# Every founder is special!

**Published by:** [Dmitrii Lunin](https://paragraph.com/@lunin/)
**Published on:** 2023-11-22
**URL:** https://paragraph.com/@lunin/every-founder-is-special

## Content

Every founder is special! With enviable regularity I come across copies of startups and large projects, and almost every time the founder of whom is being copied is extremely upset. And every time my answer to such founders is the same - it is impossible to copy the founder! Yes, you can try to copy a business model, processes, resources, but every business is as individual as a person is in its essence. And yes, don't copy anyone, take the best and do what you personally think is right - then you will have that very unique business! It is important to understand that your "uniqueness" is not what "you like". For example, you may like basketball, but your height will not allow you to become an outstanding basketball player. Therefore, selecting ideas for your startup based on "I've always liked this" may not be a good idea. Your "specialty" is not even your "strength". Like shyness was not Zuckerberg's strength. Or how the ability to code is the strength of millions of experienced developers, not your personal characteristic. Before you study ideas and markets, you need to study yourself. What makes you different from others? What do you understand or see differently? How might that be useful? This is exactly what you need to do! Paul Graham once tweeted: "When I help someone come up with a startup idea, I start by finding out what makes them special. What do they know or care about that few others are thinking about? A good idea for that founder has to grow out of that characteristic." "However, few founders do this themselves," he continues, "they either do not pay attention to their characteristics or consider them weaknesses. Although even weakness can become a source of ideas." It is even said that Zuckerberg started creating his social network because he had problems meeting attractive classmates in person at Harvard.

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