5 Ways to Borrow Other People's Best Ideas
How to Succeed by Shamelessly "Stealing"
I have come to appreciate one subtle truth about life.
Life is about playing the odds.
You are dealt a set of cards at birth — your genetics, family, where and when you were born—and from there, the game begins. Every choice you make, every opportunity you seize or let slip by, shifts the odds in one direction or another.
Of course, you could resist this reality, like the 27-year-old Indian man who made headlines for wanting to sue his parents for giving birth to him without his consent. But in the end, we're all dealt a hand, and the true challenge lies in playing it to the best of our ability.
The real question then is : How do you stack the odds in your favor?
One of the most effective ways to do this is to shamelessly "steal"—or rather, borrow—other people's best ideas. By learning from what’s already worked for others, you can tilt life’s game in your favor.
In this article, I’ll share five ways you can do just that.
Life is about playing the odds. All you can do is try to stack them in your favor.
Cloning the Master
One of the most successful "cloners" is renowned investor Mohnish Pabrai. Born and raised in modest circumstances in India, Pabrai watched his parents lose everything, multiple times over. This early exposure to financial hardship instilled in him a deep determination not to repeat their mistakes. Fast-forward years later, Pabrai currently manages over $1 billion in assets under Pabrai Investment Funds.
Wait, what, how?
I’m a shameless copycat. Everything in my life is cloned. I have no original ideas.
- Monish Pabrai
So, how did Pabrai go from financial uncertainty to managing a billion-dollar investment fund? The answer lies in his strategic decision to adopt and adapt the proven investment strategies of Warren Buffett. By meticulously following Buffett’s playbook, Pabrai was able to replicate much of Buffett’s success.
Pabrai’s approach underscores a powerful lesson: Success often comes from learning from and replicating what has already been proven to work. By embracing the idea of "cloning" the best practices and strategies of others, Pabrai not only avoided many common pitfalls but also accelerated his own success.
Learn to “Steal” Like a Pro
Here’s how you can start:
🔘 Study the Masters: Identify the leaders in your field of interest. Read their books, follow their interviews, and understand their methodologies. Understand what made them successful and see how you can adapt their principles to your own context.
🔘 Look for Patterns: Go beyond just learning about their successes—break down the specific actions and decisions that led to those successes. Look for underlying principles and patterns that you can apply to your own projects or career.
🔘 Adapt, Don’t Copy: Adapt the ideas you borrow, don’t just replicate. Tailor them to fit your unique situation and goals. For instance, if you’re implementing a business strategy from a successful company, adjust it to match your market, audience, and resources.
🔘 Network and Learn: Engage with mentors, join professional groups or subscribe to a Substack newsletter (hint-hint). Networking with others who have achieved success can provide valuable insights and inspiration.
🔘 Experiment and Iterate: Don’t be afraid to test different strategies and approaches. Use what you’ve learned as a foundation, but be open to experimenting and refining your methods. The key is to be flexible and willing to make adjustments based on what works best for you.
Take-home message:
⭐️ Don’t be ashamed to “smartly” clone your way to success.
Success doesn’t always require inventing new ideas from scratch. By studying and adapting the best practices of those who have already succeeded, you can significantly increase your own odds of success.
Embrace the art of "cloning" as a strategic tool to navigate life’s challenges and turn the odds in your favor.
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About the Author:
Nick is passionate about enabling people and businesses to reach their full potential.
He taps into over 25+ years of truly diverse leadership experience, challenging the status quo - to ultimately define a clear strategic path forward and propel success.
Thought Leader | Board member | Founder of Aktina Group Consulting | Proud Father
Awesome! So this is how to steal in an educated way!
This is a powerful lesson not to overlook. So many have already created the paths to follow, and there's no sense in recreating the wheel when we can accelerate our growth by learning from what's already been done. From there, we can branch out and find our uniqueness and originality; more often than not, that starts with unoriginality and replication.