The Second-Most-Popular Product Almost Always Wins on Profit (opens in new tab)

The company with the largest market share is usually the least interesting investment in the room. That sounds wrong until you look at the numbers, and then it’s obvious. Market leadership is a trap dressed up as a trophy. The product that sits just behind the leader — close enough to credibly compete, far enough from the top to avoid the obligations of dominance — almost always generates better margins, more focused customers, and a more defensible long-run position. This is not an accident....