

Ask HN: Cloning basecamp - mavsolutions

I have been using 37signals products for the last 2 years. On a recent project of my own, I built some basic project management using ideas from basecamp. It turned out that it was incredibly easy to build given the simplicity of basecamp (and the other 37signal products) as well as the ease of "just cloning the product without doing any thinking regarding features and user-interface design".<p>Now I am motivated to build a basecamp (and may be other 37s products) clone. I know the amount of effort that has gone into all the features and minor details of creating their products. I also don't want to claim that I can build a clone "over the weekend".<p>My intention is to build a clone with just enough features for my existing customers and market it, may be, just like 37signals. I am already profitable with other ventures so I am not in a hurry. Once the products are out, I can improve them and make them more feature rich with release-early-release often. I shall, of course, be charging less than 37s.<p>My questions to you guys are:
1. Is is legal to do this; copy features and design from an existing web application and building your own. If not, what can I do to remain legal. Please note I shall not be doing copy/paste from 37s, I shall be building everything from scratch.<p>2. Can I market my products with claims such as "it is basecamp but with less features" without offending 37signals?<p>I have been convinced by 37s that a product/service can still do a good job even with less features so I just want to do exactly this.<p>Edited title.
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bdmac97
The main problem I can see is that, as with most copies, you are going to lack
their insight into that domain which is what makes their product so
compelling. You will always be several steps behind them in usefulness and
will always be trying to play catch-up by copying their new features rather
than innovating. It is likely that things just won't work "smoothly" and will
be integrated poorly in your clone compared to the original.

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byoung2
I wouldn't get hung up on the cloning part. If your goal is to create a
simpler version of a project management suite, then do that. Find out what
features you want in it and build it. If it turns out cheaper than basecamp
with fewer features, or more expensive with more features, then market it
accordingly.

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pclark
you realize you may make a bit of money, but everyone will know that you just
100% copied basecamp, you'll be known as the shady "guy that ripped off
basecamp" and so on?

why would I buy your, probably cheaper, software and not support the original,
better designed [by definition] software?

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mavsolutions
My product will definitely not be a 100% copy of basecamp. Basically I shall
take their features and philosophy and built it in my own way. And to keep
things simple at my end there will no Ajax. This will alone make my product
substantially different from the 37s. So I don't think it is some sort of rip
off.

I think I shall be serving just couple of hundred customers at maximum;
something which will hardly make any difference to 37s bottom line with 3
million customers.

My question as in my original post are:

1\. Is it legal? If not, I am not going forward.

2\. Is it possible that 37s gets offended? (esp. when I offer comparison with
their products)

