What will you do if you find out someone copy your idea and launch on PH before you do?

Question

Sanat Mohanty · Accepted Answer

There's no such thing as 1st mover advantage, if you don't have a good audience base.
As you were working for sometime, you will have better understanding about your audience.

Launch after a gap of few weeks, after building 2nd mover leverage. 
Use customer /audience insights as your competitive advantage.

2nd mover leverage:
Gather feedback from early adopters / upvoters 
Based on feedback, implement low effort, high impact tweaks to your product. 
Double-down on your audience engagement on points of differentiation:
-- Tweak web-copy / landing page copy & messaging
-- share helpful posts for issues faced by early adopters, with CTA to check out your product.

Relaunch after few weeks.
Hope it helps @zeng

Philip Snyder · Answer

Still launch your product - execution is everything

Zeng · Answer

@nino_ Thanks for your in your sharing. Love the way you put it. Bad idea with good implementation can perform well while a good idea with bad implementation will kill the idea. Well said.

Zeng · Answer

@sergey_kornilov1 I like your last sentence. It could have happened anyway.

Zeng · Answer

@shivam010 That's right. Copy cat will be forever a copy cat, because deep down in their heart, they know they are not capable of generating idea by themselves and launch their product. It's kind of sad isn't it? Thanks for sharing.

LaLa Artica · Answer

Really not too worried about it, Because, there is only one me.  No one can really copy my unique character, personality, identity, culture. Everything that goes into making me unique will ultimately come across in the things I make.  A copy cat is not going to put enough time or HEART into my passions.  
Worry is a negative force.  Most worry is lost energy ⛮ Might as well put that energy into something positive.

It can be a touchy subject, mostly because someone who works so hard for their ideas didn't take the time to steal from others. In the End, nothing is new, everything is a refresh of something and better is better for all. So just go with it and chalk it up to a lesson. Realize too, If you are enjoying your creative journey, you have already experienced the importance of the creativity, the actual joy of making it.  Continue creative joy and let the miserable copycats to their misery.

Love these thought provoking discussions!  Thanks @zeng

phprunner · Answer

It will be frustrating for sure but in the great scheme of things, it should not matter. Their implementation will be half-baked as you had more time to think about and implement it.

Plus, it could have happened anyway, even if you didn't share your idea at the first place.

Zeng · Answer

@rywong Thanks Rachel. Someone copy the idea means it's a good idea. That's so right!

Zeng · Answer

@mobilemediamania thank Lala for your sharing.😊

Answer

Off course it will be frustrating. Call them and speak calmly with those in charge. Let them know that you are aware that they are copying your product and that you don't appreciate it. Also, make it clear to them that, if needed, you will not hesitate to pursue legal action against them.

Rachel Wong · Answer

must mean it's a good idea then! many ideas aren't new but are well executed, if you're the right person for it then you can make it happen no matter who else is tailgating you :)

Zeng · Answer

@philipsnyder Love your spirit! Thanks for sharing.

Zeng · Answer

@mikews Thanks Mike for your good advice.

Shivam Rathore · Answer

That would be highly demotivating 😭

But I would still launch it, cause the one thing that they are missing in the launch is "me".

People can copy your idea but they can not copy you.

What will you do if you find out someone copy your idea and launch on PH before you do?

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