Welcome to African Hustle! Your bi-weekly dose of inspiration and smart insights into African entrepreneurship — featuring real stories about tech, culture, startups, founders, and innovations shaping the future of the continent.

When starting a business, should your concept be 100% original or a safe familiar bet?

Do you ever wrestle with this?

This is a dilemma most hustlers face: To stand out or fit in?

The Hustler’s Dilemma

Some businesses become legendary by rewriting the rules. While others find success by perfecting what's already working. And others, fortunate ones, find a sweet spot somewhere in the middle!

This sweet spot is called optimal distinctiveness – blending enough familiarity to earn trust, but standing out with enough unique value to be irresistible.

But how do you navigate this dilemma?

Why Fit In?

It is good to be disruptive. However, as you start, fitting in might be a good option! In fact, it is way underrated. Regrettably so too.

People trust what they already understand. Following established models reduces the risk and the need to educate the market from scratch. This is exactly the model adopted by Bolt and Lyft after Uber.

Moreover, consumers and investors can be wary of radical ideas. Familiarity helps gain early traction. Remember Google Glass? It was new, ahead of its time and flopped versus the iPhone which improved on existing tech and boomed.

Why seek to reinvent the wheel? Studying industry best practices helps avoid costly mistakes.

Reason To Stand Out!

Whereas fitting in is good, differentiation can also be your secret weapon.

In a crowded market, customers need a reason to choose you. Minus the Elon theatrics, Tesla did this well. It focused on electric cars when the car market was bent on just making the internal combustion engine more efficient.

Further, a unique brand forges emotional connections. If you consider Nike (Just Do It), you’ll see how it evokes feelings beyond shoes.

Uniqueness equates to exclusivity, quality, and innovation. You probably know someone who owns an Apple device. Or do you have one yourself? Apple sells "experiences" not just devices. So ultimately it does not really matter if it is too late to ship updates or even introduce new features.

The Elusive Sweet Spot

Have you ever heard of Optimal Distinctiveness? I love fancy terms, hence fell in love with this one immediately.

Why would you want to find a middle ground? You need to be different enough to grab attention, but familiar enough to inspire confidence.

Airbnb made a scary idea (staying in strangers' homes) palatable with familiar booking processes and user reviews.

M-Pesa succeeded in Africa by fitting into existing economic habits while offering a digital transaction innovation.

Netflix didn’t invent movies or subscriptions but brilliantly combined them.

Your Guide to Optimal Distinctiveness

Assess: What industry norms should you adopt? Where should you inject your unique flavour?

Insights: Tap into your target audience's values and expectations. What resonates deeply?

Innovate: Don't be afraid to tweak familiar frameworks and give them a fresh spin.

Test: Constantly test and adjust your approach. Are you too different, confusing customers? Too similar, lost in the noise?

Bonus Insights from Our Archives

Before you dive into the strategy, you'll need the right business ideas. These guides will help:

Unconventional Routes to Extra Income: Need fresh ideas? This article explores 10 unique side hustles, from virtual reality experiences to collectable markets, to supercharge your income: 10 Unconventional Side Hustles

Actionable Steps to Launch Your Hustle: Once you've got an idea, this article outlines the essential steps for launching a side hustle, with practical tips on validating your idea, building an MVP, and setting SMART goals: Step-by-Step Guide on How To Start A Side Hustle

100+ Ways to Make Money in 2025: For even more inspiration, check out this list of 100+ proven strategies for increasing your income, covering online, offline, and home-based opportunities: 100+ Fact-Checked Ways to Make Money

Key Takeaway

Great entrepreneurs don't just choose to fit in or stand out – they master the art of blending the two.

Build a solid foundation of familiarity, then inject your unique magic to create a business that’s both trustworthy and unforgettable.

How do you strike that perfect balance?

Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Thank you for reading

Until Next Time

Keep Hustling.

Enjoyed this post? Share it with someone who might find it helpful and encourage them to subscribe! 

If we missed something, we’d love to hear from you — hit reply and let us know what insights you want us to dive into next.

And if this email was forwarded to you, you can sign up here!