Your 'Secret Sauce' Isn't What You Think
How to Build a Business Your Competitors Can't Touch
Alright, solopreneurs, let’s cut the bullshit for a minute.
Everyone’s talking about their “secret sauce” like it’s some mystical potion that’ll make them different from the next person hustling in their industry. But the truth is, your secret sauce isn’t what makes you different—it’s what your competitors can’t replicate.
There’s a huge difference, and once you get that, it’s game over for your competition.
The Illusion of "Secret Sauce"
You’ve heard it before: “Find your unique selling point (USP)” or “Identify your secret sauce.” While that’s cute and all, here’s a reality check: what you think makes you special, probably isn’t all that special in the grand scheme of things.
Think about it—if you’re relying on something everyone else can copy, how are you standing out? You’re not.
I’m looking at you, generic marketers.
But don’t freak out. This doesn’t mean you’re screwed. It just means you need to rethink what your secret sauce really is. And guess what? It’s not some magical trait you can brag about on social media. It's something much deeper and harder to copy.
Enter VRIO: Your Blueprint to Being Untouchable
VRIO is a strategy used by major corporations, but it’s so damn simple, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been using it already. It stands for:
Value
Rarity
Imitability
Organization
And of course I’m gonna break this down and get you dominating your niche like the badass you are.
Step 1: Value—What’s Your Superpower?
First things first, what’s the one thing you bring to the table that makes people need you? I’m not talking about the fancy fluff. I mean the cold, hard value you provide.
What’s that thing clients come to you for that makes them throw their money at you?
Maybe you’re a copywriting beast who can write email campaigns that make cash registers sing. Maybe you’re an IT consultant who can fix tech issues faster than a cheat code on a video game. That’s your value.
Your value is what solves a problem, saves someone time, or makes them more money. Period.
If you’re sitting there like, “I don’t know what my value is,” here’s what you need to ask yourself:
What problems am I solving better than anyone else?
What skills come so naturally to me, but seem impossible to others?
What is it everyone comes to me for?
Figure that out, and you’re already one step ahead.
Step 2: Rarity—Are You Just Another Face in the Crowd?
Let’s be real: value is great, but if everyone can do what you do, then you’re no different from the next guy. You need to figure out what makes you rare.
Here’s the kicker—you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. You just need to add something to it that others aren’t.
Say you’re a financial advisor. Cool, there are thousands of you out there. But what if you focus solely on people in their 20s who want to retire by 40? That’s niche. That’s rare.
It’s about combining skills, experiences, or perspectives in a way that no one else is doing. The more niche and specific you are, the harder it is for someone else to compete.
Ask yourself:
Am I serving a very specific audience?
What combination of skills do I have that’s hard to find in one person?
How am I being remarkable?
If you’re blending uncommon skills in a specific way, you’re golden. You’re a unicorn.
Step 3: Imitability—Can They Copy You?
This is where most people fall apart. It’s easy to have value, and you can probably find something rare about yourself. But if someone can copy you overnight, you’re toast.
The goal is to be so good or so layered that even if someone tries to rip you off, they can’t match your depth and substance.
Think of it like this: How hard would it be for someone to walk into your shoes tomorrow and do what you do?
Here’s an example: If you’re a YouTuber teaching finance, that’s easy to copy, right? But if you’ve got 10 years of investment banking experience, plus a reputation for helping underprivileged communities build wealth, that’s a hell of a lot harder to duplicate.
Another example: If you’ve built relationships with top influencers or companies, those connections are your moat. They didn’t come from a book; they came from your grind. No one can take that from you.
Ask yourself:
How long did it take me to master this?
What relationships or resources do I have that others don’t?
What are my strengths/talents?
Step 4: Organisation—Are You a Mess?
You could have all the value, be as rare as a golden goose, and be impossible to copy, but if you’re not organised, none of it matters. Are you running your business like a pro, or is it a clusterfuck?
You need to have the systems and processes in place to use your secret sauce to its fullest potential.
Ask yourself:
Are you automating tasks that waste your time?
Do you have a system for growth?
Are you spending time where it matters most—on your strengths?
If you’re drowning in admin tasks or getting stuck doing stuff you’re not good at, you’re wasting your secret sauce.
Practical Example—How I Used VRIO to Stand Out
When I first started consulting, I thought my "secret sauce" was my knowledge of branding. But guess what? Everyone and their dog knows branding. It wasn’t until I honed in on my specific niche—that I became irreplaceable.
Aligning Your Business with Your Ideal Clients for Sustainable Success
I figured out what truly lights me up—designing and crafting strategy. I looked at my unique mix of talents and experience, and damn, it hit me—I bring serious value in innovation, design, service improvements and activation.
My background? Over 30 years of solid IT Service Management experience, paired with decades of "walking the talk" in retail and building strong relationships with solopreneurs as a Brand Designer and Strategist for over a decade.
That combination? It's the secret sauce that makes it almost impossible for competitors to step in and play on my level.
But the key was organisation. I built systems to streamline my operations, automate client onboarding, and focused on my core strengths.
The result? I scaled my business without adding more hours to my day.
Bonus: Mix VRIO with Ikigai
If you really want to blow your mind, mix VRIO with the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which is all about finding the sweet spot between what you love, what you’re good at, and what the world needs.
Ask yourself:
What do I love doing that provides value?
What am I incredibly good at that’s rare?
What about my work is hard for others to imitate?
Am I organized to do this in a way that scales?
You put VRIO and Ikigai together, and you’re unstoppable. You’re not just building a business, you’re building a life that’s in alignment with who you are at your core.
Final Thoughts—Your Secret Sauce Is Yours
Your secret sauce isn’t some shiny object you can post on Instagram. It’s what you’ve built, what you know, and what no one else can replicate. The next time someone tells you to “find your USP,” tell them you’re already untouchable with your VRIO blueprint.
Now go out there and make your competitors sweat.
Don’t just sit there—take action. Write down your value, find your rare traits, make it impossible to copy you, and get organised.
Then come back and tell me how you’ve crushed your competition.
Not being able to copy you - that’s the key for me here 🤓