Can I Build an App That Already Exists? Yes, But Make It Feel Different

Every entrepreneur faces this question: "Should I build something that already exists?" The answer isn't just yes, it's absolutely yes. But here's the catch: don't clone everything. The magic lies in creating your own design, your own feel, your own take on the experience.

Let me share a personal example that changed how I think about this. I used to manage tasks with Jira, and it felt like a 9-to-5 job, bureaucratic, overwhelming, soul-crushing. Then I switched to Notion, but too many features and customization options got overwhelming. Finally, I discovered Linear: clean, fast, minimal. It made me feel like I was building a startup, not filling out corporate forms.

All three tools essentially do the same thing, help you manage tasks and projects. But Linear won my loyalty because of how it made me feel. That's the difference between a clone and a successful business.

Think about music streaming apps. Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Tidal all do the same basic thing, play songs. But each one feels completely different. Spotify nails discovery with personalized playlists. Apple Music integrates seamlessly with your iPhone. YouTube Music connects to videos. Tidal focuses on high-quality audio for audiophiles.

Same core function, totally different experiences. And here's the key: millions of people pay for multiple streaming services because each one serves a different mood or need. What you want while working out isn't what you want while studying. User contexts evolve, and each app owns a specific moment.

• Focus on emotional connection over feature lists
• Simplify complex workflows that competitors overcomplicate
• Target underserved user segments with specific needs
• Create a distinctive visual and interaction design
• Optimize for specific use cases rather than trying to serve everyone
• Build better onboarding and user education
• Improve performance and reliability where others fall short

Consider these examples of successful "copies" that won through experience:

1. 1**Discord vs Skype**: Both for communication, but Discord felt like a gaming community, not a corporate meeting
2. 2**Stripe vs PayPal**: Both for payments, but Stripe felt like it was built for developers, not executives
3. 3**Figma vs Sketch**: Both for design, but Figma felt collaborative and web-native
4. 4**Slack vs Email**: Both for team communication, but Slack felt organized and immediate

When building an app or business that already exists, social media content becomes your secret weapon. You can create viral TikTok carousels and Instagram posts that highlight the emotional differences between your solution and existing ones. Content creators and social media managers can showcase user journeys, design comparisons, and transformation stories that resonate with your target audience.

Use platforms like TikTok and Instagram to tell the story of why you built something different. Share the frustrations that led to your solution, the design decisions that matter, and the user feedback that validates your approach.

Sometimes, just different UI/UX is enough to attract an entire new user base. This is especially true when:

• Existing solutions feel outdated or clunky
• Target users have specific workflow needs
• The market has shifted but products haven't adapted
• There's a generational gap in user preferences
• Mobile-first design is needed in a desktop-dominated space

Rebuilding an existing idea is not just fine, it's often the smartest business strategy. But you must make it different enough to matter. People don't remember clones; they remember how something made them feel.

Whether you're a content creator building a personal brand around your startup journey, a social media manager promoting a new take on existing tools, or an entrepreneur validating your "copycat" idea, focus on the emotional transformation your solution provides.

The next time someone tells you "that already exists," smile and ask them: "But does it make users feel the way mine will?" That's where the real opportunity lies.