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McQueened

If We Don’t Take Care of Our Customers, Someone Else Will: The Business of Being “McQueened”

Business is competition.

No matter how dominant, successful, or secure a company may feel, the reality is simple: if you don’t take care of your customers, someone else will. The market does not wait for complacency – and history—both in business and in life—proves this over and over again.

One of the most famous personal cases of competition and disruption is the fiery relationship between Hollywood legend Steve McQueen and actress Ali MacGraw. At the time, MacGraw was married to Robert Evans, a powerful Hollywood producer who had helped shape the golden age of Paramount Pictures. Despite the successful Evans’ ironically being the one who decided to pair up his bride, MacGraw with on-screen legend Steve McQueen in his own production, the two had instant chemistry and McQueen swooped in and stole MacGraw’s heart.

In business terms, Evans got “McQueened”— leaving an opening for a competitor to step in.

(A similar story is the inspiration for the Derek and the Dominoes song, “Layla,” about Eric Clapton’s obsession with Pattie Boyd who was at the time paired up with his best friend, George Harrison.)

Competition. Preference. Positioning.

This concept isn’t just about romance; it applies to every business in every industry in every place in the world… The moment a company assumes its customers are locked in, it becomes vulnerable.

The Wolf is Always at the Door: Competition in Every Industry

The idea that “the wolf is always at the door” is an eternal truth in business. No matter how large, powerful, or well-established a company may seem, there is always someone looking to take its place.

Take Starlink, Elon Musk’s ambitious satellite internet venture. Starlink has a first-mover advantage in low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband services, providing internet to remote and underserved areas. However, the company cannot afford to get comfortable. Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Jeff Bezos’ competing satellite internet initiative, is preparing to enter the market. While Starlink has had an early lead, Amazon has the resources, technology, and logistics expertise to make a serious impact. If Starlink does not continue innovating, improving service, and keeping customers happy, it risks being “McQueened” by Amazon.

History is filled with examples of once-dominant companies that assumed their market position was unshakable—only to be overtaken:

• Blockbuster vs. Netflix – Blockbuster dismissed Netflix as a niche service, only to be completely wiped out by streaming.
• Nokia vs. Apple & Android – Nokia dominated the cellphone market but failed to innovate quickly enough, leaving an opening for Apple and Android to seize control.
• Kodak vs. Digital Photography – Kodak invented digital photography but didn’t embrace it, allowing competitors to take the market.

The lesson? Never assume your customers are permanent. If you don’t take care of them, someone else will.

First-Mover vs. Best-Mover: The Key to Sustainable Growth

While being first to market can provide an advantage, it is not a guaranteed path to long-term success. There is a difference between having a first-mover advantage and having a best-mover advantage.

• First-Mover Advantage – The company that enters a market first can establish brand recognition, customer loyalty, and initial market dominance.
• Best-Mover Advantage – The company that learns from the first mover’s mistakes, perfects the model, and delivers the best product wins in the long run.

Starlink may have a first-mover advantage, but Amazon has the potential for a best-mover advantage by learning from Starlink’s strengths and weaknesses. The same applies across industries: Google wasn’t the first search engine, Apple wasn’t the first smartphone maker, and Facebook wasn’t the first social media platform—but they all became dominant by being the best at what they do.

Never assume your customers are permanent. If you don’t take care of them, someone else will.

Conclusion: Protect Your Business, or Get McQueened

Every business leader must understand that customer loyalty is earned, not guaranteed. Whether in relationships, Hollywood, or corporate strategy, those who take their position for granted will find themselves overtaken by a competitor willing to do what they won’t.

The lesson of “being McQueened” is simple: If you don’t take care of your customers, someone else will. The wolf is always at the door. The only way to stay ahead is to keep innovating, improving, and ensuring that your customers never feel the need to look elsewhere.

Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP, is the CEO & Managing Partner of QORVAL Partners, LLC, a FL-based advisory firm (founded 1996 by Jim Malone, six-time Fortune 100/500 CEO) Qorval is a US-based turnaround, restructuring, business optimization and interim management firm. Fioravanti is a proven turnaround CEO with experience in more than 90 situations in more than 40 industries. He earned his MBA and MPA from the University of Rhode Island and completed advanced post-master’s research in finance and marketing at Bryant University. He is a Certified Turnaround Professional and member of the Turnaround Management Association, the Private Directors Association, Association for Corporate Growth (ACG), Association of Merger & Acquisition Advisors (AM&MA), the American Bankruptcy Institute, and IMCUSA. Copyright 2025, Qorval Partners LLC and/or Paul Fioravanti, MBA, MPA, CTP. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution without permission.

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