Be Honest With Your Projects
You're starting a new project.
Awesome! 🎉 New projects are exciting.
You have the idea. You have an execution plan in mind or on paper. You're starting to gather some necessary prerequisites.
But do you have a clear understanding of how the project fits into your life?
In early 2018 I had the idea for Nicheket. I had recently left a four-year gig at a web development agency. I had a small runway and an itch to do something on my own.
Six months later, I hadn't made much progress. Even as my savings slowly dwindled, I lacked motivation. But, I was half a year into it, so I dug in.
I registered the business. I launched in early 2019 after almost a year of work. And since then, I have made three sales.
Three.
What was that year of Nicheket? For the longest time, I told myself it was my first startup. My full-time job. The thing that was going to get me working for myself for years to come.
🙄
It wasn't true. I never had the motivation or discipline to make it succeed. It was a side project; a thing to tinker with. I wasn't honest with myself.
Don't subscribe to a self-induced pressure to make your project something ill-suited for you. The entrepreneur absolutely crushing the "12 startups in 12 months" project on Twitter is enviable, of course. But is that you?
Knowing exactly what your motivations and intentions are with a project throughout its lifetime will not only increase your likelihood of success, it will make you happier.
Now, I'm starting a new project. I'm building it in public. And I want to be honest about my goals with it and how it fits into my life.
Most importantly, this is a hobby project. I am building at my leisure. I never want to stress about days when I don't work on it, especially when spending time with family and friends.
While I certainly want this project to become a profitable business, it is actually the lowest priority goal:
- Build a project in public, to grow my network, make new friends, and build an audience 👥
- Build a project using new technologies, as a learning exercise 🧑🏼💻
- Create a mostly-passive income source 💵
I hope this offers some perspective to others who may be in a similar situation I was with Nicheket. The honesty may be hard, but it is worth it.
I hope you'll stick around for my journey. Or even better, @ me on Twitter and tell me about yours!
🤜🏼🤛🏼