Copycat Innovation

The essay describes how the moonshot model has been widely imitated by organizations that lack Google's resources and commitment, resulting in diluted versions of the original formula. These counterfeit moon shooters adopt the marketing language and ambitious rhetoric while removing crucial elements like substantial funding and genuine problem-solving capability. The author uses Shenzhen manufacturing culture as a metaphor for this practice of copying, modifying, and repackaging ideas. This phenomenon reveals a broader pattern where aspiration and hype often outpace actual capability and results in the startup and venture capital ecosystem.