The best ideas are stolen. - 11 September 2026
This week's thread
Creativity rarely starts with a blank page.
More often than not, it starts with something you’ve seen somewhere else.
Creativity copies is the idea that good creative work comes from borrowing, combining and adapting existing ideas - especially from places outside your own category.
This week's concept
Creativity copies
Forget true originality. Creativity requires external inspiration.
Thread ONE
Deception in WW2
During World War Two, British forces needed to deceive Axis powers in North Africa. Instead of relying on military strategists alone, they recruited a magician, Jasper Maskelyne. He used principles of stage magic and illusion, creating fake tanks and phantom armies to misdirect the enemy on a massive scale.
Why it matters
Solve a problem by looking for creativity in completely unrelated industries.
Thread TWO
"Just do it"
Nike's 'Just Do It' slogan feels like the work of a branding genius, but it has a much darker origin. Ad executive Dan Wieden recalled the final words of a convicted murderer, Gary Gilmore, who said 'Let's do it' before his execution. Wieden simply adapted the line to make it world famous.
Why it matters
Don't be afraid of seeking inspiration in unexpected, even uncomfortable, places.
Thread THREE
Steve Jobs
The beautiful typography of the first Macintosh was a key differentiator for Apple. But this aesthetic sense did not come from a tech manual. It came from Steve Jobs dropping into a calligraphy class years earlier. He copied the principles of serif and sans-serif typefaces, applying an artistic discipline to the world of personal computing.
Why it matters
Acquire knowledge with no immediate application; it may become your biggest asset later.
The thread, pulled tight
So the useful question is not “how do I come up with something completely original?” It is “where else might someone have already solved a version of this problem?”
From the archive
Costa Express
The self service coffee machines were inspired by photocopiers in American convenience stores: the manufacturer installs the machine free of charge in return for a slice of the profits, and all they have to do is fill the copier with paper and ink cartridges.
Continue the thread
What's the best example of a 'stolen' idea you've seen?
Reply with the best example you've seen. I read every response, and the best ones often end up on Uncommon Thread.
Keep pulling the thread