Nothing New Under the Sun: On "Stealing" Ideas for Your Shopify Store

An adage of history holds that there is, "Nothing new under the sun." This proverb probably seems a bit pessimistic if you consider yourself a thought-leader or creative in the burgeoning entrepreneurial space. But this is the wrong mentality.

The controversial but creative genius Salvador Dalí put it right when he insightfully commented, "Those who do not want to imitate anything, produce nothing."

That bit of advice is even more important in the e-commerce world than it is in the world of art and fashion. That's because, in many ways, the market functions as an evolutionary ecosystem. Just as nature doesn't recreate a new organism from scratch but builds upon existing features to reinforce novel functions, the successful innovator builds on existing businesses and ideas to create new and better products and services.

Of course, everyone wants to be the genius that comes up with the unique idea that revolutionizes their industry. However, history shows us that these geniuses are few and far between, perhaps mostly mythical. Contrary to popular belief, Edison didn't invent the lightbulb. Bell didn't invent the telephone. The Wright brothers didn't invent the airplane. All of these "innovators" built on pre-existing work.

So, no, you probably won’t come up with a brand new product or service which nobody has thought of before. However, that’s not a reason for despair. You can and should use what’s working for other businesses as inspiration for your next product or online brand.

When “Stealing” is a Good Idea

Very few people in business want to acquire a reputation as a thief. But if we really look at what it would mean to steal someone else’s business model, product design, or marketing strategy, the lines begin to blur. In his article How to Safely Steal a Business Idea, Mark Henricks explores this very notion.

“Whether you call it stealing, borrowing, or adapting, working with pre-existing ideas may be as essential to entrepreneurs as closing a sale or balancing a budget,” says Henricks. “The real question is how to do it effectively. Do it wrong, and you’re a thief. Do it right, and you’re a billionaire.”

So how do you know if you’re doing it right or doing it wrong?

Most importantly, you want to stay out of any legal trouble, which is pretty easy to do: don't copy a patented product and don't breach a confidentiality agreement. Doing either is (1) a shitty thing to do and (2) could destroy you and your business. But beyond those, it is possible to utilize someone else’s ideas effectively without being a jerk.