When I started building my app 8-9 months ago, I did a ton of research. I looked everywhere, searched for direct and indirect competitors, and I found nothing. That was actually one of the reasons I felt confident going all in.
Fast forward to now. After I finally started sharing my app publicly, I’ve already come across 2 new products with the exact same concept.
It feels a little surreal. Part of me wonders if it’s just a coincidence, or if by talking about my app I unintentionally put the idea on someone else’s radar.
I’m not discouraged, but it’s eye-opening how quickly the landscape can change.
Curious if anyone here has gone through something similar. Did you keep pushing ahead, or did you adapt your approach once competitors suddenly popped up?
Went from zero competitors to copycats overnight. Coincidence?
byu/Party_Major5753 inEntrepreneur
Posted by Party_Major5753
15 Comments
Copycats are the worst. Just make sure to focus on your tool. Work on what makes your app better. What is it about btw?
I mean copycats are bound to happen especially in tech. Airbnb got cloned and their response was they’re gonna go the distance because they believed in their mission long term. The other company ended up folding because they were just trying to get Airbnb to buy them out. Look it up, it’s pretty interesting.
What if you are a copy cat but you make your app better ? That’s my plan anyway
DM pls. Will share the strategy.
Copycats will be there. Difference will be the quality of services you provide. How happy your clients. How effectively you implement the requested features.
All the best.
Thanks 😊
You have 9 months of dev time ahead of them. It’s easy to clone a landing page, not covering all edge cases and user stories.
Competitors also split marketing budget. More competitors in a new market can help all grow and recognize it’s a valid solution.
if it is so easy to replicate, it is not worth a lot
You want competitors that means there is money to be made
As soon as someone sees software making money they will clone it, and many times it’s not difficult to catch up after having someone else’s work as their model.
a newsletter to social site aggregator is a unique idea with no competition? are you sure about that?
Welcome to the global marketplace. The tallest blade of grass is the first one to get cut.
Just keep going and play the long game. Some competiors will just drop off the map and give up.
Doesn’t matter how many people copy it. What matters is who does it better and who becomes more widely known first.
You keep using the word “copy cat” when you should be using “competitor”
What others have noted already is that this is business and that’s how shit works. But I’d also like to add the fact that it shows incredible hurbis to believe that these new orgs only exist because yours is so awesome a bunch of randos want to hop in. Perhaps consider the reasons you decided here and now was the correct time to implement your idea and consider that might also be true for someone else.
I would bet money that at least a few of these “copy cats” literally don’t know you or your product exists.