If the Shoe Fits: Third-party Innovation
by Matt WeeksA Friday series exploring Startups and the people who make them go. Read all If the Shoe Fits posts here
Not trying to insult you, but do you truly innovate or are you basically a third-party idea extension?
There are thousands of start-ups on these sites and in press releases, most with some level of funding, that are variations on Uber, Twitter, Facebook, Vine, Tinder, Snapchat, Craigslist, Airbnb, Pinterest and a “for” for any other half-successful start-up out there.
Silicon Valley and its clones are following in Hollywood’s footsteps as it continues its sequels, prequels and remakes.
It’s not that some of them won’t succeed and even turn into significant businesses.
And some actually do address real pain (as opposed to inconvenience), but that doesn’t make them truly innovative.
While you have to sell your “innovation” to investors and include it in your vision to excite your employees, at least be honest when you are alone with yourself.
Honest as to its originality and honest regarding the need.
I seriously doubt that providing yet another way to have meaningless sex compares with creating jobs out of poop.
Image credit: HikingArtist