Recently I had the following realisations.
Going out into the world and experiencing things really does open one's eyes. I joined a crossfit box. The box is great and the community is awesome, all the members I've trained with so far are kind people that are motivated to improve themselves. I think it is amazing that somebody is turning a profit by giving people a chance to exercise and to socialise.
I also found a nice coffee shop around where I live. It has a unique concept, it is quite involved with the coffee production, and they even roast their own coffee. You can watch them work the coffee while drinking one. There's also lots of coffee making tools out on display. You can interact with them before you buy them. I think they expanded quickly from a small operation, to the more fancy location they have now. Things must be going well for them.
This made me realise the following things:
The "experience" and the aspect of human interaction appear to be central to the success of new, recently started businesses. The technicalities (like the code or technology in general) are almost irrelevant.
You can verify this on the internet too. Most business ideas have already been implemented in one way or another. You "win", by differentiation not by invention. There are many ways to do that, I need to explore them too. The examples I mentioned above showcase the impact of exceptional service and of community.
The technicalities (like coffee roasting technique or crossfit programs) should only work well enough. Anything beyond that is wasted effort. Technicalities should also not be competed on. There is always somebody smarter than you out there, especially when "you" is a solopreneur. Bigger companies have ways of dealing with this, they can just hire the smart outsider and their problem is solved. As a small business, this is rarely an option. It is better to focus on the experience and the human factor that you can showcase in your business.
To win you have to flip the script, so that your business is unique and no direct comparison with something else is possible. It is better to focus on the exceptional experience and the human factor that you can provide with your business.