--- title: The default position --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2014/02/the-default-position.html#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # The default position February 9th, 2014 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) **Most people choose the easy way.** Go to a four-year college, get a job in a company, move up the ladder, retire. Send an invite with the text: “I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.” Book a room in the city at that big, famous chain hotel. Buy a vacation package at that well-known beach resort. Watch the popular Oscar winning film. Buy the Grammy winning album. See the classic rock act that was popular when you were a kid. The 3-course set menu with beef and a glass of the house red. The software package including standard service. **What do you choose?** It is much easier to choose the default. But bigger things can come from doing the unusual and unexpected. Start a business, find a boutique hotel in the arty part of town, see an indie band in a 250 person club, invite people to connect with you on LinkedIn by sending them a personal message recalling when you last saw them in person. Do you choose things to enrich your life? Of course you do! **What do you deliver?** Building products around the default, the safe choice, the offering for the masses is terribly risky. It means someone else can make a similar commodity that costs just a little less or is a tiny bit faster. But there is a sustainable business in a niche market, for the people Seth Godin calls [weird](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B005G5DSLW/freshspotpubl-20), for individuals who think for themselves. A true leadership position comes from serving those who avoid the default position. Tranquilseas, an eco-resort hotel in an out of the way place with just seven rooms can be [number one](http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g292019-Roatan_Bay_Islands-Hotels.html) selling to a niche. GoPro, a camera for extreme action sports, can become a [billion dollar company](http://money.cnn.com/2014/02/07/technology/gopro-ipo/) in ten years selling to a niche. **Do something that enriches other peoples’ lives and you’ll always have rewarding work.** [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Marketing ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/marketing) [ Best Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/best-practices) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Fanocracy%202e.jpg?width=1500&height=841&name=Fanocracy%202e.jpg) ### New 2nd Edition of Fanocracy Publishes Today: Your Human Connection in a Polarized, Noisy World July 14th, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/new-2nd-edition-of-fanocracy-publishes-today-your-human-connection-in-a-polarized-noisy-world) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/bunnies%20and%20bees.jpg?width=1500&height=823&name=bunnies%20and%20bees.jpg) ### Bunnies and Bees June 22nd, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/bunnies-and-bees) 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