in Startups

Stop waiting for your big idea, learn to get shit done

I hear from a lot of would-be entrepreneurs that they are just waiting for the right idea, or that they want to do more research on their idea, or that they need to “flesh out” their idea in order to get started.

Stop lying to yourself.

The big idea isn’t coming. You don’t have the big idea. You aren’t going to come up with the BIG idea.

Building a great company isn’t about a single big idea. It is about stringing together a slew of small ideas, insights and facts in a stream of execution.

Instead of worrying about whatever your terrible idea is, you need to start learning to do what needs to be done.

See, the wonderful thing about doing stuff is that no matter what, whether you are right or wrong, you are learning more and more about your business. By sitting back and thinking about things, pondering how something might work, dreaming about a great result, etc, you aren’t learning anything. You are just wasting time.

So start with something small. What is the first small task you can complete to get you on the road to building this startup? Writing a line of code, cold-calling some potential customers, wireframing a design. The list goes on.

That reminds me. I have been planning on taking up running this summer. I have yet to step foot on the pavement in my gym shoes. Uhg.

Start now or forever hold your peace.

54 Comments

  1. “You are just wasting time”rnrnPuritan work ethic infection detected.rnrnLife and Time aren’t split into “work” and “wasted”. Sitting back and thinking, pondering how things might work, dreaming about great results aren’t “wasting” time, they’re pleasant ways of passing time.

  2. “You are just wasting time”

    Puritan work ethic infection detected.

    Life and Time aren’t split into “work” and “wasted”. Sitting back and thinking, pondering how things might work, dreaming about great results aren’t “wasting” time, they’re pleasant ways of passing time.

  3. “You are just wasting time”

    Puritan work ethic infection detected.

    Life and Time aren’t split into “work” and “wasted”. Sitting back and thinking, pondering how things might work, dreaming about great results aren’t “wasting” time, they’re pleasant ways of passing time.

  4. Puritan work ethic,. Your point is valid, but you have your context mixed up.rnrnWhen the time you have that should be spent doing things that build your company, or put food on your table, etc, are instead spent pondering, wondering, etc,. there is a danger that you won’t create things., which is my point. It is rewarding to create. Even the painter has to put his/her brush to the canvas at some point. Or usually does at least.rnrnI expect everyone to keep close guard of a lot of leisure time and to use it for all sorts of things, like pondering how things might work.

  5. Puritan work ethic,. Your point is valid, but you have your context mixed up.

    When the time you have that should be spent doing things that build your company, or put food on your table, etc, are instead spent pondering, wondering, etc,. there is a danger that you won’t create things., which is my point. It is rewarding to create. Even the painter has to put his/her brush to the canvas at some point. Or usually does at least.

    I expect everyone to keep close guard of a lot of leisure time and to use it for all sorts of things, like pondering how things might work.

  6. Puritan work ethic,. Your point is valid, but you have your context mixed up.

    When the time you have that should be spent doing things that build your company, or put food on your table, etc, are instead spent pondering, wondering, etc,. there is a danger that you won’t create things., which is my point. It is rewarding to create. Even the painter has to put his/her brush to the canvas at some point. Or usually does at least.

    I expect everyone to keep close guard of a lot of leisure time and to use it for all sorts of things, like pondering how things might work.

  7. Allow me to be the first to say ‘YOU ARE SOOOO RIGHT’, yes it’s DAMN HARD, and I’m personally sick of hearing about ‘THE BIG IDEA’. A startup is not about the big gestures, it’s about grinding your way through endless issues and knowing that for every decision you make, you need to have a fallback plan because you were wrong. rnrnAnd in case anyone is wondering I’m in the middle of that pain right now, it’s been 18 months, zero outside investment, zero returns, and a lot of sleepless and work filled nights. If I can suggest ANYTHING to anyone out there that believes they have ‘THE BIG IDEA’, it’s not going anywhere without hard work, real hard work…….

  8. Allow me to be the first to say ‘YOU ARE SOOOO RIGHT’, yes it’s DAMN HARD, and I’m personally sick of hearing about ‘THE BIG IDEA’. A startup is not about the big gestures, it’s about grinding your way through endless issues and knowing that for every decision you make, you need to have a fallback plan because you were wrong.

    And in case anyone is wondering I’m in the middle of that pain right now, it’s been 18 months, zero outside investment, zero returns, and a lot of sleepless and work filled nights. If I can suggest ANYTHING to anyone out there that believes they have ‘THE BIG IDEA’, it’s not going anywhere without hard work, real hard work…….

  9. Allow me to be the first to say ‘YOU ARE SOOOO RIGHT’, yes it’s DAMN HARD, and I’m personally sick of hearing about ‘THE BIG IDEA’. A startup is not about the big gestures, it’s about grinding your way through endless issues and knowing that for every decision you make, you need to have a fallback plan because you were wrong.

    And in case anyone is wondering I’m in the middle of that pain right now, it’s been 18 months, zero outside investment, zero returns, and a lot of sleepless and work filled nights. If I can suggest ANYTHING to anyone out there that believes they have ‘THE BIG IDEA’, it’s not going anywhere without hard work, real hard work…….

  10. Look at how any good art or craft school works. First you create something, such as a pot or a painting, etc. Then you make more and then you make even more. Over 99% of what you make in art school you throw out. Art is work and a hell of a lot of practice. Building a business is also an art.rnrnIn “The Medici Effect” the author discusses the difference between successful people and those who are not. Both have the same success/failure ratio. The successful people just try (and fail) more often.

  11. Look at how any good art or craft school works. First you create something, such as a pot or a painting, etc. Then you make more and then you make even more. Over 99% of what you make in art school you throw out. Art is work and a hell of a lot of practice. Building a business is also an art.

    In “The Medici Effect” the author discusses the difference between successful people and those who are not. Both have the same success/failure ratio. The successful people just try (and fail) more often.

  12. Look at how any good art or craft school works. First you create something, such as a pot or a painting, etc. Then you make more and then you make even more. Over 99% of what you make in art school you throw out. Art is work and a hell of a lot of practice. Building a business is also an art.

    In “The Medici Effect” the author discusses the difference between successful people and those who are not. Both have the same success/failure ratio. The successful people just try (and fail) more often.

  13. My excuse is that I can’t take the risk of leaving my family homeless while I try to start a company. Ideas are easy- it’s the job of getting them making money that’s so difficult.

  14. My excuse is that I can’t take the risk of leaving my family homeless while I try to start a company. Ideas are easy- it’s the job of getting them making money that’s so difficult.

  15. My excuse is that I can’t take the risk of leaving my family homeless while I try to start a company. Ideas are easy- it’s the job of getting them making money that’s so difficult.

  16. If you don’t have money to make a startup, or you don’t have an idea on how to make money with a startup, then don’t DO a startup. Just make a service that you find useful yourself, put it on Google App Engine so your costs are ZERO, and be done with it. If it gets popular, then great, if not at least you’ve learned a lot with very little cost/time-sink.rnrnMan, I love the promise/potential that something like Google App Engine indicates for the future. In 2 years buying your own servers will be totally antiquated and obsolete. rnrnHardware is going digital and it’s sweet.

  17. If you don’t have money to make a startup, or you don’t have an idea on how to make money with a startup, then don’t DO a startup. Just make a service that you find useful yourself, put it on Google App Engine so your costs are ZERO, and be done with it. If it gets popular, then great, if not at least you’ve learned a lot with very little cost/time-sink.

    Man, I love the promise/potential that something like Google App Engine indicates for the future. In 2 years buying your own servers will be totally antiquated and obsolete.

    Hardware is going digital and it’s sweet.

  18. If you don’t have money to make a startup, or you don’t have an idea on how to make money with a startup, then don’t DO a startup. Just make a service that you find useful yourself, put it on Google App Engine so your costs are ZERO, and be done with it. If it gets popular, then great, if not at least you’ve learned a lot with very little cost/time-sink.

    Man, I love the promise/potential that something like Google App Engine indicates for the future. In 2 years buying your own servers will be totally antiquated and obsolete.

    Hardware is going digital and it’s sweet.

  19. @omar: Thank god that the days of buying colo slots and hardware up front on the hope of needing them is over.rnrnI don’t think that a lot of new startups realize what a massive headache that was. Total pain.

  20. @omar: Thank god that the days of buying colo slots and hardware up front on the hope of needing them is over.

    I don’t think that a lot of new startups realize what a massive headache that was. Total pain.

  21. @omar: Thank god that the days of buying colo slots and hardware up front on the hope of needing them is over.

    I don’t think that a lot of new startups realize what a massive headache that was. Total pain.

  22. When we opened http://www.kountr.com 6 months ago, we did it with one feature. The ability to create and increment, by one, a counter. That was it. Our “big idea” was that someone was going to see this and tell us how to make it better. We develop everything requested by users, and only what is requested or the limited infrastructure to support these new “features”. rnrnThere won’t be a “big idea” just lots of little ones, and we like the users’ ideas better then the ones we dreamed up.rnrnOur only cost is our own time and sanity. There is really only one good and honest reason for not creating; “I’d rather be doing something else.” And that is totally fine, but not for us.

  23. When we opened http://www.kountr.com 6 months ago, we did it with one feature. The ability to create and increment, by one, a counter. That was it. Our “big idea” was that someone was going to see this and tell us how to make it better. We develop everything requested by users, and only what is requested or the limited infrastructure to support these new “features”.

    There won’t be a “big idea” just lots of little ones, and we like the users’ ideas better then the ones we dreamed up.

    Our only cost is our own time and sanity. There is really only one good and honest reason for not creating; “I’d rather be doing something else.” And that is totally fine, but not for us.

  24. When we opened http://www.kountr.com 6 months ago, we did it with one feature. The ability to create and increment, by one, a counter. That was it. Our “big idea” was that someone was going to see this and tell us how to make it better. We develop everything requested by users, and only what is requested or the limited infrastructure to support these new “features”.

    There won’t be a “big idea” just lots of little ones, and we like the users’ ideas better then the ones we dreamed up.

    Our only cost is our own time and sanity. There is really only one good and honest reason for not creating; “I’d rather be doing something else.” And that is totally fine, but not for us.

  25. nice post. in the long run the idea hardly matters. its more like an excuse to not take the leap.

  26. nice post. in the long run the idea hardly matters. its more like an excuse to not take the leap.

  27. nice post. in the long run the idea hardly matters. its more like an excuse to not take the leap.

  28. Jevon,rnrnSupremely true post. Now time for some analogies. Exercising(in your case running) and start-ups are the same thing. You are not going to suddenly get the body of your dreams — or company — overnight. It takes commitment and steady work to do it, plus adopting to whatever is thrown your way, like injuries, or even progress. What matters most though is that you get off your ass and do it; that you get up and go to the gym and make it happen.rnrnCheers.rnrnP.S. As for running. I am a runner myself and there is nothing better the iPod +nike. That thing is the real deal. It measures the distance you run(don’t worry you don’t need the special shoes) and will pipe voice updates of your progress right to your headphones, and you get nike athletes like Lance Armstrong congratulating you. That thing makes all the difference.

  29. Jevon,

    Supremely true post. Now time for some analogies. Exercising(in your case running) and start-ups are the same thing. You are not going to suddenly get the body of your dreams — or company — overnight. It takes commitment and steady work to do it, plus adopting to whatever is thrown your way, like injuries, or even progress. What matters most though is that you get off your ass and do it; that you get up and go to the gym and make it happen.

    Cheers.

    P.S. As for running. I am a runner myself and there is nothing better the iPod +nike. That thing is the real deal. It measures the distance you run(don’t worry you don’t need the special shoes) and will pipe voice updates of your progress right to your headphones, and you get nike athletes like Lance Armstrong congratulating you. That thing makes all the difference.

  30. Jevon,

    Supremely true post. Now time for some analogies. Exercising(in your case running) and start-ups are the same thing. You are not going to suddenly get the body of your dreams — or company — overnight. It takes commitment and steady work to do it, plus adopting to whatever is thrown your way, like injuries, or even progress. What matters most though is that you get off your ass and do it; that you get up and go to the gym and make it happen.

    Cheers.

    P.S. As for running. I am a runner myself and there is nothing better the iPod +nike. That thing is the real deal. It measures the distance you run(don’t worry you don’t need the special shoes) and will pipe voice updates of your progress right to your headphones, and you get nike athletes like Lance Armstrong congratulating you. That thing makes all the difference.

  31. No great business started out thinking they had a great idea. They just had an idea … and found a few people that would pay for it. Only after rinsing and repeating 10,000 times did they figure out they had a great idea.rnrnGates had no clue his software would be sitting on millions of desktops around the world. He had an idea and found a few people that would pay for it. From that point on, it was sweat equity and years without a vacation.rnrnConclusion – Stop thinking you are going to find one great idea that is going to take the world by storm. The difference between an idea and a great idea is directly proportional to the amount of blood, sweat and tears you pour into it.rnrnPlenty of PhD’s that can barely makes end meet. Plenty of immigrants that don’t know what to do with all of their cash.rnrnRegards,rnGeorge

  32. No great business started out thinking they had a great idea. They just had an idea … and found a few people that would pay for it. Only after rinsing and repeating 10,000 times did they figure out they had a great idea.

    Gates had no clue his software would be sitting on millions of desktops around the world. He had an idea and found a few people that would pay for it. From that point on, it was sweat equity and years without a vacation.

    Conclusion – Stop thinking you are going to find one great idea that is going to take the world by storm. The difference between an idea and a great idea is directly proportional to the amount of blood, sweat and tears you pour into it.

    Plenty of PhD’s that can barely makes end meet. Plenty of immigrants that don’t know what to do with all of their cash.

    Regards,
    George

  33. No great business started out thinking they had a great idea. They just had an idea … and found a few people that would pay for it. Only after rinsing and repeating 10,000 times did they figure out they had a great idea.

    Gates had no clue his software would be sitting on millions of desktops around the world. He had an idea and found a few people that would pay for it. From that point on, it was sweat equity and years without a vacation.

    Conclusion – Stop thinking you are going to find one great idea that is going to take the world by storm. The difference between an idea and a great idea is directly proportional to the amount of blood, sweat and tears you pour into it.

    Plenty of PhD’s that can barely makes end meet. Plenty of immigrants that don’t know what to do with all of their cash.

    Regards,
    George

  34. Amen. Work, work, work, work and then when you are tired: work some more. Ideas are a dime a dozen. And by the way stop day dreaming about running, grab your running shoes today (we are Monday!) and run over to the Ideeplex. I know it is only 1 km for you but hey you got to start somewhere! I am with you with the running business. I have fallen of the running train and it is so so hard to get back. Nice post Jev!

  35. Amen. Work, work, work, work and then when you are tired: work some more. Ideas are a dime a dozen. And by the way stop day dreaming about running, grab your running shoes today (we are Monday!) and run over to the Ideeplex. I know it is only 1 km for you but hey you got to start somewhere! I am with you with the running business. I have fallen of the running train and it is so so hard to get back. Nice post Jev!

  36. Amen. Work, work, work, work and then when you are tired: work some more. Ideas are a dime a dozen. And by the way stop day dreaming about running, grab your running shoes today (we are Monday!) and run over to the Ideeplex. I know it is only 1 km for you but hey you got to start somewhere! I am with you with the running business. I have fallen of the running train and it is so so hard to get back. Nice post Jev!

  37. @leila — I went for a run yesterday (sunday): Shuter to River St, down River to eastern, back through the distillery district and st Lawrence market and back home. Felt great, only had to break once. rnrnPerhaps I should start a running blog ;)

  38. @leila — I went for a run yesterday (sunday): Shuter to River St, down River to eastern, back through the distillery district and st Lawrence market and back home. Felt great, only had to break once.

    Perhaps I should start a running blog ;)

  39. @leila — I went for a run yesterday (sunday): Shuter to River St, down River to eastern, back through the distillery district and st Lawrence market and back home. Felt great, only had to break once.

    Perhaps I should start a running blog ;)

  40. great, great post! it couldn’t be more true! rnoftentimes, the pondering is *the excuse* not to do something, because while you keep pondering the thing remains ambiguous and uncertain, and you remain disengaged and unempowered. just do it.rnrnto the art/craft school comment earlier – absolutely spot on. any studio-based or applied program isn’t about the thing that you make but learning the discipline and process to make it real. and that takes lots of practice. you need to start somewhere.

  41. great, great post! it couldn’t be more true!
    oftentimes, the pondering is *the excuse* not to do something, because while you keep pondering the thing remains ambiguous and uncertain, and you remain disengaged and unempowered. just do it.

    to the art/craft school comment earlier – absolutely spot on. any studio-based or applied program isn’t about the thing that you make but learning the discipline and process to make it real. and that takes lots of practice. you need to start somewhere.

  42. great, great post! it couldn’t be more true!
    oftentimes, the pondering is *the excuse* not to do something, because while you keep pondering the thing remains ambiguous and uncertain, and you remain disengaged and unempowered. just do it.

    to the art/craft school comment earlier – absolutely spot on. any studio-based or applied program isn’t about the thing that you make but learning the discipline and process to make it real. and that takes lots of practice. you need to start somewhere.

  43. After trying and trying to think of some get rich idea and came up with nothing.rnrnI figured I’d create 5 different ideas and see which one takes off.rnrnhttp://www.mygasmileagelog.com is my first attempt and it’s been over a few months and it is still not complete. It’s difficult to try and maintain the speed when you are not very attached to an idea.rnrnhttp://www.mygasmileagelog.com has been sitting in a state of incomplete for over a month and only required a few more days worth of work.rnrnRunning with an idea is good as long as you complete it. I’ll be trying to complete this as soon as I can now.

  44. After trying and trying to think of some get rich idea and came up with nothing.

    I figured I’d create 5 different ideas and see which one takes off.

    http://www.mygasmileagelog.com is my first attempt and it’s been over a few months and it is still not complete. It’s difficult to try and maintain the speed when you are not very attached to an idea.

    http://www.mygasmileagelog.com has been sitting in a state of incomplete for over a month and only required a few more days worth of work.

    Running with an idea is good as long as you complete it. I’ll be trying to complete this as soon as I can now.

  45. After trying and trying to think of some get rich idea and came up with nothing.

    I figured I’d create 5 different ideas and see which one takes off.

    http://www.mygasmileagelog.com is my first attempt and it’s been over a few months and it is still not complete. It’s difficult to try and maintain the speed when you are not very attached to an idea.

    http://www.mygasmileagelog.com has been sitting in a state of incomplete for over a month and only required a few more days worth of work.

    Running with an idea is good as long as you complete it. I’ll be trying to complete this as soon as I can now.

  46. This is a good “get your ass off the sofa” post!rnrnThere is another issue related to just-get-started – know when to stop. I learned this myself the hard way wasting over a year on something that I did know (deep down) wasn’t going anywhere. It wasn’t the idea that was the problem but the execution / partnership. The underlying psychology of course is that until you “stop” you haven’t had to admit to the world, and yourself, that you “failed”rnrnLearn to kill dead-ends, with extreme prejudice, and and move on to the next possibility. To amplify your point Jevon another deadly consequence of just thinking for too long, without executing, about stuff is that you build a huge mental/emotional investment that’s hard to let go. If you start executing that investment is smaller and not as painful to walk away from.

  47. This is a good “get your ass off the sofa” post!

    There is another issue related to just-get-started – know when to stop. I learned this myself the hard way wasting over a year on something that I did know (deep down) wasn’t going anywhere. It wasn’t the idea that was the problem but the execution / partnership. The underlying psychology of course is that until you “stop” you haven’t had to admit to the world, and yourself, that you “failed”

    Learn to kill dead-ends, with extreme prejudice, and and move on to the next possibility. To amplify your point Jevon another deadly consequence of just thinking for too long, without executing, about stuff is that you build a huge mental/emotional investment that’s hard to let go. If you start executing that investment is smaller and not as painful to walk away from.

  48. This is a good “get your ass off the sofa” post!

    There is another issue related to just-get-started – know when to stop. I learned this myself the hard way wasting over a year on something that I did know (deep down) wasn’t going anywhere. It wasn’t the idea that was the problem but the execution / partnership. The underlying psychology of course is that until you “stop” you haven’t had to admit to the world, and yourself, that you “failed”

    Learn to kill dead-ends, with extreme prejudice, and and move on to the next possibility. To amplify your point Jevon another deadly consequence of just thinking for too long, without executing, about stuff is that you build a huge mental/emotional investment that’s hard to let go. If you start executing that investment is smaller and not as painful to walk away from.

  49. Nice write up and blog , Thanks for sharing all those good infornrnbest regardsrnJohnrnhttp://thenewsempire.com/Technologies/

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