Unique product - advantage or disadvantage for a startup?

There are two main ways in the business world: to create something new and unique, or to copy (and if it works out - and surpass) someone else’s success. If you were starting a business, which path would you choose? Something tells me that most potential startups are quite romantics for themselves, and copying other people's ideas is not very attractive. Moreover, the head is full of its original ideas, it blows the roof off as much, right?

So, on my own (not very rich, but nonetheless) experience I can judge: the original idea and the unique product make life extremely difficult for a startup. And that's why:

In this way, all the mistakes are yours!

Everyone knows that learning is better from the mistakes of others. But where to get them, if you are doing something unique, and before you no one was engaged in this garbage in principle? Stock up on painkillers, plaster and (alas, most importantly) money - all the bumps and bruises along the way will go to you.
Any at least some high-tech project has a funny feature: every day (or even every hour) you will have to choose between several possible solutions to a particular problem. As in the famous "managerial" joke about the sorting of oranges - time after time, decision after decision, and all responsibility lies with you. Knowledge, experience, erudition, intuition - help, but do not guarantee against the wrong choice. And there is no one “to write off” ... And the consequences can be objectively judged, oh, how not soon.
And the price of almost any of your mistakes can be fatal for a startup - but your followers will be easier, yeah.
')

If this is so cool, then why has nobody done it yet?

Favorite question of potential investors about the proposed unique product. Well, what will you answer? I have been trained for many, many times and usually respond with something like: “This product is located at the junction of several completely independent areas of activity. Experts in one of these areas simply do not realize that such a product can be made relatively easily. The same specialists (from another area) who guess about this do not see the potential of this market, since think other categories of goods etc. " And all this is true (in any case, I sincerely think so). But not the truth. For the truth lies in the answer "and the FIG knows it," which for some reason, potential investors do not like ...

Why are you so cocky?

Oddly enough, but the world of startups is ruled by fashion. It would seem that if everyone went to invest in unison (for example) in coupon services, then the chances of each individual investor for success fall sharply, because the competition goes off scale. But what’s funny is that venture investors, whose field of activity, by definition, is associated with considerable risk, don’t like to take a lot of risk. And if you have a choice - go along the beaten path or pick up a machete and cut your way through the deaf jungle - guess what the investor will choose in most cases? So almost dozens of almost identical services open at the same time, and daring upstarts suck their paw with their original ideas.

The race for the leader implies that the leader gets tired first

“We will invest in your idea, and in a month (half a year, year) it is replicated by imitators (the variant for the goods:“ the Chinese are stolen ”) and we will lose the investment!” - so what's the answer? In 99% of cases, the only advantage of the original startup is the handicap in time. Which is often easily recouped, for example, by a large initial investment in a copycat project. "Unique patented technology" - well, well. “No one except us can repeat it in a reasonable time” - oh well!

And who will buy it?

Is the product unique? Cool. So, there is no market for it. That's a joy, yes (especially - from the point of view of an investor)? The market will also have to be built from scratch. Promotion, breaking stereotypes, dumping - all you have with your unique product ahead! As a potential investor once said to me: “Bring me a contract of intent with a large wholesaler to buy a large consignment of goods - and I will invest in your project!” - yeah, any major wholesaler wants to bring a new unique product to the market! Those. to invest in regional advertising, in the dealer network, local support and service and other expensive delicacies, and even with a considerable risk of total failure - who can assess the capacity of the market that does not exist at the moment?

And how much?

You are the first on the market! Practically - monopolists! Dream? But there are nuances.
Is the product produced abroad? It means that at customs you are the first with your unique product, congratulations. Who knows the customs officers - begins to love the traffic cops (narmud.).
Everyone knows that the more a lot of something - so it is cheaper. And the first batch is with you - is it like, will it be very big? Well, think for yourself? So, the cost price of Zadran ... And our favorite retailers, for example, for some reason want at least 100% margin. Those. the retail price is also off. So how is the sale?
Sell ​​a service or software? “Why is it so expensive ?!” they ask you. And the answer "Duc, no more than the competition" and will not work - the product is unique. But it turns out so to answer your followers and imitators.

Add a little more and you can buy ...

The unique product will not be compared with analogues (they are not), but with competitors from other niches. Those. Your eternal companions will be customers' phrases “yes, that crap is not even half of your functions, but it is almost twice as cheaper!” and (my favorite) “yes, if I add a little more, I can buy the whole / real / most heaped up ... ".

This is not an exhaustive list, of course. In fact, it’s enough to see how investors react to projects like “we are introducing a new unique product” at every kind of start-up meeting, and they are like “we will do it like that ... but twice cheaper!”. So you want to create a successful startup - copy, my advice to you.

PS And if you want to get pleasure from your work, but to see money only on TV - spit on everything that I have said here and beat your head against the wall. Like me. I have never regretted it yet. "But we still have not reached!" (C)