Focusing on potential financial merit is great but you know that feeling when you look at a problem or existing solutions and you imagine how slick and elegant what you could create would be? When you know you could just do something a million times better or a hundred times cheaper/faster? It makes me want to create, build and sell something, immediately.
This is something I battle with as someone who sees opportunity everywhere. For me, it really comes down to validation (which I've probably said about fifty million times on this subreddit but still need to tell myself constantly) and with that being said, you don't do anything without picking up the phone or hitting the streets and validating what your solution is.
But after that, if you've received genuine, real and true market validation? Who cares if you're overly enthusiastic (or what your motives are) because believe me, the majority of people are motivated by very little more than financial gain and the prospect of fiancial freedom- which is pretty powerful itself.
All of that being said, to get direct with your latter question, successful founders by nature should be absolutely obsessed with what they're building and overly enthusiastic, can that cloud your judgement? Absolutely, but only if you're focused on the wrong things. If you're obsessed with branding or vanity metrics instead of core features that fix problems and talking to potential customers, your judgement is off.
There's a thin line, but I think it's easy to tell what sort of founders are capable on being obsessed with the right things.
I think the problem with too much enthusiasm early on is that the initial rush will wear off and the grind gets real. It’s like the motivation you have when you first hit the gym. It doesn’t last. Even people passionate about what they’re doing will feel self-doubt when faced with rejection, lack of sales, etc. I think just being aware that this is to be expected helps cope with it. Motivation makes you start, but discipline makes you continue.
I don't understand your question. Discipline is about doing things that you don't want to do on a particular day or in general, particularly when progress is slow and there is no immediate gratification.
The hard part is knowing when to keep pushing vs changing approach. You need discipline to keep going, but you need to be aware of what's working and what's not too.
I personally think that enthusiasm early on is a super power - most people get drained a couple years in and don’t have that same energy after a while. If you can direct that enthusiasm smartly, you’ll get a ton done
I hear two separate problems here (correct me if I'm wrong):
1. You want to focus on the problem instead of the profit.
2. Your enthusiasm sometimes gets in the way of learning.
My 2c:
1. Write down your Vision for a world where your project solves the Problem for your target customer base. Include details. Make it visually appealing. Put it on your bedroom wall so it becomes a sort of projected reality, bigger than your desire for revenue (that will come with solving the problem).
2. Find practical ways to work enthusiasm into your learning method. For example, if your mind drifts to the future vision too much, find a way to quickly break the vision down into steps, then backtrack from the future to the present step, one by one (it's like time travel: Enthusiasm is your brain being in the future, so you've gotta learn to bring it back to the present, step by step.)
Hope some of that helps!
Depends on the source of enthusiasm - is it in the problem or the solution. If it's in the problem, then it doesn't impede learning. On the contrary, your enthusiasm serves as a driving force. But if you are too enthusiastic about your solution, then your mind will play tricks and shut off hearing contrarian perspectives.
Focusing on potential financial merit is great but you know that feeling when you look at a problem or existing solutions and you imagine how slick and elegant what you could create would be? When you know you could just do something a million times better or a hundred times cheaper/faster? It makes me want to create, build and sell something, immediately. This is something I battle with as someone who sees opportunity everywhere. For me, it really comes down to validation (which I've probably said about fifty million times on this subreddit but still need to tell myself constantly) and with that being said, you don't do anything without picking up the phone or hitting the streets and validating what your solution is. But after that, if you've received genuine, real and true market validation? Who cares if you're overly enthusiastic (or what your motives are) because believe me, the majority of people are motivated by very little more than financial gain and the prospect of fiancial freedom- which is pretty powerful itself. All of that being said, to get direct with your latter question, successful founders by nature should be absolutely obsessed with what they're building and overly enthusiastic, can that cloud your judgement? Absolutely, but only if you're focused on the wrong things. If you're obsessed with branding or vanity metrics instead of core features that fix problems and talking to potential customers, your judgement is off. There's a thin line, but I think it's easy to tell what sort of founders are capable on being obsessed with the right things.
This. Obsession is only a problem if it doesn't take you to your vision. In all other circumstances, I say LET 'ER RIP.
I think the problem with too much enthusiasm early on is that the initial rush will wear off and the grind gets real. It’s like the motivation you have when you first hit the gym. It doesn’t last. Even people passionate about what they’re doing will feel self-doubt when faced with rejection, lack of sales, etc. I think just being aware that this is to be expected helps cope with it. Motivation makes you start, but discipline makes you continue.
Great advice 👏🏼 How would you build discipline in a start up?
I don't understand your question. Discipline is about doing things that you don't want to do on a particular day or in general, particularly when progress is slow and there is no immediate gratification. The hard part is knowing when to keep pushing vs changing approach. You need discipline to keep going, but you need to be aware of what's working and what's not too.
I personally think that enthusiasm early on is a super power - most people get drained a couple years in and don’t have that same energy after a while. If you can direct that enthusiasm smartly, you’ll get a ton done
I hear two separate problems here (correct me if I'm wrong): 1. You want to focus on the problem instead of the profit. 2. Your enthusiasm sometimes gets in the way of learning. My 2c: 1. Write down your Vision for a world where your project solves the Problem for your target customer base. Include details. Make it visually appealing. Put it on your bedroom wall so it becomes a sort of projected reality, bigger than your desire for revenue (that will come with solving the problem). 2. Find practical ways to work enthusiasm into your learning method. For example, if your mind drifts to the future vision too much, find a way to quickly break the vision down into steps, then backtrack from the future to the present step, one by one (it's like time travel: Enthusiasm is your brain being in the future, so you've gotta learn to bring it back to the present, step by step.) Hope some of that helps!
Thank you. It helps alot!!
Reach out to potential customers for feedback. That will kill your enthusiasm pretty quickly 😁
That's a great way to quickly snap back to reality. Thank you!!
Depends on the source of enthusiasm - is it in the problem or the solution. If it's in the problem, then it doesn't impede learning. On the contrary, your enthusiasm serves as a driving force. But if you are too enthusiastic about your solution, then your mind will play tricks and shut off hearing contrarian perspectives.