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You have to be first

If you can't be first, create a new category and be first in it.

Reuben Ch'ng

• 2 min read
You have to be first

If you ain't first, you're last.

Painful but true.

Last week, on 27th Nov – we concluded Answer Engine 2025, a 1 day AEO conference. About 100 participants from brands and agencies showed up. The time taken to make the event happen?

27 days.

I was discussing the title with Alvin of Growth Pro, 27 days before

I'm not trying to brag. The conference was a modest size. We could have done more, given more time and better planning. But there's one lesson that has contributed to the success of the event I want to share.

It's better to be first than it is to be better

It's not because our conference was better than anyone else. It's simply because we out-positioned the others.

One of the most powerful ideas in The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing is the the Law of Leadership.

It's better to be first than it is to be better

It's not about being the biggest, loudest or most hyped. But by claiming a category before anyone else does.

There was no "AEO conference" yet in Malaysia. No playbook, benchmark, competitor or pricing point to compare against.

Thanks for joining!

And somehow, we created the category.

When we started selling tickets, they sold easier. We met less resistance. Our ads converted at lower costs. Sponsors came on board easier.

Not too bad of a conversion on one of the weeks

It didn't matter that:

  • The venue wasn't the biggest.
  • The event was kinda last minute.
  • Or that no one knew what "AEO" meant just a few months ago.

What matters was this. We were first.

And that's the biggest lesson from Answer Engine 2025. Always find a way to be first. And if you can't be first, create a new category and be first in it.

I share more lessons from behind the scenes in a YouTube video here:

Watch workshops & get bonuses from Answer Engine 2025

Since 2022, we made it mandatory to record every event that we run. This way, we're able to spread the lessons to more people; those who weren't able to physically join.

If you missed Answer Engine, but want the scoop on what's working right now in Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), you can now opt-in for a video replay access of the conference. You'll get the same bonuses, including a USD $100 credit to Zicy.com.

Get a video replay access to Answer Engine 2025.