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Originality Enforcement

The "first you prove it's new" protocol. Originality is not a nice-to-have. It is a requirement. This playbook enforces the discipline of proving something is new before calling it new.

The Originality Stance

Originality is not about being different. It is about being specific. A solution is original when it solves a specific problem in a specific way that did not exist before. Not when it looks different. When it is different.

The Enforcement Protocol

Before any work is considered original, it must pass this protocol:

Step 1: Research

Before you design, research. Not "look at similar products"—research. Find everything that exists in the problem space. Document it. Categorize it. Understand what has been done.

Step 2: Identify the Differentiation

After research, identify what is new. Not "better" or "cleaner"—new. What specific element, approach, or solution did not exist before?

Step 3: Prove It

For each claim of newness, provide evidence:

  • "We use a different interaction pattern" — Show the existing patterns, show yours, explain the difference
  • "We solved a problem differently" — Show the existing solutions, show yours, show why yours is different
  • "This has never been done" — Show that it has not been done. Document the absence.

Step 4: Test It

Show the original to people who know the space. Ask: "Is this new?" If they can show you something similar, it is not original. Go back to step 1.

The Originality Test

For any element claimed as original, answer these questions:

  1. What specifically is new? Not "the whole thing"—a specific element. Name it.
  2. Why does it need to be new? Not "to stand out"—to solve a specific problem better.
  3. What is the existing alternative? If you cannot name it, you have not researched enough.
  4. Why is the new approach better? Not "more modern" or "cleaner"—specifically better at what?
  5. Can you show it existed before? If someone challenges the claim, can you defend it?

If you cannot answer all five, it is not original. Do not claim it.

Anti-Patterns

  • "We put our own spin on it" — That is not originality, that is appropriation
  • "It is a modern take" — Modern is not original. It is just recent.
  • "We simplified it" — Simplification is not new. Many things are simplified.
  • "We made it our own" — That is not a definition. That is an excuse.
  • "This is our unique approach" — Without evidence, this is empty

The Originality Promise

Originality is not claimed. It is proven. If you cannot prove it, do not claim it. The market does not reward claims. It rewards solutions. And if your solution is truly original, prove it.