Rocket Internet identified a market in the fact that American companies often ignore the European market for years.
Because of their large home market, American web startups can grow to considerable sizes before having to worry about multiple languages, multiple export rules, multiple tax systems, multiple consumer protection regimes, multiple payment systems etc. That is a huge advantage that American companies have over European startups. Rocket Internet and their like are levelling the playing field a bit.
All business ideas are to large extend inspired by others. Maybe some of the companies the Samwer brothers "cloned" were truly first in their field, but if they had taken the German market serious the Samwer brothers wouldn't have had a chance. It's their bad.
Because of their large home market, American web startups can grow to considerable sizes before having to worry about multiple languages, multiple export rules, multiple tax systems, multiple consumer protection regimes, multiple payment systems etc. That is a huge advantage that American companies have over European startups. Rocket Internet and their like are levelling the playing field a bit.
All business ideas are to large extend inspired by others. Maybe some of the companies the Samwer brothers "cloned" were truly first in their field, but if they had taken the German market serious the Samwer brothers wouldn't have had a chance. It's their bad.