Praise Innovation, Not Unoriginality

"Here’s a P.S.A. for the copycat entrepreneurs with no shame in their game. You will never succeed."

Except for all the successful business owners who claim to have done exactly that and done way better than those they copied.

This is yet another person trying to stifle competition by claiming it's unethical.

Why is it unethical for multiple companies to provide the same service or product?

It's not. It is, however, unethical to call for a boycott simply because it'll make your business more profitable.

Except there are few, if any original ideas. Two people who've never met can come up with the same idea.

If anything, what's really the difference here is the level of risk the original "innovator" took versus the later "copycats". The first person takes all the risk in validating the idea. Everyone that comes after doesn't have to undertake that risk and cost.

Perhaps the author is talking about wholesale copying (e.g. copycat Mac stores), but then the title is misleading.

There is a bit of double speak going on here: 1. don't copy my idea. 2. competition is great.

How do you have competition where no one is copying? Also, what constitutes an original idea? I haven't seen an original idea (that isn't derivative) in a REALLY long time.

If you get bested, the other party executed better.