You know… when someone starts learning how to write code, whether in Python or SQL, they usually begin by observing others and replicating solutions. The way code is written has already been established, and we all rely on similar structures. We learn from examples, analyze other people’s solutions, and test proven patterns. It’s a natural part of the process.
But copying the way someone tells their own story is something entirely different. It’s no longer inspiration or learning. It’s crossing a line.
Recently, I saw my own words — slightly rearranged — on someone else’s portfolio and blog. The same rhythm. The same metaphors. The same way of building a story. At first, I chose to look the other way, because I know how difficult the beginning can be. I hoped that, over time, this person would find their own direction. But the scale of repetition began to grow in a way that felt increasingly unsettling.
I reached out privately. The conversation was necessary and important. With this person’s knowledge and consent, I’m sharing this experience because it became a starting point for a broader reflection.
Building a website, portfolio, or personal brand takes time, effort, and courage. When someone leans heavily on another person’s style, it’s easy to cross the fine line between inspiration and imitation. At that point, it stops being just a form of learning and begins to take something away from the original creator. And at the same time, often without realizing it, it also takes something away from themselves.
If we start with someone else’s words, we teach our minds that our own don’t have value. That our way of thinking isn’t strong enough. That we need to sound like someone else to be taken seriously. But that isn’t true.
Professional identity is not built by copying someone else’s words. By imitating another person’s style, we only delay the moment when we truly begin building ourselves. That’s why, in a way, this is simply an appeal for more self-belief.
No one has to be someone else’s clone to deserve a place here. You don’t need to sound like anyone else or adopt the same narrative, metaphors, or tone. Everyone has their own path, their own experiences, and their own weight to carry. Inspiration is healthy. You can be inspired by someone’s courage, consistency, or way of thinking. You don’t need to copy their words.
In an industry where we can all learn the same tools, the one thing that truly cannot be copied is authenticity. And if we try to copy it, we lose it twice — because we neither build our own nor have any claim to someone else’s.
And it’s truly a waste of life to be someone else’s demo version. If you’re going to become anything, let it be a better version of yourself.
Based on real life
A cookie with your coffee?