By all means, seek out various models of projects/businesses that align or are similar to your own, but use them not for imitation, but as a base upon which you can improve through your own ideas and concepts.
It may be true that everything that you have considered has been thought of or tried before, but it may not have been successful, It helps to know where others have failed, but not as proof that it can’t work, but merely that it requires awareness and perhaps creativity to work around it and solve the issue.
Don’t believe anyone that says you can’t accomplish something because they couldn’t do it. They couldn’t, and you can use that information to your advantage. Most people who have failed at something will be negative and doubtful of your efforts to succeed where they failed. Keep that in mind!
But most of all, use that information to help you, not discourage you. You can succeed where they have failed, and if they succeeded, then use that success as a foundation from which to surpass that success.
Daily Positive Focus 