Since the dotcom boom in 1995, media has become more mainstream and accessible to everyone

New TV shows are being released all the time. New fantasy works of art, new video games, new movies, etc are proceeding to be developed at an ever growing and exponential pace.

Times are changing especially with ChatGPT4 as well - much like the original dotcom boom.

With all this new media content becoming so readily available - and easier to produce thanks to better computing technology - it's harder to become original these days

Markets are becoming more saturated with more content, and competition is fiercer. Startups these days are now just "We build a plugin for Figma or Notion or X big company" and are becoming nicher in nature.

Most ideas are just spinoffs off of already big ideas that are established already.

The question now leads to - are things truly original anymore?

Sometimes I will have a brilliant idea for a project, only to find out it's been done already.

That becomes a bit of a demotivational factor for me to work on that project

If something is built - why build it yourself? Why not just join them instead?

Competition is healthy though - it's a precursor to knowing what does and doesn't work.

When I set out to establish Tampa Devs - many other communities existed in the scene but I told myself I could do it better.

Challenging yourself to see what others do not, and reinventing the wheel is uncomfortable and prone to failure. It's the harder path to go down - but one that pays off in the long run, especially when you fail often

That's why I believe all great ideas - they all start with a story. They start with you putting yourself out there - trying new things - being uncomfortable. That growth factor in a multitude of different hobbies and life avenues - creates a brainchild of an idea that no one else has been able to do

By challenging yourself all the time - you also build your execution multiplier - you can accomplish anything you set your mind too.

I leave with this last thought

Do what makes you, you.

Additional notes

Copying is the best imitation form of flattery. Sometimes it's okay to reinvent the wheel - but first understand why the wheel was successful in the first place. Copy to learn, but build based off of what drives you internally