Introduction

When everyone copies each other, nothing stands out. The only way to be noticed now is to be truly original and hard to copy.

What's the problem it solves?

Most content, websites, and brands look the same today. When everything is easy to copy, people stop paying attention. This article explains how companies can stand out by doing things that are hard to fake.

Quick Summary

The internet is full of things that look and sound the same. Pictures, websites, and videos are all starting to feel boring because they’re so easy to make or copy. Even AI has made it simple to design and write things that look professional. But this ease has created a new problem: sameness.

To fight this, some companies are doing things that are much harder to copy. Robinhood launched its new product in a fancy French mansion, while Stripe built a real Irish pub inside its office to film a podcast. These companies are not just trying to be flashy-they are sending a message that they are different, real, and worth paying attention to. This idea of doing what’s hard and unique is what the article calls "The Great Differentiation."

The trend continues with startups doing real-world things that can’t be faked. A company called Rainmaker makes rain with drones. Another builds giant statues. Others show behind-the-scenes footage of real work, like building engines or exploring remote lands. These are all hard things to do, and that’s what makes them powerful. The harder something is to copy, the more people believe it’s valuable.

Key Takeaways from the article

• Most brands and websites today feel the same because copying is easy
• To stand out, you must do things that are hard to fake or repeat
• Real-world actions, like building things or doing events, are harder to copy than digital design
• Copying style is cheap; showing substance is what counts
• Even if people try to imitate you, they can't copy what you truly earned
• The best signal is one that costs effort, skill, or risk to produce
• Originality now means doing things your way, not just doing them better

What to do

• Look at what everyone else in your space is doing - then do something completely different
• Choose actions and content that are hard to copy (like real events, builds, or behind-the-scenes)
• Stop relying only on polished design or AI-made content-use real effort and ideas
• Lean into your unique story, culture, or team traits
• Invest in things that show real skill or dedication (like building physical sets, filming on-site, or making something by hand)
• Avoid copying trends blindly; make your own path
• Ask: “What can we do that no one else can?” Then do that

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