Is it ok for me to get into the same line of business as my friend?
Imagine that Jack and Andrew have been friends for years. Jack has always been a chef with his own moderately successful catering business. Andrew, an office manager, has always had a knack for cooking and suddenly decides that he wants a career change. He decides to go to culinary school and becomes a successful and much sought-after chef. Did Andrew do something that can mean the end of a good friendship with Jack?
I’m always a bit annoyed and critical of someone who copies something I did, my thought is – where is their originality? If on the other hand, they told me they liked what I did and wanted to try it, I would happily help them get it done while eliminating any mistakes I had made. That’s a little weird right? You would think so, but there is a quote of seeming unknown origin that says “Good artists copy; great artists steal”; meaning that a copycat duplicates what you did but someone who improves on what you did owns it.
Continue reading “Villain or Victim?”