I want to embrace the uncertainty of being a founder
Yet at night when my eyes roll back and I fall asleep…
All I can think about is the feeling of not being good enough, the product, the value.
Every time one comes out, I can’t help but think about the possibilities.
With each one, I’m left thinking… Will this one work? Will it survive?
And then 99% of them die, and I grieve it every single time. 😣
But as always, I’ll poop out another one. 💩💩💩
I went through 10 different ideas this summer. One got the most traction by far, but it still might die.
I think I need to just embrace the cycle of life and death. Embrace this as a natural part of being a founder.
How can I be okay with the fact I will never know the truth? If my product is good enough, if I will succeed, if I can get customers…
Here is the practice I use that may help you sleep better at night.
The key to eliminating these thoughts is to de-ritualize them. If these thoughts continue to surface and you’ve been attempting strategies to eliminate them, you’re reinforcing the thoughts by obsessing over them. Your fighting against them makes them stronger. By actively resisting these thoughts and suppressing them, you’re fueling them.
Here’s what not to do:
Justify thinking about it:
Me: “I’m worried, what if this doesn’t work?”
Me: “This is important, I need to figure it out”
Trying to reassure yourself:
Me: “I’m worried, what if this doesn’t work?”
Instead, the best thing to do is to accept it (not respond). The easiest way to accept it is to remember that, hey this is just a thought, it’s harmless. Founders will always have these sorts of thoughts. It’s part of my brain. This will make your brain give up on “fighting” the thought of uncertainty.
These thoughts are:
When you look at a brick, you can accept it’s there and feel nothing about it. But the best thing you can do is to embrace it as part of your life. Hey, this brick is part of my home. And I love it.
When we embrace uncertainty, we connect it to our values. What makes being a founder and experiencing uncertainty amazing? Well, it means…
I use strategies to ultimately help me live with uncertainty and sleep better at night. I hope it helps you too!