And now a word from the Buddha…

So, I’ve recently started reading Anne 2.0, Anne Zelenka’s personal blog, and certainly one of the most distinctive voices I’ve run across in analysis of the technology and web world. Anne does a really amazing job of integrating her life into her writing without coming across as some kind of self-absorbed, navel-obsessed wonk. A model more bloggers could follow.

Regardless, Anne posts a fascinating little bit that references an older post by Clay Shirky from 2005. If that weren’t enough, the thing that makes it more fascinating is her emphasis on the value of this older material, noting “People have been saying smart things for millenia.” She even manages to cite the Buddha, which doesn’t hurt her point. I think you can add one more thing to that millenia-long list of “smart things”. Hers.

Now, we’ve all been taught for the last handful of years that “first mover” opportunity is too important to pass up. Of course, I think we’ve learned that it’s really less about who gets there first, but who gets there best. In Sergio Zyman’s book “Renovate Before You Innovate”, the author discusses how marketers can turn the old into the successful, even capturing a new audience. I think the lesson that each of these folks offers is simple. Try not to reinvent the wheel.