Originality Is the Wrong Goal
What to focus on instead
In this week’s edition, I’m not sharing another link or resource.
No tools. No “must-read” thread.
Instead, I want to share an idea I’ve been thinking about for a while, one I mostly kept to myself.
This kind of personal thinking and writing may show up more often this year.
If you like it, tell me. If not, that’s useful to know too.
Here’s the idea.
I used to think my problem was that I didn’t have original ideas.
That everything smart had already been said.
That if I spoke up, I’d just be repeating something better written by someone else.
That belief stopped me more than anything else.
Because “originality” sounds important, but it’s a trap.
It’s vague. You can’t measure it. And it gives you a reason to stay quiet.
What I’ve learned instead is simple:
new things don’t come from new ideas.
They come from new attention.
We all read the same books.
Hear the same podcasts.
See the same posts.
The difference isn’t access.
It’s what you notice.
Two people can read the same thing.
One repeats it.
The other gets stuck on the one part that feels off, or missing, or annoying, and follows that thread.
Same input. Different filter.
That’s usually where anything interesting starts.
I also stopped looking for ideas only in places that felt “relevant.”
Safe borrowing keeps you sounding safe.
The ideas that land often come from places that feel a little wrong:
a business idea from comedy,
a writing habit from games,
a relationship insight from systems.
You don’t need to be an expert.
You just need to translate.
If the connection feels obvious, it’s probably dull.
If it feels a little stupid, pay attention.
Another shift: I stopped chasing passion.
Passion fades.
Annoyance doesn’t.
The things that bother you again and again are clues.
They show you problems you already understand.
People annoyed by meetings write better docs.
People annoyed by jargon explain things simply.
People annoyed by bad tools build better ones.
Annoyance is information.
I also stopped asking, “How do I add value?”
A better question is:
what confusion can I remove?
Most people don’t want more information.
They want fewer knots in their head.
Clear beats clever.
Every time.
Then there’s copying, the thing everyone does, but rarely on purpose.
The problem isn’t copying.
It’s copying too many people at once.
That’s how you end up sounding smooth and empty.
What works is focus:
copy one person at a time,
steal their structure, not their opinions,
use it until it breaks,
then move on.
A voice doesn’t appear.
It forms through use.
Finally, shipping.
“Just ship” is bad advice if you ship to everyone.
Ship early, but quietly.
To a small group.
People you trust.
A shared doc. A short email.
Small rooms let you learn without performing.
They sharpen ideas fast.
So I don’t ask, “Is this original?” anymore.
I ask:
Is this clearer?
Is this useful right now?
Would I send this to one smart friend?
That’s a hard bar.
Most people aren’t stuck because they lack ideas.
They’re stuck because they think ideas need permission.
They don’t.
You don’t need a breakthrough.
You need attention.
Stranger inputs.
Fewer words.
More reps.
Originality isn’t something you aim at.
It shows up on its own..
after you’ve been honest long enough
from a place that’s actually yours.
Manoj
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Great post.very well written!!