RS059: Originality or Copycatting: The Surest Path to Success

Are you an original product creator or a copycat?  The line is blurry sometimes and there are definitely advantages to both positions on this argument.  But maybe there are things to learn from each of these approaches to content, product, and business.

In his podcast, Chris Ducker discusses how Originality definitely creates a competitive advantage and sets your business up for a better chance of long term success.  Being original as a barrier to entry and a distinction that sets you apart from your peers is a definite leg up on the competition.

Conversely in a blog post this week Hiten Shah talks about how Copycatting is a path you can take to earlier adoption, more likely to achieve Product/Market Fit, and automatically ensures that you’re building something that people actually want.

Since recording the episode Dave and I came across another great article on the topic that discusses how, if you choose to veer more towards the copycatting path, you can help ensure success in following in someone else’s footsteps.

In the end it’s probably not an ‘either/or’ decision to make.  Finding a well proven, validated idea and market solution is a good way to help ensure that your product will succeed, while at the same time finding a unique way to enter and differentiate yourself from the market is a good way to build a long term, sustainable business.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic. Feel free to drop us an email at podcast@roguestartups.com or hit us up on Twitter @RogueStartups