The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan

Episode 592: (Solo) The Truth About Originality: What Great Founders Really Do
Date: September 30, 2025
Host: Nathan Chan

Overview: The Myth of Originality and What Great Founders Really Do

In this solo episode, Nathan Chan dives deep into the concept of originality in entrepreneurship. Challenging the conventional wisdom that every founder must create something radically new, Chan explores the power of learning from others, modeling proven strategies, and putting your unique twist on what already works. Drawing from his own experience with Foundr and his water bottle brand, Health.Ish, the episode is packed with actionable advice to help entrepreneurs go further faster—without reinventing the wheel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Core Concept: “Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal”

• Nathan unpacks the famous quote (attributed to Steve Jobs and explored by author Austin Kleon):

  “There’s nothing wrong with getting inspiration from other companies… draw inspiration and make it your own. You don’t want to be a copycat…”
  [01:25]

• Founders often mistakenly believe absolute originality is required for success. According to Nathan, true innovation often comes from “borrowing brilliance”—finding what works, studying it in detail, and applying it to your business in new ways.

2. Real-World Example: Growing the Foundr Instagram

• When growing Foundr’s Instagram, Nathan studied successful magazine brands (Forbes, Fast Company, Fortune) to see what posts received the most engagement.
• The insight: Quotes from entrepreneurs performed the best, so he posted similar content, with unique tweaks to suit Foundr’s voice.

  “Our Instagram started to blow up… we started getting all these paid subscribers to the magazine. I’m like, wow, we are onto something.”
  [02:30]

3. Dispelling the Originality Myth

• Many founders insist on building from scratch: custom strategies, original ideas, untested marketing. Nathan suggests this slows progress.
• The smarter move: “Find someone who’s already done what you’re trying to do and just study the hell out of it or learn from them.”
• He cites a mentor, Mitch:

  “It’s not what, but who, right? Who is doing it. And that’s the key.”
  [04:05]

4. The Line Between Modeling and Copying

• Nathan recognizes that “stealing” is a polarizing term. The goal isn’t to plagiarize, but to model success and make it distinctively your own.

  “You don’t want to copy, you just want to model.”
  [04:55]

• He points out how common this is—even among major brands:
  • Uber → Lyft (“Let’s be honest, Lyft copied Uber… and they are still an incredible company…” [04:40])
  • Canva → Adobe
  • Airbnb → Craigslist UX/UI lessons
  • Dollar Shave Club → Razors, repackaged

5. Another Personal Example: Health.Ish Water Bottles

• Nathan’s time-marked water bottle brand wasn’t the “originator” of time indicators. Instead, they popularized and refined the concept:

  “We weren’t the first company to come up with the idea… We just popularized the concept. We made the design look really, really, really cool.”
  [05:30]

• He borrowed marketing ideas from leading DTC brands: product pages, influencer collaborations, emails, and spun them with Health.Ish’s unique brand.

6. Actionable Takeaways

• Reverse engineering is smarter than guessing.
• Don’t wait for “the big original idea”—instead, consistently gather inspiration and iterate.
• Action item for listeners:

  “Look at the top three brands that… you admire. Sign up to their email list, follow em on social media, look at their website… ask yourself what makes this experience work. How am I feeling as a customer and how can I apply this in my own way…”
  [08:00]

Memorable Quotes

• “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” — Nathan Chan, referencing Steve Jobs (01:15)
• “It’s not about what, it’s about who.” — Nathan Chan (04:05)
• “You don’t want to copy, you just want to model.” — Nathan Chan (04:55)
• “Great founders don’t guess, they reverse engineer.” — Nathan Chan (08:30)

Important Timestamps

• 00:48 — Episode intro & setup for the theme of originality vs. modeling
• 01:15 — Exploring the “good artists copy, great artists steal” philosophy
• 02:30 — Foundr Instagram case study: learning from top magazine brands
• 04:05 — “It’s not what, but who” — advice from a mentor
• 04:40 — Lyft modeled Uber; common brand “stealing” examples
• 05:30 — Health.Ish story: popularizing (not inventing) the time-indicator bottle
• 07:00 — Examples of borrowing in modern startups (Canva, Airbnb, Dollar Shave Club)
• 08:00 — Action item for founders: study and model three brands you admire
• 08:30 — Closing words: iteration, “reverse engineering,” and encouragement

Episode Tone

Candid, empowering, and packed with practical, no-nonsense advice, Nathan Chan demystifies the entrepreneurial obsession with originality. He urges listeners to let go of perfectionism, study what works, and confidently build on the foundations laid by those before them, always adding their own unique twist.

Perfect for: Aspiring founders feeling “stuck,” anyone waiting for a big original idea, or entrepreneurs wanting to accelerate growth by modeling what already works.