Speed!  It’s all about unbelievable speed. Jack Ma got Alibaba off the ground in 2000—just 16 years ago. Now the company claims $463.3 billion in revenue and plans to surpass Walmart (incorporated in 1969, 47 years ago, sales of $485 billion) in the near future!

My mind boggles. Large companies do $1–2 billion a year. These guys do it every day!

Amazon, founded in 1994, hit $107 billion in revenue in 2015 and grows at ±$20 billion a year.

These organizations are not run by mere mortals. They are each DRIVEN by a frenetic person—think Jeff Bezos (read the book!), Steve Jobs (see the movie!), Elon Musk (buy the car!)—and Sam Walton, the legend himself—an unrelentingly focused culture and unique sensitivity to customer marketing supported by (not driven by) technology and the passion for filling an opportunity that others have not seen.

What’s next at the mass popular price level? Keep an eye open for Uniqlo ($70 pure cashmere sweaters), Primark (5£ jeans), and Lidl and Aldi (new efficiency for food). They have landed in North America. They take no prisoners!

Are you prepared for this next wave of fierce competition?

Written by: John Williams, Senior Partner at J.C. Williams Group.