Fast-Follow vs. Original Ideas: Best ROI for Founders?

[doober2001]

Hi HN. I'm a full-time founder stuck in a loop of idea iteration. Every time I think I've landed on something new, I find a startup already doing it, which kind of forces me into a fast-follow situation without intending to. I know having competitors is usually a good sign, and even YC says it's better because it means you're likely not in a dead-end market.

But this cycle is frustrating. Hunting for completely original ideas takes forever, and more often than not, we end up just trailing behind someone else who got there first. So, I'm wondering if I should just lean into this and focus on finding small startups that's just starting gain traction, and fast-follow one (ofc considering product-founder-fit, easiness of building the MVP, etc.). It feels like this is the no-brainer higher ROI move. But something also feels iffy so I'm not sure.

Really appreciate any insights on this.

[throwaway167]

Look at industrial economics and shakeouts.

The advantage a first mover has is early access to innovation. With earlier customers and a slightly more mature product they're a step ahead. So, knowing this, can you leap frog it by second guessing what the customer/market really wants in a way that wins for you?

[doober2001]

Thanks for the insight, first time i heard leap frog haha. I get that there's ways to optimize both fast-follow or searching for OG pain-points. My question is more so, given that I will follow the best practices for both options, is fast-follow really a no-brainer highest-ROI option?