I was reading the article “4 Startup Myths That Hold You Back” from Josiah Humphrey. Myth #1 really jumped out to me.
Myth #1: Success = Great Idea + Determination
Early in my career I believe I would have fallen for this myth. Perhaps I was naive then and I am just less naive now. It is very tempting to believe that all it takes is a great idea and determination to be successful. But this is the most dangerous myth to fall victim to.
It feels very strange to say that out loud if you are like me. You enjoy working hard on things your passionate about and want to do everything you can to make them successful. As someone that works hard everyday to launch their own idea, and still learning more and more everyday on how to do that. I can tell you that a great idea and your determination will not determine your success. Failing, a lot, learning from it and doing so as quickly as possible will do much more for your odds at being successful than ideas and determination.
If I was to be asked what is the most important thing to do when trying to start your own hustle/startup/software product, I would reply with fail fast to learn what works/doesn’t work, iterate based on real data that you learn, and don’t be afraid to pivot.
Having the ability to fail fast, iterate quickly, and pivot with ease will serve your success much more than determination and idea. Not that you don’t need those things, you definitely do! They are just not the most important things to your success. Think of failing fast, iteration, and pivoting as the foundations of your success. With them, you have a foundation that you can then build on to solve the problems of your customers. Without them, you could end up having to build countless houses just to solve the problem of your customer.
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