Sometimes, It Makes Sense to Reinvent the Wheel

We’re often told “Don’t reinvent the wheel.”But sometimes, that’s exactly what you should do.

Reinventing the wheel isn’t about ignoring what works — it’s about recognizing that the terrain has changed, and the old wheel might not be the best fit anymore.

Here are two powerful examples:

🚗 Tesla: Rethinking the Car Itself

The auto industry had electric cars for decades — but they were slow, uninspiring, and designed as afterthoughts.Tesla didn’t just stick a battery into a gas car. It reimagined the car from scratch:

• Software at the core

• Over-the-air updates

• Minimalist, screen-based interiors

Everyone else was optimizing the old wheel. Tesla built a new one entirely.

📚 Notion: Docs That Think They’re Apps

Before Notion, we used Google Docs, Trello, Evernote — one tool for each task.Notion asked: What if one flexible surface could handle it all?

• Pages as building blocks

• Databases inside documents

• A workspace you can bend to your will

It didn't just make a better document editor. It changed how we think about knowledge tools.

Reinventing More Than Just Wheels

We are, in many ways, the product of our environment — the people around us, the tools we use, the spaces we occupy, even the conversations we repeat.

So it’s not just our work or our tools that might need reinvention.Sometimes, it's our environment itself.

• The room you work in

• The people you spend the most time with

• The default settings of your day

• The media you consume

If your environment shapes your thoughts and actions, then changing it can be the most radical upgrade of all.

Reinvent your environment — and you might just reinvent yourself.

Takeaway:

Look at the things you're doing just because you've always done them that way.Your routines, your tools, your surroundings — are they still optimized for who you are today?

Maybe it's time to step back, zoom out, and ask:“Is this still the best wheel for where I want to go?”

Because sometimes, progress doesn't mean moving faster — it means reimagining how we move altogether.

Final Thought:

You optimize your business.You refine your habits.

But let’s get personal:

Does your investment strategy — or your environment — need a reinvention too?

Pro tip:- Changing the city you live in can be a great start.