Copy Cat Features

Yesterday, I logged into Google Docs to plan out my Niagara Falls trip and I noticed that they released a new insertion tool feature. If I type the @ symbol a popup menu appears giving me the ability to insert anything from a bullet list, file attachments, table, etc. This feature felt familiar because it’s a copycat feature first pioneered by Notion.

Today, I read that Microsoft cloned their own version of Notion called Microsoft Loop.

As soon as one company comes up with an innovative new feature or product, a larger incumbent copies it later on. A few other examples I can think of:

• Slack -> Microsoft Teams
• Clubhouse -> Slack Huddles
• TikTok -> Instagram Reels/YouTube Shorts
• Snapchat Stories -> Instagram Stories
• Roam Research -> Notion Backlinks