Don't study the product. Study the distribution mechanism. (In AwesomeReminders' case, national press coverage due to having an appealingly quirky narrative.)

I've had half a dozen people clone my software product. They are apparently under the impression I'm in the software business. I'm actually in the educational publishing business, and I'm really good at distribution via SEO for it. That is the missile, the software is just the warhead. Without the missile, you can only blow yourself up.