Is what I’m building just a feature of a big tech company’s product?

This is a classic question, one that almost every engineer who wants to build something of their own has asked themselves.

First off, it's completely normal to have this thought, and even a good thing, as it shows you're thinking about the market and product.

Let's look at this from a different perspective:

1. Big Tech vs. Small Companies: Different Logics

Products from big companies are like a large shopping mall, with everything inside: food, clothing, entertainment. Their goal is to attract everyone and satisfy the "decent enough" needs of the majority. However, each store might not be specialized enough.

What you're building might be like a "handmade ramen shop" next to this mall. You only make ramen, but your ramen might taste better than any fast-food noodle dish in the mall.

The key is, will there be a group of people who specifically want a bowl of top-notch ramen, rather than just eating anything to fill their stomachs? If so, your ramen shop can thrive.

2. A "Feature" Can Be the Best Starting Point

Many companies that seem impressive today started out as just a "feature."

Dropbox When it first launched, wasn't it just a "file synchronization" feature? Many people at the time thought, "Isn't this just an online USB drive?" But it made the "sync" experience incredibly simple and seamless, and it won.
Instagram When it first launched, wasn't it just a "photo filter" feature? But it captured people's desire to make their phone photos look better, added social elements, and also won.

They all started with a seemingly small "feature," made it 10 times better than any similar feature from a big company, attracted the core users who needed it most, and then slowly expanded. This is called "single point breakthrough."

3. You Need to Ask Yourself a Few Questions

So, don't get hung up on whether what you're building is "just a feature"; instead, ask:

Who does this "feature" serve? Does it serve a specific group of people that big companies haven't served well, or perhaps "look down upon"? (For example, an image management tool for professional photographers is completely different from a photo album for the general public.)
How "painful" is the problem this "feature" solves? If it's just "icing on the cake," users might not specifically come to you. But if it's a critical solution, they'll be very willing to use your product, and even pay for it.
Can I create an "ultimate experience" with this "feature" that big companies can't achieve? For example, making it simpler, more beautiful, more efficient, more professional, or more fun. Big companies are like large ships, slow to turn; their internal processes are complex, and an improvement to a feature might take several months to schedule. This is your opportunity.

To summarize:

Don't be discouraged just because what you're building is "just a feature." There are plenty of companies in the world that started with a single "feature" and are thriving.

Your goal isn't to compete with big companies for the 80% of general users, but to serve the 20% or even fewer core users who have particularly strong needs. Serve them so well that they can't live without you, and you've succeeded in the first step.

First, break through in one specific area, then consider expanding into a broader scope. Keep going!