You’ve probably experienced this before:
An app idea strikes you in the shower, on a walk, or late at night when you should be asleep.
You open your laptop and begin building with so much excitement.
Then suddenly you start seeing similar apps being promoted in your field, like the algorithm is trying to tell you, “Sorry, someone has created this, and it’s way bigger.” Trust me, it happened to us while building aitugo.com, so we know what it feels like.
Doubt creeps in. “Maybe it’s not worth it…” “They have already done it.”
Your app idea project gradually disappears in the “unfinished folder”.
Then the next thought emerges. The cycle is on repeat.
This loop is not due to a lack of talent. It’s all about perception. The way you see competition can either paralyse or motivate you. Let’s rewrite the script.
1. The Bolognese Analogy.
Imagine preparing bolognese. There are plenty of chefs who know the recipe. However, no two dishes taste the same. Some use red wine, while others don’t. Some add carrots, while others keep it pure. Some serve it with homemade pasta, while others mix it with store-bought spaghetti.
Above, we have 3 plates of bolognese from 3 different chefs; which is “the best” bolognese?
Answer: It depends on who is eating it.
Your app is your recipe. Your flavour, your choices, your story.
Example:
Instagram was not the first photo-sharing app idea. Flickr and Hipstamatic existed long before it. Instagram didn’t “invent” sharing photos. It simply offered its own flavour: beautiful filters, a clean feed, and instant posting. That flavour resonated, and people lined up for it.
2. The Myth of the “One Winner”
In the early days of the internet, it seemed like there was only room for one giant. One search engine. One social network. One dominant marketplace. However, that world no longer exists.
Now, dozens of players can thrive in the same space.
Example:
- Spotify isn’t the only music platform. Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal all coexist, and each has its own loyal fans.
- Zoom wasn’t the first video meeting tool. Skype existed. Google Hangouts existed. Yet Zoom thrived because it solved friction in a better way and built community around reliability.
- Canva didn’t invent graphic design. Photoshop dominated for years. But Canva made design accessible to everyone and carved out its universe.
In 2025, you don’t need to be the “only”. You just need to connect deeply with the people who love your twist.
3. The Real Enemy: Unreleased Work
Competition doesn’t kill most ideas. Silence does. The real tragedy is when app idea projects never leave your hard drive.
When you stop working on your app idea, you deprive the world of your recipe. You deprive yourself of development, feedback, and opportunity.
Example:
- Jack Dorsey’s app idea, the first version of Twitter, was clunky and half-baked. But he shipped it. The market shaped it. Without that first push, the idea would have remained another dusty prototype.
- Rovio, the company behind Angry Birds, built 51 failed games before Angry Birds hit. Imagine if they stopped at game #49 because “someone else already made a slingshot game.”
The unreleased project graveyard is brimming with potential projects that simply lacked one crucial element: the courage to launch.
4. Community Over Competition
Here’s the shift that frees you: you’re not fighting other app ideas; you’re on a quest to discover your community.
Every application, product, and innovation has its voice. Even if you and I constructed the identical idea, our versions would appeal to different audiences.
Example:
Substack and Medium both allow people to write and share long-form content. Yet both thrive, because their communities are different. Medium leans toward curated, polished stories; Substack leans toward newsletters and direct reader connection.
Nike and Adidas both sell sneakers. The world didn’t say, “We only need one sportswear brand.” Both created culture around their own voice.
Your job is not to eliminate competition; it’s to speak clearly enough so your people can find you.
5. Action Steps to Break the Cycle
Here’s how to stop quitting halfway:
Reframe Competition → See it as proof there’s demand. If others are building, that’s validation; your idea matters.
Ship Imperfectly → Done is better than hidden. Your “1.0” won’t be perfect, and it doesn’t need to be.
Find Your Flavour → What’s your unique twist? Your design, tone, features, and story are all unique. Highlight it.
Build a Community early → Don’t wait until launch. Share your process, ideas, and even your doubts. The people who resonate will walk with you.
Measure Impact, Not Comparison → Instead of asking, “Is my app better than theirs?” Ask, “Is my app helping even 100 people?”
The Creator’s Manifesto
When you create, you’re not attempting to outperform the entire internet. You are putting your recipe on the table. Some will walk past. Some will taste it and move on. But some, your people, will adore it, remember it, and keep returning for more.
The real failure isn’t competition. It’s never serving your dish.
So, the next time you catch yourself in the loop, pause, breathe, and remind yourself:
There’s space for my flavour. Let them taste it.
Also read: Unfiltered Truth: The Brutal Reality Check You Need to Level Up Your Success
This article was inspired by the following post on Twitter (X).
