You often hear “You need to differentiate in order to succeed.”
However, I’m here to raise attention to the other side of the value proposition.
If something works, copy it and do it better.
Take wrestler Jeff Jarrett for example. In my eyes, he was always a “Ric Flair wannabe.” To many, he was the hillbilly version of Ric Flair.
And guess what? That worked well for him.
Not only was it through evident similarities in styles. Jeff Jarrett made it blatantly obvious that he was sort of ripping Ric Flair off. He even did the same exact strut as him.
Although I couldn’t find a quality gif for Flair, here’s one that shows he was the originator of this strut.
Sloppy, yes. But this is a deliberate throwback to his younger days.
But back to my point…
Jarrett basically took something that worked and refined it for a more specific subset of an audience. It became much easier for him to become “the poor man’s Ric Flair” than start from scratch.
Entrepreneurs take note.
If a business is successfully somewhere, there could be an opportunity to duplicate it for somewhere else with similar success.
No, I’m not endorsing copycatting. However, I am encouraging innovation through the art of borrowing.
On top of that, I’d emphasize self-awareness in these types of scenarios. Admit your plan to those that see what you’re up to. Be transparent. But more importantly, be even better than the original.
That’s what it takes to make borrowing successful in business.