Conclusion first
You can learn why a product sells, but you should not assume the way it achieves the function is free to copy.
Break the product into four layers first
- User task: what work problem does it solve?
- Value: why is the user willing to pay for it?
- Key technology: which structures drive performance and experience?
- Patent families: have those key structures been protected through continuing patent activity?
When is a project most worth following?
Usually when demand has been validated, the supply chain can implement the concept, the price band leaves room for margin, and alternative paths exist around high-risk structures. A highly visible product may still be the wrong project for a particular factory.
What is actually worth learning from a leading brand?
Not how to make a closer copy, but how to convert a validated user need into a new product solution that better fits your customers, cost platform, engineering base, and patent boundaries.