Whenever I would overthink something, my dad would stop me and say, “All you need to do is build a better mousetrap.” He wasn’t telling me to reinvent the wheel – he was telling me to look at what already exists and make it just a little bit better. Take the good parts, fix what’s broken, add your own twist.
Yet somehow, we’ve developed this weird reflex in tech (and honestly, everywhere) where the moment someone shares something they built, we rush to tell them about all the other similar things that already exist. As if creation is some kind of zero-sum game where only the first person to think of something gets to make it.
The Contact Form That Shouldn’t Have Been Built (But I’m Glad I Did)
Case in point: I recently built “Contact Me Maybe” – a contact form for my website. Yes, a contact form. In 2025. When there are literally thousands of contact form solutions, widgets, plugins, and services available.
Was I aware that contact forms exist? Obviously. Did I care? Not even a little bit.
I wanted something that felt like me. Something that matched my vibe, worked exactly how I wanted it to work, and gave me complete control over the experience. So I spent a few hours building it with AI and Telex, and you know what? Those few hours were absolutely worth it.
The result isn’t just a contact form – it’s my contact form. It transforms what’s usually a boring wall of fields into an actual conversation, guiding users through one question at a time. It has a liquid progress bar that feels premium, drag-and-drop field building that makes customization a breeze, and accessibility features that actually work. It inherits my site’s theme perfectly and handles enterprise-grade backend processing while making the whole experience genuinely enjoyable to use.
Could I have slapped a generic contact form plugin on my site? Sure. Would it have been the same? Not even close. This one has personality. It does things exactly how I want them done. It makes me smile every time I see it on my site – and more importantly, it makes my visitors smile when they use it.
We Need to Kill the “Already Exists” Reflex
Here’s the thing: when you tell someone “that already exists,” what you’re really saying is “your creativity isn’t welcome here.” You’re suggesting that unless they’re inventing something completely unprecedented, they should just… not.
But that’s not how creativity works. That’s not how progress works. That’s not how anything good works.
Every great thing you love is built on top of something that “already existed”:
- Your favorite restaurant didn’t invent food
- Your favorite musician didn’t invent music
- Your favorite app probably does something a dozen other apps do
The magic isn’t in being first. The magic is in being you.
What We Should Say Instead
Next time someone shows you their project and you feel that “um, actually…” reflex kicking in, try this instead:
“That’s awesome! What makes your version special?”
“I love your take on this – what would you add next?”
“This is cool! Have you thought about making it do [insert encouraging suggestion here]?”
“I can see your personality in this – what inspired your approach?”
Hype them up. Get curious about their choices. Help them see the possibilities, not the limitations.
The World Needs More Builders, Not More Critics
We’re living in the most amazing time to build things. AI can help you code, design, and problem-solve. Tools like Telex make deployment a breeze. The barrier to entry for creating something has never been lower.
So why are we still telling people not to create?
We need more contact forms that feel different. More todo apps with personality. More note-taking tools that work the way you think. More everything, built by people who care enough to put their own spin on it.
Your Assignment (Should You Choose to Accept It)
Build something. Anything. Even if it “already exists.”
Don’t ask permission. Don’t check if it’s been done before. Don’t worry about whether it’s “original enough.”
Just build the thing you want to exist in the world.
And when you do, share it. Be proud of it. Let it be imperfect and yours and wonderful.
The world doesn’t need another critic telling creators to stop creating. The world needs more people brave enough to build the better mousetrap, even when mousetraps already exist.
Start Dreaming
So here’s my challenge to you: What’s something you’ve always wanted to build but talked yourself out of because “it already exists”?
Stop talking yourself out of it. Start talking yourself into it.
The path to your door is waiting to be beaten down. All you have to do is build the thing.
What are you going to build today? Drop me a line through my definitely-not-the-first contact form and tell me about your project. I promise to hype you up, not tear you down.