--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Plus, if you’re a copycat, you can never…" description: "\"“Plus, if you’re a copycat, you can never keep up. You’re always in a passive position. You never lead; you always follow. You give birth to something ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/jason-fried-2868_copy_plus-if-you-re-a-copycat-you-can-never-k_2421419.jpg" --- # Plus, if you’re a copycat, you can never keep up. You’re… ![“Plus, if you’re a copycat, you can never keep up. You’re always in a passive position. You never lead; you always follow. You give birth to something that’s already behind the times—just a knockoff, an inferior version of the original. That’s no way to live.” quote by Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/jason-fried-2868_copy_plus-if-you-re-a-copycat-you-can-never-k_2421419.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/jason-fried-2868_copy_plus-if-you-re-a-copycat-you-can-never-k_2421419.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/279/jason-fried-2868_copy_plus-if-you-re-a-copycat-you-can-never-k_2421419.jpg) > ““Plus, if you’re a copycat, you can never keep up. You’re always in a passive position. You never lead; you always follow. You give birth to something that’s already behind the times—just a knockoff, an inferior version of the original. That’s no way to live.”” [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Copycats stay behind, never leading, producing inferior versions and missing authentic progress. **In simple terms:** Copying limits innovation and growth. Key Takeaway Lead with original ideas. Themes innovation leadership authenticity competition Mood motivational critical Type inspirational reflective When to use this quote - startup strategy - personal career planning - product design Key Concepts creative originality market dynamics personal development Questions to Reflect On - What unique value can you bring to your field? - How do you balance inspiration with imitation? A Different Perspective Copying can sometimes be a learning step, not always harmful. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Copycat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/copycat/) [Originality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/originality/) ## Related quotes > [“When you are gunning to be like other people, you are foolishly repeating their mistakes, and the worst of it all is that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/when-you-are-gunning-to-be-like-other-people-you-are-foolishly/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [“Be yourself because an original is worth more than just a copy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/be-yourself-because-an-original-is-worth-more-than-just-a-copy/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [Switch my hair, they gon' copy her. Switch my gear, they gon' copy her. Look at how they stare, just a copier. Roger that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/switch-my-hair-they-gon-copy-her-switch-my-gear-they-gon-copy-her-2/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [If you were created an original, why would you want to be a copycat?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/if-you-were-created-an-original-why-would-you-want-to-be-a-copycat/) [Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/) > [When a well-known creative person such as me is perceived to have created a knockoff of my own previous work, such a perception is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-bass/when-a-well-known-creative-person-such-as-me-is-perceived-to-have/) [Saul Bass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-bass/) > [Prada makes really nice bags and then somebody in China makes knockoffs. This is the knockoff version of the mutant world. You have Weapon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-miller/prada-makes-really-nice-bags-and-then-somebody-in-china-makes/) [Timothy Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-miller/) > [I read a lot of scripts and so many are clearly a knockoff of one familiar genre or another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-norton/i-read-a-lot-of-scripts-and-so-many-are-clearly-a-knockoff-of-one/) [Edward Norton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-norton/) > [A knockoff is not as easy to spot when it comes to love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-jessica-parker/a-knockoff-is-not-as-easy-to-spot-when-it-comes-to-love/) [Sarah Jessica Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-jessica-parker/) > [“If you just mimic the surface of somebody’s work without understanding where they are coming from, your work will never be anything more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/if-you-just-mimic-the-surface-of-somebody-s-work-without/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > ['Pong' is simply a knockoff of the Odyssey Ping-Pong game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-h-baer/pong-is-simply-a-knockoff-of-the-odyssey-ping-pong-game/) [Ralph H. Baer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-h-baer/) > [“AI art is just fancy knockoff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/ai-art-is-just-fancy-knockoff/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [“the other kids at school got brands, Nike and Adidas. I never got brands. One time I asked my mom for Adidas sneakers. She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/the-other-kids-at-school-got-brands-nike-and-adidas-i-never-got/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [“The reason to copy your heroes and their style is so that you might somehow get a glimpse into their minds. That's what you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-kleon/the-reason-to-copy-your-heroes-and-their-style-is-so-that-you-might/) [Austin Kleon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-kleon/) > [No matter what Kobe or LeBron do, we've already seen some form of it in Michael Jordan. Everyone else is a knockoff.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-clark/no-matter-what-kobe-or-lebron-do-we-ve-already-seen-some-form-of-it/) [Ryan Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-clark/) > [Everyone goes to the same exhibitions and the same parties, stays in the same handful of hotels, eats at the same no-star restaurants, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-saltz/everyone-goes-to-the-same-exhibitions-and-the-same-parties-stays-in/) [Jerry Saltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-saltz/) ## More by Jason Fried > [“If no one’s upset by what you’re saying, you’re probably not pushing hard enough. (And you’re probably boring, too.)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/if-no-one-s-upset-by-what-you-re-saying-you-re-probably-not-pushing/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Ironically, you’ll probably get far more done when only half of your workday overlaps with the rest of your team. Instead of spending the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/ironically-you-ll-probably-get-far-more-done-when-only-half-of-your/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Also, don’t be timid about your conclusions. Sometimes abandoning what you’re working on is the right move, even if you’ve already put in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/also-don-t-be-timid-about-your-conclusions-sometimes-abandoning-what/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“If you constantly fret about timing things perfectly, they'll never happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/if-you-constantly-fret-about-timing-things-perfectly-they-ll-never/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [The best feature of a product should really be the customer service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/the-best-feature-of-a-product-should-really-be-the-customer-service/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“remote work has opened the door to a new era of freedom and luxury. A brave new world beyond the industrial-age belief in The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/remote-work-has-opened-the-door-to-a-new-era-of-freedom-and-luxury-a/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Smart people in white coats have extensively studied commuting—this supposedly necessary part of our days—and the verdict is in: long commutes make you fat,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/smart-people-in-white-coats-have-extensively-studied-commuting-this/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Policies are organizational scar tissue. They are codified overreactions to situations that are unlikely to happen again. They are collective punishment for the misdeeds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/policies-are-organizational-scar-tissue-they-are-codified/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“What you do is what matters, not what you think or say or plan.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/what-you-do-is-what-matters-not-what-you-think-or-say-or-plan/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Find a judo solution, one that delivers maximum efficiency with minimum effort. When good enough gets the job done, go for it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/find-a-judo-solution-one-that-delivers-maximum-efficiency-with/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“If you're opening a hot dog stand, you could worry about the condiments, the cart, the name, the decoration. But the first thing you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/if-you-re-opening-a-hot-dog-stand-you-could-worry-about-the/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“It's easy to shoot down good ideas, interesting policies, or worthwhile experiments by assuming that whatever you decide now needs to work for years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/it-s-easy-to-shoot-down-good-ideas-interesting-policies-or-worthwhile/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“pulling seven people away from their work for an hour is worth seven hours of lost productivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/pulling-seven-people-away-from-their-work-for-an-hour-is-worth-seven/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“Whenever you can, swap “Let’s think about it” for “Let’s decide on it.” Commit to making decisions. Don’t wait for the perfect solution. Decide…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/whenever-you-can-swap-let-s-think-about-it-for-let-s-decide-on-it/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [“As Sir Richard Branson commented in his ode to working remotely: “To successfully work with other people, you have to trust each other. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/as-sir-richard-branson-commented-in-his-ode-to-working-remotely-to/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) [Explore all 145 Jason Fried quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) ## More Copy quotes > [Would ya like a copy of my butt? -Butt-Head](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beavis-and-butthead/would-ya-like-a-copy-of-my-butt-butt-head/) [Beavis And Butthead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beavis-and-butthead/) > [“All religions worthy of the name are now making great efforts to purify their doctrines and return to their original standpoint, — all except…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virchand-gandhi/all-religions-worthy-of-the-name-are-now-making-great-efforts-to/) [Virchand Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virchand-gandhi/) > [I've reread 'The Secret Garden' every year as an adult. I have a battered copy on my bookshelf - it's really quite a mess!…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-potter/i-ve-reread-the-secret-garden-every-year-as-an-adult-i-have-a/) [Ellen Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-potter/) > [We call ourselves creators and we just copy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauryn-hill/we-call-ourselves-creators-and-we-just-copy/) [Lauryn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauryn-hill/) > [“Everytime you make a copy of the copy, you lose clarity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-e-nelson/everytime-you-make-a-copy-of-the-copy-you-lose-clarity/) [Alan E. Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-e-nelson/) > [William Regal is an obvious influence, as is Fit Finlay - you can see that in my style of wrestling - but I try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-dunne/william-regal-is-an-obvious-influence-as-is-fit-finlay-you-can-see/) [Pete Dunne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-dunne/) > [A presentation copy...is a copy of a book whoch does not sell, sent you by the author, with his foolish autograph at the beginning…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/a-presentation-copy-is-a-copy-of-a-book-whoch-does-not-sell-sent-you/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [Obviously, Fred Astaire was a legend. I've tried to copy some of his movements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-moir/obviously-fred-astaire-was-a-legend-i-ve-tried-to-copy-some-of-his/) [Scott Moir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-moir/) > [We are all born originals, why is it so many of us die copies?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-young/we-are-all-born-originals-why-is-it-so-many-of-us-die-copies/) [Edward Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-young/) > [Why would anybody hire a someone who is copying someone else when he can get the original one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kk/why-would-anybody-hire-a-someone-who-is-copying-someone-else-when-he/) KK > [I used to copy looks from fashion ads in my mother's 'Cosmopolitan' magazines and steal her eye shadows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffree-star/i-used-to-copy-looks-from-fashion-ads-in-my-mother-s-cosmopolitan/) [Jeffree Star](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffree-star/) > [I like to read non-fiction on my e-reader, but as for fiction, I usually like to have a copy to keep at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-han/i-like-to-read-non-fiction-on-my-e-reader-but-as-for-fiction-i/) [Jenny Han](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-han/) > [I've always avoided publicity. I've never been good copy at any stage of my life. I don't strive for it, because I don't think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-noll/i-ve-always-avoided-publicity-i-ve-never-been-good-copy-at-any-stage/) [Chuck Noll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-noll/) > [You can copy, but hold the applause you get the satisfaction of mind can not](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/you-can-copy-but-hold-the-applause-you-get-the-satisfaction-of-mind/) Mak\_786 > [Long time ago, people would make the Bible, right? The guy said it, somebody wrote it down. And then if you wanted another copy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ursula-burns/long-time-ago-people-would-make-the-bible-right-the-guy-said-it/) [Ursula Burns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ursula-burns/) Browse all 594 Copy quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Plus, if you’re a copycat, you can never keep up. You’re always in a passive position. 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