Branding by definition has to be distinctive. But good design, like math or science, seeks the right answer, a... — Paul Graham

Branding by definition has to be distinctive. But good design, like math or science, seeks the right answer, and right answers tend to converge.

Author: Paul Graham

Insight: We live in a world obsessed with standing out, yet the best solutions to problems often look remarkably similar. Think about the smartphone in your pocket, or how every good website follows certain usability principles. This isn't boring—it's honest. When designers solve a problem correctly, they tend to arrive at comparable answers because they're responding to real human needs, not inventing differences for their own sake. The tension here matters for anyone trying to build something, whether it's a business, a personal brand, or even how you present yourself. There's real pressure to be different, to find the gap nobody else has noticed. But sometimes that gap exists for a reason—it doesn't actually work. The counterintuitive move is to accept that good solutions converge, then find your distinctiveness in the details, the personality, or the specific problems you choose to solve rather than in superficial difference. Branding done well isn't about looking nothing like your competitors. It's about solving the core problem brilliantly, then letting your values, taste, and perspective shine through in ways that feel natural rather than forced. That's actually harder than being weird for its own sake, and infinitely more memorable.