All they are stealing is the idea - and idea's aren't worth anything - so there's no harm. Right? I'm obviously being antagonistic here.
We all recognise that this isn't something new to Airbnb, nor to web based companies as a category. Competition is generally accepted as a good thing. Intellectual property and trade practice law is hopefully there to make sure that the threat of it doesn't outweigh the incentive to innovate. With specific regard to the 'copy overseas hoping to be bought out approach' - you could argue that it is a win / win result. The buyout only happens if the buyer thinks it will be profitable. Consumers get to start using a service earlier. The seller makes money in return for meeting a consumer demand that nobody else has yet met. Just one point of view. Sorry, if some of this has already been said. I wrote this thread post two days ago but it bounced at the time. On Thu, Jun 16, 2011 at 6:53 PM, Geoff Langdale <geoff.langd...@gmail.com>wrote: > Despite the impassioned post above, I am not entirely convinced that > the process of going from the stone wheel to the pinnacle of modern > transport methods* was achieved by a series of steps analogous to the > progress from Groupon to Spreets. > > Nothing wrong with a nice, well-executed clone, but: > > 1. it's not a game that everyone is going to be able to play (best to > do if you're a well-connected insider with a team practically standing > by), and > 2. it's hard to see Australia becoming much of a force in startups or > tech through this sort of method. > > Geoff. > > * Which, as all dedicated readers of SB know, is the solar train. > > On Jun 17, 12:23 am, Humphrey <humphre...@gmail.com> wrote: > > Its funny. A couple nights ago a guy asked the question what is an > > entrepreneur. > > > > My response was someone who: > > 1) Identifies an opportunity > > 2) Executes on that opportunity > > 3) Takes on personal risk during execution (quits job and goes all in) > > > > An entrepreneur in my mind isn't someone who has succeeded in their > > venture but someone who has had the balls to actually execute when the > > saw the opp. > > > > Just because Groupon existed didn't mean Spreets was all of a sudden > > easy to do. > > > > 1) Dean saw an opp while travelling the US. > > 2) He worked his ass off to raised a team, get developers on board, > > build a prototype, pitch and raise money > > 3) He then executed his ass off along with Justus and others to make > > it a success. > > > > Yeah you could say well Dean didn't first come up with the idea but > > the best systems, websites and service out there are those that see > > what the best are doing and copy it. What if no one ever learnt from > > their predecessors we would still be stuck with the stone wheel. At > > what point are we allowed to learn from others? The best of best learn > > and copy the best innovation all the time and I highly recommend if > > you care about keeping your customers. > > > > There could be the argument that there is less risk in trying to > > execute a known business model and yes there is but normally that also > > means there is more competition so is it really easier? > > > > Mark Suster also has a great saying about Feeding the Family (https:// > > twitter.com/#!/HumphreyPL/status/81364722032705536) For me committing > > full time to a new startup for the first time I would prefer to work > > on something that is an incremental innovation on an existing business > > model so that you can earn the money that looks after the family, > > allows me to pay for the roof over my head, puts meals on the table, > > pays the kids school fees and everything else. After I have done that > > I will feel a lot more comfortable about trying to change the world in > > a massive step and doing something no one has ever done before > > (Crossing the Chasm - Geoffrey Moore) as that can be the hardest > > challenge of timing, educating the market and burn rate. (Nick Holmes- > > A-Court did a great job with BuzzNumbers and timed it perfectly) > > > > To answer your question Kate I say there is nothing wrong with it. We > > are all playing with varying levels or risk for varying levels of > > return so why not. Good on them for actually doing something! > > > > Cheers, > > H > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach > Australia mailing list. > > Guidelines on discussion: > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia/msg/351e183e1303508d?hl=en%3Fhl%3Den > > No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. > > To post to this group, send email to > silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Silicon Beach Australia mailing list. Guidelines on discussion: http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia/msg/351e183e1303508d?hl=en%3Fhl%3Den No lurkers! It is expected that you introduce yourself. To post to this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to silicon-beach-australia+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/silicon-beach-australia?hl=en?hl=en
