If you’ve ever pushed a repo to GitHub or launched a side project on Product Hunt, you probably know the fear:
“What if someone forks this, slaps on a new logo, and beats me to market?”
I used to obsess over that too. But here’s the truth: copycats aren’t the ones killing your projects. Silence is.
1. Code is Easy to Copy. Momentum Isn’t.
Anyone can clone your repo, or re-implement your clever little API. You always see XXX-clone repo on GitHub but it never ditched XXX. What they can’t clone is the feedback loop you’re running with real users.
- They don’t see your bug reports.
- They don’t get your DMs from early adopters.
- They don’t feel the pain points you’re fixing every week.
Momentum isn’t in the codebase — it’s in the iteration speed.
2. Distribution > Differentiation
You can’t out-feature a copycat forever. But you can out-distribute them.
- Your blog posts, build-in-public updates, and tiny wins on Twitter/X all stack up.
- That one dev newsletter you write? It’s a moat.
- Your weird, opinionated README? That’s a moat too.
Copycats can steal code, but not your trust equity.
3. The Real Threat = Crickets 🦗
The scariest thing isn’t cloning — it’s indifference.
If no one uses your project, no one clones it.
If someone does clone it, that’s actually validation: there’s demand.
Cloneable projects = valuable projects.
Non-cloneable projects = side projects no one wanted anyway.
4. Keep Shipping, Don’t Freeze
The worst reaction to “what if I get copied?” is shipping slower.
- Ship that MVP.
- Ship the CLI tool even if it’s rough.
- Ship the SaaS with ugly CSS.
You don’t win by locking your repo. You win by compounding progress in public.
TL;DR for Devs
Stop worrying about who’s forking your code. Start worrying about whether anyone cares.
Copycats aren’t your biggest threat. Inaction is.
👉 Read the full post here: Why Copycats Aren’t Your Biggest Threat
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