Build something never seen, or improve something that exists?

Lately I keep having this constant debate in my head: is it better to improve something that already exists or to build something new from scratch?

The trap of playing it safe

The first option seems easier: since there’s already a foundation, you start with an advantage. But that’s exactly where the trap is. Sometimes we get so deep inside the box that we end up doing more of the same with a new coat of paint on top. And that’s precisely what I’d like to avoid.

I’ve already built a CRM, an ERP, a generic website, a consumer portal, a content manager and even a digital products store. And yes, they’re nice and they work very well, which 90% of the time is the only thing being asked for.

Doing well something that’s been done a thousand times is a craft. Doing something nobody has done is a bet.

The hunger

But there’s something in me that wants more. Something relevant, something that puts me in the spotlight. And I still don’t quite know why I want it: maybe it’s the hunger to take on the world, or that ultimate goal you chase without fully defining it.

Whatever it is, I hope I come up with good ideas and, above all, that I get to make them real. Until then, here I’ll be, turning it over in my head and building.