Copy a competitor? Copy a master.

People ask me about copying competitors, and I tell them: Copy a master, not a rival.

Here's a cool example where I learn...

First why not copy a competitor?

Simple: You won’t beat competitors by copying them. Instead, find a way to differentiate, and do something better.

So, who do I copy?

People who solved my toughest problems, no matter their industry.

For example, I need to boost my LinkedIn game. I don't study other writers in my space – I don’t want to sound like them.

You’re here for fresh thinking, not recycled “top 5 growth marketing ideas” tropes.

Right now, my favorite content creator is a trauma doctor on X named Sam Ghali. He posts patient scans and discusses their conditions. He has 600K followers.

I have no medical training, but I’m hooked. I’m learning tons, just not about medicine.

Here’s what I’ve picked up from Dr. Ghali’s posts:

1. Engrossing visuals – I can’t read a CT scan, but I can’t scroll past one either, apparently.
   

2. Killer hooks – Spark curiosity without clichés. E.g. “Here’s the best fluoroscopic Chest X-Ray of this medical condition I’ve ever seen.”
   

3. Valuable content – I can’t tell good medical insight from bad, but based on the re-posts and appreciative comments he gets from other doctors, it's clear he’s giving them life-saving insights.
   

4. Growth loop – Each post picks up more followers without pandering: “If you’re a new follower I always post the answer with explanation the next day.”

Studying someone from a totally different field has allowed me to abstract the core elements of what makes him successful.

So, copying can work – just don’t copy a competitor. Instead, identify your specific growth challenge, and then look far and wide to find someone who’s cracked it better than anyone else.