2 days ago, we launched StartNOW. We are hoping that the site will inspire more people to take action and work toward their dreams.
Making ideas happen
On the site you'll be able to create project for ideas that you want to work on and also ask/answer questions from the community. It's still a work in progress so be gentle on it. We'll be adding more features to the site to improve its usability and usefulness.
If you got something you always wanted to do, well this is it, go and StartNOW!.
The first thing most people do when they are starting out on a new venture, idea or project is to tell the whole world about it. It's not bragging or showing off. They are genuinely excited about the whole thing and wants to share with the rest of us. I think talking and discussing about your new idea with as many people as possible is the right approach. You want to find out everything you can about it and rarely anyone is going to steal your idea. It comes down to your execution anyway.
But there are some advantages to staying low profile when you are starting out. First is that it gives the ability to fail without being noticed. You can try a million different approaches in obscurity without worrying about what your neighbors think of you. To the rest of the world, it is as if all those failures had never happened.
When no one knows about you, you can make mistakes quietly. Learn at your own pace. Fail without the fear of failure. Failing in obscurity helps protect your ego and you’ll need your ego later on when you are successful. - Embrace Obscurity from 37signals
The other reason to work on the sidelines is to allow you to improve it until it's ready for the limelight. You get to decide when to reveal yourself to the world and your competitors will have less time to react. It's hard to prepare for something when you don't know what's coming.
New early-stage start up trend: get big quietly, so you don’t tip off potential competitors. - @cdixon
Businesses and ideas that appears to be overnight successes aren't what they appear to be. Most of them been through countless iterations and difficult times before anyone noticed them.
So, if you aren't famous or popular yet, that's fine. Work on that idea first. Being in the spotlight can wait.
This is one of my favourite essay in the book REWORK. Many people thought that only entrepreneurs get to create and start something. The rest that doesn't have the qualifications, the resources, the talent or the risk appetite wont be able to make it.
The thing is, you don't have to be identified as an entrepreneur to start a profitable company or create a remarkable product. All you need to is to start doing it. Start executing the idea you have since you were a kid.
So let's replace the fancy-sounding word with something a bit more down-to-earth. Instead of entrepreneurs, let's just call them starters. Anyone who creates a new business is a starter. You don't need an MBA, a certificate, a fancy suit, a briefcase, or an above-average tolerance for risk. You just need an idea, a touch of confidence, and a push to get started. - Excerpt from "Enough with entrepreneurs" from REWORK
Everyone should be encourage to start something on their own. You might not have all the "prerequisite" skills yet but you just need the most important one. The ability to start something. The ability of a starter.
Best list to follow if you want to get things done. I've included them below and don't forget to thank Seth for this.
The number of people you need to ask for permission keeps going down:
- Go, make something happen.
- Do work you're proud of.
- Treat people with respect.
- Make big promises and keep them.
- Ship it out the door.
When in doubt, see #1.
In most games, starting first gives you a better edge because you get to dictate the pace of the game. The effect is even more prominent in turn based games. However, life isn't a turn based game, so acting first can be extremely scary (to the lizard brain) and very uncomfortable for most people. It seems safer when we are being lead by someone and if anything goes wrong, we got someone to blame.
But if your aim is to do something remarkable, different and revolutionary, chances are you have to be the one to take the first step.
There is no guarantee that by starting first, you will stand a better chance than the rest. But at least, you'll be the pioneer and if you do make it, the rewards are definitely worthwhile.
Derek Sivers tweeted this link a while ago on how we only need enough motivation to get started and the momentum will keep us going after that. Apparently, it doesn't take much motivation for us to do something. The article talks about how the author managed to convince himself to get outside during the rain for a bike ride. He needed only a little push, enough to get him outside. Once he is riding, it doesn't take much discipline to continue to do so.
My ride in the rain taught me a good lesson about motivation and discipline: we need it less than we think.
The important is that we don't give up at the time when we are most vulnerable. We need to use our willpower and discipline to get pass the initial stage to get started then everything else is easy.
What's important is that your moment of choice is when you are in the right state of mind — when you need the least willpower — to make the best decision.
If you have problems getting yourself to do something, read the article to learn how to motivate yourself. It seems we need less motivation and discipline than we think and that's a good thing.
Do you know anyone who seems to be doing something new and exciting every time you meet him or her? These are the ones that try all the latest stuff, visit exotic places or attempt yet another seemingly impossible project. For most of us, life is pretty routine and bland. We do pretty much the same stuff over and over again every single day. Why not try to sprinkle some spice and inject a little fun into your life by doing something completely different and unexpected?
You could get your boss to agree to try a new tool to improve your productivity or plan a road trip over the weekend. You could also organize an charity event or start a club for your passion.
There's no one better to lead your life than yourself. You could go on an adventure or lead a boring life. It's your call.
At some point in your life, someone might have told you that, in order to succeed in what ever you're doing, you have to be the best. This is true because the best gets all the attention, profits and customers. Obviously it's hard and most often impossible for us to be the best in the world at what we do, but we should also realize that the world is a lot bigger than we think. Unless you run a multi-national company or spent 200 million to make a movie, your target doesn't have to be the world. You can be the best in your town, your niche or your price-range.
By right, the customer buys only the best products. The reality is that the customer buy the best products that he's familiar with, the one he has access to and the one he believes in. There is a best for everyone and they can be very different from each other. Mac fans will tell you that Apple makes the best computer but I'm sure not everyone agrees with that.
You can sell the cheapest steak in town, be the most responsive online drug store or the closest mart in the area. All of these can make you the best choice for someone and as long as there's enough people who consider you as their best, your business will thrive.
You should make it your goal to strive for the best in the world title if you can. Start by being the best in your town and work your way up from there.
