Just to nitpick that a bit, they have a lead. To me, a moat is some other axis of advantage that makes it hard for a rival to compete directly.
So for example Tesla has/had a lead in EV tech, but their supercharger network is a moat because it’s very difficult for a rival to compete with, even if they have equivalent EV tech.
I know there isn’t established terminology for this. It is a nitpick, but I think a lead is already a term we have, and moat has connotations of being in some way ‘unfair’. To me, just creating a better product isn’t unfair in any meaningful way, while moats in some circumstances can represent anti trust issues.
So for example Tesla has/had a lead in EV tech, but their supercharger network is a moat because it’s very difficult for a rival to compete with, even if they have equivalent EV tech.
I know there isn’t established terminology for this. It is a nitpick, but I think a lead is already a term we have, and moat has connotations of being in some way ‘unfair’. To me, just creating a better product isn’t unfair in any meaningful way, while moats in some circumstances can represent anti trust issues.