When we launched our mushroom coffee product, the first thing I did was look at our successful competitors’ sales pages. I analyzed layouts, content, and offers. I outlined a similar version for our product. I also modeled their ads.
Our sales funnel was profitable from the start.
“Picasso had a saying: ‘Good artists copy; Great artists steal.’ And we have always been shameless about stealing great ideas.”
—Steve Jobs
To succeed at anything requires a lot of hard work or luck (usually both). Hard work is more reliable.
No matter what you want to accomplish, somebody else has already put in the work to figure out the 1,000 things that don’t work and the few that do. Don’t start with a blank sheet of paper. Start by modeling what’s worked for them, master it, and only then move on to your own innovation and experimentation.
I’ve been wakesurfing for a year and a half. It took me around six months and 50 attempts to land my first 360.
A friend and I later took private lessons with a professional wake surfer here in Austin. Through the expert coaching, it took my friend less than 10 attempts to land his first 360. I now land around 50% of my attempts.
The pro had already figured out all the stuff that didn’t work. It took him over a year of surfing up to five times a week to master this technique. He didn’t have an expert like him showing him what to do. We did.
Don’t innovate, imitate.
Mohnish Pabrai, successful hedge fund investor and friend of the late billionaire Charlie Munger, advised to pick your investments by looking at the portfolios of 20 or so investors you admire. Narrow that focus further by examining their top 1-2 investments. That gives you a total pool of 20 to 40 possible investments. Don’t invest in anything outside those 20 to 40.
Model the decisions of those with experience and you’re much more likely to succeed.
One of my favorite ways to use this technique is to find a friend or family member who is better at something than me and then model how they approach their decisions. In the past, I noticed that my diet caused my knees to ache. When I’d go out to eat with a friend who knew a lot about health and nutrition, I’d order what they ordered. I noticed many of them ate far fewer carbs, opting for a burger without the bun, for example. Eating fewer carbs, I discovered, reduced my knee pain.
Stealing ideas works.
When possible, give credit so that others may learn directly from your source of inspiration.
If at first you don’t succeed, steal the idea you need.
Great comments 👌