The case for copying business ideas

Post by Hoasi » Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 4:15 PM UTC

Hasknewbie wrote: post #24

It should be noted that the concept of originality and its associated "mighty pioneer Vs lowly copiers" mindset is mainly a Western cultural artifact. For example in China during most of its history if you wanted to become, say, a renowned painter, you were expected to spend your formative years copying the masters, because in that culture mastering your craft is (much) more important than being original. I don't hol…

Post by pixl97 » Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 4:32 PM UTC

nicbou wrote: post #49

lovemenot wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This reads like so much marketing blurb. Opinion dressed as fact. I would argue, but would not presume to state as fact, that the large majority of Japanese actually prefer iteration over radical innovation, almost all of the time.

This also reads like opinion dressed as fact

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 5:01 PM UTC

Hoasi wrote: post #51

Hasknewbie wrote: post #24

It should be noted that the concept of originality and its associated "mighty pioneer Vs lowly copiers" mindset is mainly a Western cultural artifact. For example in China during most of its history if you wanted to become, say, a renowned painter, you were expected to spend your formative years copying the masters, because in that culture mastering your craft is (much) more important than being original. I don't hol…

> For example in China during most of its history if you wanted to become, say, a renowned painter, you were expected to spend your formative years copying the masters (...) This is exactly how you were supposed to become a master painter during the Renaissance in Europe as well.

Post by simplify » Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 5:07 PM UTC

nicbou wrote: post #47

izacus wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This whole concept of idea ownership is pretty damaging to progress - most progress in 20th century was seeing several companies compete in same space and take ideas from competitors, iterating on them and integrating them in new, improved products. Imagine if one car company could "own" the idea of blind spot monitoring. Or navigation. Or rear view camera.

On the other hand, there is little incentive to spend a billion dollars developing a one dollar product if it gets copied by everyone else. It can incentivize stagnation.

Post by Sangermaine » Tue, Jul 10, 2018, 5:12 PM UTC

sho wrote: post #39

corporateslaver wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How many ground breaking innovations has China had? How many has the west had? Case in point, copying is not productive in the long run.

People said that about Japan 40 years, they said that about Korea 20 years ago, and it's already becoming irrelevant about China today. Yes, they caught up by copying, like everyone else did (including the USA). There are now entire product categories which come out of China and no-where else. Drones. Camera gymbals. Personal electric scooters. Heck, their entire system of government could be called "innovative" - ce…