The Only Way to Know is to Do
I launched a podcast this week! This post isn’t about that. Instead, I wanted to share some learnings from the process. Whether you’re starting a business, exploring side hustles, dreaming of writing a book or hosting an art exhibition, hopefully the below can provide some inspiration and help guide the next step.
Everything is built step by step
Everything that was ever created started as an idea. Every idea manifested started with a single action. Anything that is built, is built step by step. A series of actions realised. Depending on what you’re trying to achieve, the steps you need to take might be complex. They might be dependent on people, capital, regulatory approval etc. But behind every complexity is just a series of actions. When completed they either move you forward or redirect you. Setbacks, while irritating, are an opportunity to try again. It’s an invention to approach something a different way or to try something different. Every book has a first word, every business a first customer, every app a first line of code. Planning is necessary but the only way to create *anything* is to do. To take that first step. You can choose to see the mountain of steps in front of you as an overwhelming burden or as building blocks. The thing you want is only ever one step away from being a bit closer.
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
I’m very fortunate to have a co-host who talked me into starting a podcast, aligned on vision in a way that energised, and that I could rely on to pick up the slack when needed. Working with someone is either a force multiplier or diminisher. Nobody is perfect. Bad days happen but they should be a minority not an average. If you're working with others, are the dynamics helping you do more, and better, than you could do alone? Does it make the journey more enjoyable? More bearable? If not, then a fundamental change is needed. Better communication may solve the issue. However, sometimes, the reality is that some people are not suited to work on certain types of projects together. It doesn’t make anyone a bad person. In the best teams the sum of the parts is greater than the whole. Aim to work with people who help amplify you. Aim to do the same for others.
Know your “why”
This concept of knowing your purpose was mentioned incredibly frequently by guests on the podcast. Knowing your “why” acts as a guiding force. It shapes the direction of your life. Generally speaking there are 3 categories of reasons why people *do* things, whether that’s a business or creative endeavour: 1) to change the world in some way, 2) to scratch their own itch, solving a problem they have or feeding a need for self-expression or 3) to satisfy one or more of the four idols, money, power, pleasure and fame. None of these reasons are better or worse than each other. What matters is the intention behind them (while being aware that most drivers have a negative component) and how much direction they provide. For example, there is nothing wrong with wanting to start a business to make money. But, if your only objective is to make money then your “why” isn’t particularly helpful. There are many different types of business you could start. How do you decide which path to take? Too wide a focus and your “why” loses its ability to be a compass. Too narrow a focus and your “why” can restrict you from seeing all the options to achieve your goals. In a world of infinite opportunities, your “why” is your personal guide.
Don’t worry about originality; focus more on uniqueness
Unless you are working on something ground-breakingly novel, it is unlikely your idea will be the first of its kind. It doesn’t matter. After all, Google wasn’t the first search engine. What matters is how you bring your idea into the world, by making it uniquely yours. It is the only core differentiator you have in life. Quality is important but others can meet or exceed any bar you set. Timing can have an impact but you have limited control over that. Whoever comes in contact with your work, needs to feel it is somewhat of value to them (not necessarily monetarily) to consider engaging with it. That’s as true for a painting as it is for a social media app. You can do things to make your work more desirable, but that desire will always be subjective. You can’t always make the work original, but you can make it unique.
Don’t let idealism get in the way of being strategic
Too often, good work gets lost in idealism. The belief that if you do great work, it will get recognised on its own merit. Anyone who has worked a corporate job soon learns this is one of life’s great lies. You may not want to subject your art to the throes of capitalism. Marketing your startup or podcast (cough) may feel icky. However, unless you’re only building for an audience of one, whatever you’re creating needs to be found to be consumed by others. Being strategic about how you position your work, or grow an audience/customer base, can help you find reach. James Clear, author of Atomic Habits, deeply studied a list of 100 book titles that sold over a million copies, looking for patterns before deciding on the format of his title. As of today, Atomic Habit has been on the NYT bestseller list for 200 weeks. Being strategic didn’t dictate the entire contents of the book, but it did help shape it and impact its success. I’m not saying that your work should be based on the whims of the market or current trends. But if you want it to reach scale, then you need to acknowledge that the market plays to its own rules, not your ideals.
Dreams die in darkness
Pouring yourself into anything and releasing it to the world is an act of vulnerability. People may hate your short story or mock your podcast. Your startup might not get traction. Nobody may sign-up for your online course. There are countless ways you could fail. Putting your work out there in public means you also risk failing in public. While your work is not the entirety of you, it is a part of you. It is a manifestation of your hopes, talents, efforts, decisions. Luck plays a factor in any success, but so do the inputs we can control. If your work is not well received, if an iteration of your dreams fail, that is going to hurt. That is part of the price of self-realisation. The risk of failing to achieve your goal is the cost of aiming for a grander version of success. To paraphrase The Washington Post’s tagline, dreams die in darkness. Exposing them can sometimes be terrifying. Going after what you want, knowing it might not succeed requires bravery. Sharing a part of yourself more openly, increases your vulnerability. But not chasing your dreams is the only guaranteed way to ensure they die. The only way to know is to do. Take the first step.