Most people think that the only way to break into the business industry is to create something completely new.

However, that is not always the case.

Most entrepreneurs are usually inspired by the work of other ventures and often copy key elements of these organizations.

They then build upon those elements to make it better.

They emulate and then innovate.

A prime example of this is the story of Apple and Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center.

Search it up, it’s quite interesting (or, here is a link for your convenience: https://zurb.com/blog/steve-jobs-and-xerox-the-truth-about-inno).

Now, to properly understand the concept of emulating before innovating, one must know what these words actually mean.

Let’s start with emulate. What does emulate mean?

I found the simplest definition of the word in the Vocabulary Dictionary.

It defines emulate as “imitating someone else with the idea of matching their success”.

So basically, learning from someone else by copying elements of what they’re doing.

Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean copying them step-for-step.

It just means to be inspired by their success and/or how they achieved it and envision ways to take it to the next level.

Now this is where innovation comes in.

Wait, what does it mean to innovate?

The Cambridge Dictionary defines innovate as “to introduce changes and new ideas”.

That is, adding your own unique twist to something that has already been developed and making adjustments to create something new.

So, emulating before innovating?

This is imitating the methodology of the ventures who have reached the level of success you want to achieve.

Then taking an opportunity to innovate aspects of it by adding your own unique twist to it and therefore taking it to the next level from what it originally was.

Work smarter, not harder.

This process removes the stress placed on individuals trying to break into various business markets who assume that in order to be successful, they would have to develop something their industry has never seen before.

But that is not always true and even Miles Davis knew it when he said: “First you imitate, then you innovate”.

He knew this and he didn’t even own a business!

So next time, instead of putting yourself under so much stress trying to figure out how you’re going to create something the world has never seen, just remember that it is okay to emulate before you innovate.

How?

Here are some pointers to get you started:

1. 1. Absorb the ideas that make sense from other ventures and/or industries.
   2. Imitate key elements of their methodology.
   3. Innovate and build upon it to make their methodology make sense for you.