You Should Start Before You’re Ready

Many times the biggest obstacle standing in your way is you.  Lots of people have a great ideas, but for one reason or another they never turn into anything. They think about it, they plan, they talk about it, but they never take action.  Here’s what I’ve learned it takes to turn your idea into reality.

Start Now

There is no time like the present.  What people think is actually holding them back likely isn’t the real reason their idea hasn’t become reality.  Many of them think “I can’t afford it” or “this isn’t the right time to do this,” but instead should be thinking “how can I afford this” or “how can I make this the right time to do it.” 

By saying “I can’t afford it” or “this isn’t the right time to do this,” people shut off their minds from thinking. It’s an easy answer; it takes no thought.  By asking HOW can I do this, people can turn their minds into critical thinking mode, and can usually find a path to what they want.

If you’re in this group, stop thinking and take a step towards what you want today.

Build Incrementally

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from starting companies is to not invest a lot of time in something before I start showing it to potential customers. When I have an idea I used to try to assume everything my target customers would want and build exclusively from those assumptions. The problem with that is that most of my assumptions would turn out to be wrong. 

In hindsight, I was giving myself too much credit for being able to forecast what people wanted, and that led to a lot wasted time and money.  A much simpler solution was to talk to my potential customers before I built anything to see what they REALLY wanted, and then continue to show them what I was building along the way.  This has helped to no only ensure I’m building something people want, but it also has helped to build cheerleaders along the way who have helped promote it.

Plan – Don’t Over-Plan

Planning is good, but over-planning can sometimes be a symptom of a fear of rejection.  By overplanning, many people are subconsciously trying to reduce the chance someone will reject their idea. Planning is safe; the real world can be scary.  (If this sounds like you, check out the book Rejection Proof – it helps you look at rejection differently).

What most people don’t realize is that rejection is NECESSARY to make something successful.  Take some very famous authors for example.  Their first successful books weren’t immediately received with praise.  They got rejected A LOT.

• Billionaire J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – rejected by 12 publishers before being published.  
• Lord of the Flies by William Golding – rejected by 20 publishers
• Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchel – rejected by 38 publishers

Don’t be afraid of rejection. It can be extremely useful if you handle it well. It often leads to conversations that can give you insight into what your customers want. 

One final thought, don’t wait until you feel comfortable to present your ideas to potential customers and other.  Your work will always feel unfinished and not ready.

Thanks for stopping by. Check out some more business insights on the Business page up top.

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