Any startup idea can be a good one.It doesn't matter if your idea is not original.

I used to believe that an idea for a startup had to be something entirely new, to be worth building. However, I began to observe companies such as Netflix and Instagram in a different light as I explored what they were doing when looking at their opponents for Hamara Sheher.

Instagram didn't come up with all of the features that the company became successful with. It used ideas already in existence like Stories, and added its own strengths to it and its massive user base. Reels where also copied from Tiktok.

Netflix didn't even begin by disrupting the entertainment business. Started as DVD rentals and worked its way towards subscriptions, streaming and original content.

That made me think of something –

A start-up does not have to be an original on Day 1.

There is the option of taking an existing idea, learning what has proven to work, creating a version of that concept, and learning from real users. As time passes, it becomes possible to enhance the product, to mix features up in a different way, or to find a totally new problem to be solved.

I want to do Hamara Sheher like that.

I will not try to invent something entirely new from scratch but first understand existing systems, develop a no frills version, involve people in using it, and watch how they act when using it.

There may be some differentiation that I find later, by doing something better, understanding users better, or something entirely new that I come up with as I go.

Hamara Sheher isn't just a startup project for me. It's an approach to understanding the evolution of startups.