Giving up too quickly
I received numerous feedback from people I care about that I might have given up too fast. This is not the first time I have heard of this. So let us address the elephant in the room.
I have a short attention span. It is hard to stay interested in a single task.
Also, I try to consider opinions from all perspectives. Many a time, I allow my stance on a matter to swing like a pendulum. This is devilish on so many counts because, in a business, these data can be very much discouraging, until it isn't.
I can be weak, that I am aware of.
I can choose not to be weak
I write daily on this blog for a reason. Because I wanted to get better at structuring and eliciting my thoughts with words. And so, I committed to this routine because the motivation is clear.
Likewise, I want only one thing about building a business. To build a business empire. I might or might not succeed. But I know clearly that the growth trajectory for an empire-to-be must resemble a hockey stick. And I prefer it to be sooner than later.
It must be sooner because, unfortunately, I live in a country that is not a startup hub, and the only voice I have is traction. To raise funds, I need to get big. How then do I get big on anything that requires a significant investment in both time and money? Singapore is no Israel, for which startups can raise 100M before making a single cent or having any customers.
This is why I give up on products early -- Because I arrived at a juncture of the journey for which I am tethering on compromising on the wellbeing of my family or my personal ambition. In this part of the world, my only choice in products are products that
- I can build with little money
- innovative enough to hit a significant milestone
I will like to think that I have a voracious risk appetite. I have a family to feed, so the truth is that I can only take finite risks leveraging on some superpowers that I do have: Software and product prowess.
I feel shitty having to move on from one product. And even shittier knowing that that I have disappointed my team who have committed a few months of their lives trying to make Sapiengraph work.
If it is an experiment, then set the expectations right internally.
My takeaway.