Sep 02 2010
While doing some research recently, I stumbled upon this article by Dharmesh Shah on OnStartups.com. The premise of the article is that too many entrepreneurs are getting these "do this and your startup will make millions" messages in their faces. You know the kind. The ones about how Zappos did so great using Twitter, or how 37signals broke all the normal business rules. Great stories for sure.
And a very good article. I agree with most, if not all, of what Dharmesh writes. In fact, this one line sums it up:
Just because someone has success with a product or strategy doesn't mean you should copy it.
He of course goes on to discuss the issue but I think the real problem is only partially discussed. Yes, there's incompatible advice via the success stories. But people (entrepreneurs) forget that that's what these things are: stories of how a particular company became successful. More specifically, the stories are often about one or two specific things that a startup did to become a sensation and make millions (and not overnight, by the way).
The underlying (or accompanying) problem is that people take these stories as gospel and do nothing more than copy the techniques or methods expecting similar results. And the fact of the matter is, there's a huge probability that it's not going to happen in most cases. Why? Because everyone and every business is different. You may run a software or web development company but you're not Jason Fried. Your company may sell shoes, but you're not Zappos. You're different. That's a good thing!
Should we learn from these stories, examples and books? Sure, if you – that's right, you – believe there's something of value to take away. For instance, I'm a fan of 37signals. Not a huge, "I'll defend them until I'm blue in the face" kind of fan. Just a fan that enjoys their products and their general attitude about running a lean business. And I've read REWORK and I loved it. But, that doesn't mean everything Jason and company go on about is going to work for this little web design studio. Nor do I agree with everything they do or say.
The point is that we business owners and entrepreneurs need to stop copying outright. Just stop it. It doesn't put you above or even near the competition (because they've already done it and moved on), and it certainly doesn't help you stand out in the sea of "me too" companies and startups.
Instead, learn from these guys and adapt what's feasible in your own business. But more importantly than that, innovate. I don't mean create some crazy product that no one else has ever done before (though I do encourage that). I mean innovate and be creative about how you run, manage and market your business. That will bring you wild success. In the end, that's what those stories are really about.