I think that might be a different mindset I have often observed between my EU ans my US friends; US friends keep talking about competition and becoming market leader etc, my EU friends just want to run long term companies. I know many people here who run sites for 15-20 years that make enough every year since inception for a comfortable (meaning building pension and saving) 3-4 people company. Even with free offshoots in the domain that were already there sometimes when they started.

You definitely can compete with huge companies that have no or automated support; you probably cannot beat them, but you can sustain a good profitable company for a long time and they might buy you in the end if they see you grow in your region while they do not.