I meant more in terms of the quickest prototype I can launch; their mature product's version of this feature will be superior to my first creation. I do believe that over time I can compete and surpass them though.
If competitor will take time and will help him sell better then one option if you develop the feature is you could sell it to him if you can't compete
Edit: Just editing to comment on how full of "derp" this comment is. Reading comprehension fail on the original post - sorry! :/