Has it ever happened to you that you’ve been sitting on an idea, like a proud mother hen incubating her egg. It’s something you’re really enthusiastic about bringing to the world. You just haven’t found the right time to launch it yet. But it feels real. And it feels like yours. And it feels exciting.
And then, all of a sudden, you come across something amazing and it looks... exactly like the idea you’ve been sitting on (wah-waaaaah).
In that moment there’s a huge range of emotions that can inundate us:
Shock. "How can this be happening to me!"
Anger. "They stole my idea!"
Jealousy. "That should be me!"
Fear. "Everyone will think I'm a fraud!"
Despair. "Now that it’s already been done, there’s no point anymore!"
Shame. "If only I hadn’t procrastinated then that would have been me! I’m weak and worthless."
If this happens to you it’s easy to let your thoughts spiral in the direction of catastrophe. I encourage you to reach out to a trusted friend (or coach or therapist) who can help hold space for your vulnerability and fact check your fear.
Then, consider these three points before you abandon your idea or drown your sorrows in a pint (of Haagen-Dazs).
1. See it as validation. You’re not crazy or on a wild goose chase. You’re onto something. Something real. Something valuable. See the fact that something similar exists and is succeeding as your proof of concept. The wisdom or truth or medicine in the idea is meeting a need. It’s resonating. And it's worth pursuing.
2. Use it to niche down. If we want to create something that connects with an audience we need to get clear about who that audience is. For most of us, our first answer is, “everyone”. It seems obvious how everyone would benefit from reading our book or using our startup. In a vacuum it can be hard to narrow down and find our niche. So, the fact that something similar exists can actually be liberating. You don't need to worry about the people who are reading that book or using that service. You're now free to focus on your people. The people who will resonate with your unique voice, who will value your unique point of view.
3. Shift from competition to camaraderie. It's natural to feel competitive when we discover someone doing something similar. We start comparing ourselves. Our insecurities get triggered. And there's a temptation to start tearing the other person apart in our mind like the jealous stepsisters in Cinderella. But that will only cramp your creativity.
Instead, try to see yourselves as members of the same community of people with a shared passion, a shared purpose. Social psychologists would call this seeing each other as in-group members rather than out-group members. You have a similar message you want to put out into the world. A similar problem or pain point you want to solve. But odds are one person can't solve the problem. In fact, odds are 100 people or 1000 people still wouldn't be enough to solve the problem.
So see it more like you're adding your voice to the choir. You'll do it in your way and be able to reach people others can't (see point 2 above).
I love seeing the way professional musicians or entertainers enjoy each others' performances. The way jazz musicians savor their bandmates' riffs. The way storytellers soak up the magic of their fellow tellers.
If you can pull it off, you'll have made the shift from indignation to inspiration. From your creativity frozen to fuelled up and ready to bring your unique vision into reality.
