It’s happened to everyone: you have a great idea that you’re super-excited about executing or sharing… and then around the same time, someone else comes up with the same idea as you! And you’re SURE that they somehow copied you.
Even if they live on another continent.
And there’s no possible way they actually could have copied your idea because you had only ever written it on paper that you kept in your guest bedroom/office/gym, and you know for a fact that they didn’t have the resources to hire someone to scale your building up to the 8th floor where your apartment is located to sneak in and steal your idea….
So what gives?
The Sandbox Phenomenon
Metaphorically, we’re all “digging in the same sandbox.” In other words, we’re all exposed to the same ideas around the same time (from current events, tech news, social media, etc), and that’s actually the reason that it’s common for multiple people to come up with the same idea at around the same time without anyone copying each other!
The gang didn’t know about the sandbox phenomenon at first…
If you’re a regular here at Zattatat, you know that the gang consists of Rhonda, a retired nurse who now has a business selling products that she makes in her woodshop; Gary, an accountant who has a side business as a baker; and Princess Capybara, a serial entrepreneur whose current venture is making and selling items molded in concrete – and their friend Process Cat, a superhero whose power is helping people solve their manufacturing problems.
Unfortunately, the Sandbox Phenomenon caused a problem for them – and not in their businesses but in a MUCH more important arena. You see….
Process Cat’s birthday was approaching!
Rhonda, Gary, and Princess Capybara always make a big deal about celebrating Process Cat’s birthday. That’s partly because he has been a great help to all of them in running their businesses. And it’s partly because he’s a BIG birthday person!
Anyway…
This year they hadn’t talked about collaborating on a group birthday surprise for one reason or another. But each member of the gang had individually come up with their own idea for a REALLY COOL way to say happy birthday!
Gary, the baker, had noticed that a lot of other bakeries in the area were getting custom-printed shirts. And he remembered the stylized image of Process Cat that they’d used last year for the figurines, and had the great idea to show up to Process Cat’s birthday party wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Process Cat’s face on it!
Rhonda, the woodworker, was also thinking of how great it was last year when they used the image of Process Cat’s face… and she noticed that some of the other vendors at the craft fairs she went to had recently started offering their own T-shirts, so she put 2 and 2 together and had the idea of showing up to Process Cat’s birthday party wearing a T-shirt with a picture of Process Cat’s face on it!
Serial entrepreneur Princess Capybara had recently noticed that custom-made T-shirts were becoming more popular, and she was keeping her eye on that trend… and when she started thinking about cool ideas for her friend Process Cat’s birthday, it was only natural for her to suddenly have the idea of wearing a custom shirt with his face on it for the party!
And when the day arrived…
Luckily, Process Cat (the birthday boy and guest of honor!) realized what had happened and took the opportunity to teach his friends about the sandbox phenomenon.
And partly because it was his birthday, but mostly because he was right, the gang quickly resolved their argument and agreed to end the day on a fun note.
Weekly Challenge:
Have you ever had the same idea as someone else and assumed they were copying you even when there was no possible way they could have? Or, vice versa – has someone ever accused you of copying them when you know for a fact that you didn’t?
Then you’ve experienced the sandbox phenomenon firsthand!
Next time something like this happens, make a conscious choice to be slower to blame the other person and quicker to think of the sandbox phenomenon.
