ground trap. They weren't "fast" enough to compete with Chipotle or Shake Shack, but they weren't "experience-driven" enough to compete with local, high-end spots. They became middle of the road pretenders—pretending to offer a gourmet experience while serving microwaved appetizers.
The data backs this up. A study by the Harvard Business Review once highlighted the "Stuck in the Middle" strategy, a term coined by Michael Porter. He argued that firms that fail to develop a clear competitive advantage (either through low cost or differentiation) are doomed to below-average profitability.
Why do we do this to ourselves?
Fear. Plain and simple.
We’re scared of offending someone. We’re scared that if we pick a side, we’ll lose 50% of the market. But here’s the kicker: if you don’t pick a side, you lose 100% of the market because no one cares enough to stay.
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Spotting Middle of the Road Pretenders in the Wild
You can usually tell a pretender by their marketing copy. It’s full of "synergy," "world-class," and "customer-centric solutions."
Gross.
If your brand's mission statement could be swapped with a bank’s or a dry cleaner’s without anyone noticing, you’ve got a problem. Real brands have edges. They have personalities. Take a company like Liquid Death. It’s literally just water in a can. But they didn’t go the "pure, mountain spring" route that every other middle-of-the-road brand takes. They went the "murder your thirst" route. They leaned into punk rock aesthetics.
They weren't pretenders. They picked a lane and drove 100 mph in it.
The "Me Too" Product Cycle
Another sign of middle of the road pretenders is the constant chasing of trends without understanding the "why."
- A competitor launches a podcast? The pretender launches a podcast.
- TikTok is popular? The pretender posts stiff, corporate dance videos.
- AI is the buzzword? The pretender slaps "AI-powered" on a spreadsheet.
It’s performative. It’s not about adding value; it’s about not being left behind. But when you’re always chasing, you’re never leading. You’re just a shadow.
The Psychological Toll of Being Average
It’s not just bad for business. It’s soul-sucking for the people working there. Top talent doesn't want to work for middle of the road pretenders. They want to build things that matter. They want to work on projects that have a point of view.
When a company refuses to take a stand or innovate, the best employees leave. You’re left with a culture of "compliance over creativity." Everyone is just punching a clock, making sure they don't make a mistake.
Mistakes are how you grow.
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If you aren't making mistakes, you aren't trying anything new. And if you aren't trying anything new, you are, by definition, a pretender. You're pretending to be a growing, vibrant entity while you're actually just a museum of yesterday's best practices.
How to Escape the Middle Ground
Stop trying to be for everyone. Seriously.
The first step to stop being one of the middle of the road pretenders is to identify your "anti-customer." Who do you not want? This is terrifying for most business owners. They want every dollar. But when you define who you aren't for, you suddenly become incredibly attractive to the people you are for.
1. Audit Your Messaging
Look at your website. If you deleted your logo, would people know it was you? If the answer is no, start over. Use a voice that sounds like a human. Stop using "leverage" as a verb. Tell the truth about what you do, even if it’s "we’re more expensive but we actually answer the phone."
2. Kill the "Safe" Projects
We all have those projects that are "fine." They won't lose money, but they won't change the world. Kill them. Use those resources to bet on something weird. Something that makes the board of directors a little nervous.
3. Lean Into Your Weirdness
What is the one thing your company does that people think is a little "too much"? Maybe you’re obsessive about packaging. Maybe your customer service reps are allowed to stay on the phone for three hours. Maybe your product is bright neon pink. Whatever that "too much" thing is—double down on it.
4. Polarization is a Tool
You don't have to be political, but you do have to be polarizing in your industry. If you’re a software company, be the one that refuses to add "bloatware" features even if people ask for them. Be the "simple" choice. If you’re a gym, be the "hardcore" one or the "absolute beginners only" one.
The middle is where you die.
The Future Belongs to the Extremes
As AI-generated content floods the internet, the middle of the road pretenders will be the first to be replaced. AI is great at being "average." It’s trained on the median of all human knowledge. If your brand is also aiming for the median, you are now competing with a machine that can do "average" for free, 24/7.
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The only way to win is to be something a machine can’t be: human, flawed, and opinionated.
Seth Godin, in his book Purple Cow, famously said that "Safe is risky." He wrote this decades ago, and it’s only become more true. A purple cow is remarkable. A brown cow is boring. Most businesses are trying to be the "best" brown cow.
Don't be a better brown cow. Be a purple cow.
Actionable Steps to Shed the Pretender Label
If you've realized you're stuck in the middle, don't panic. It’s a common trap. But you have to move fast before the market moves past you.
- Find your "Why" (for real this time): Not the corporate version. Why did you actually start? What annoyed you about the industry? Use that annoyance as your north star.
- Talk to your angriest customers: They’ll tell you exactly where you’re failing to meet their expectations. Often, the solution isn't to fix the "problem" but to realize those people shouldn't be your customers in the first place.
- Vary your content: If your blog or social media looks like a template, burn the template. Write a post that’s 2,000 words. Then write one that’s 50 words. Be unpredictable.
- Empower your "misfits": Every company has those employees who have "crazy" ideas that get shut down in meetings. Find them. Give them a small budget and a deadline. See what happens.
- Cut the jargon: If you can't explain what you do to a 10-year-old, you're hiding behind words. Middle of the road pretenders love jargon because it masks a lack of substance. Use plain English.
The transition from a pretender to a leader is painful. It requires letting go of the "safety" of the crowd. It means you might get some mean comments on social media. It means some people will walk away.
Let them.
The people who stay will be your true fans. They will be the ones who carry your brand through the next decade. The middle of the road is paved with good intentions and failed businesses. Get off the road and find your own path.
Stop pretending. Start being.