If someone engages with my posts every week but sells the same thing I do, do I still boost theirs?

I grew up in a world where business felt like a race. You protect your leads. You hide your playbook. You watch the “other guy” more than your own scoreboard.Then LinkedIn entered my life in a serious way.Now I have:→ People who sell UCaaS and CCaaS→ People who build AI tools→ People who target the exact same buyers I doMany of them comment on my posts, share my work, tag me, send kind notes.They help me get seen.Here is what I learned about how I respond.1. I support people who show up with respectWhen someone engages with care, adds insight in the comments, and wants to grow the whole pie, I feel fine boosting them.Even if they “compete” with me on paper.2. I remember LinkedIn is not a zero-sum gameWhen my network sees more strong voices in AI, voice, and cloud, trust in all of us grows.Leaders want options.They want proof the space has depth.3. I stay clear about my laneI can cheer on another founder and still stay rooted in what makes my work mine:→ How I treat people→ How I design solutions .

How I show up when no one is watchingSupport does not mean I copy.Support does not mean I forget my own offers.For any partnership to thrive, it has to feel like a win-win.On LinkedIn, I see support as a kind of micro-partnership.I share your work, you sharpen mine, we both raise the bar for our space.How do you handle this balance between reciprocity and competition in your own LinkedIn network?