this is why you don't finish your projects

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In your replies to my welcome email, you dominantly answer my question “What’s your biggest challenge as a creator?” with:

“I can’t finish what I’ve started.”

This means you have no problem picking an idea. You don’t struggle with starting.

But then, somewhere along the way, your brain decides that keeping on with this project is just not worth it. You abandon it and start working on new ideas. Perhaps… Forever, without ever finishing & launching a single idea.

• You think nobody’s gonna pay for it.

• You think there are better ideas out there.

• You think your execution was kind of meh.

• You think there’s a newer tech stack you should’ve used.

If you’re like this, you’re not alone.

Here’s the problem.

You and I, we live in a bubble. In whichever online communities you hang out, people over there are laser-focused on things similar to you.

Outside of this bubble, say on the streets, nobody is aware of the words indie hacking, SaaS, communities, online courses, etc.

This is how impostor syndrome works.

And this is why you don’t finish and launch your products.

The thing is…

When you’re laser-focused on an area of expertise, you assume everyone else is.

If you can get so knowledgable in a field, you think, everyone else is, or at least can become like you.

• So, you conclude, your work doesn’t matter. 

• You think you’re fooling them into thinking you’re knowledgeable.

• You think you’re acting like you know a lot, while everyone else is the same as you.

And this is a lot to handle for your brain. Nobody likes to feel this way.

So you abandon your idea. Because it relieves you of the pain.

But the thing is, NOBODY knows which ideas are good enough for the market.

The only way to know is by launching.

When I launched a recent product (TutoredTrip), I thought nobody was gonna pay for it. But I still (reluctantly) wrapped up the product and launched it. And it became my most successful launch. The full story is here on the IndieHackers website.

Of course, it’s normal to have second thoughts about your products.

It’s a healthy thing to listen to your gut. And it’s actually good to leave some ideas to die in order for others to be born.

But if you’re feeling this way time after time, and if it’s keeping you from finishing anything, you might benefit from addressing the root cause.

Hope the above idea helps!

That’s it for this week. Have a great weekend.

Love, B.