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Idea Debt

jessicaabel.com

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Re: Idea Debt

#91

Post by ktRolster »

jasode wrote: post #60
nsb1 wrote: post #41

Thinking of this as 'debt' doesn't seem quite right to me. It's not like someone's going to come and break your kneecaps some day if you don't act on these ideas. You don't owe these ideas to anyone, and you don't have to 'pay them back'. Calling this debt is like calling the hours while we sleep and are not being paid 'income debt', or calling our front lawn 'food debt' because we haven't planted a garden there. How…

>'Follow your dreams'...'Do what you love and the money will follow'...'Nothing ventured, nothing gained' these are phrases that all sound great from the other side of success, but when you have a normal life with a family and a mortgage, the decision to pursue your opportunities is not as cut and dried. I agree with your point but I don't think that "taking entrepreneurial risks" is the emphasis of the author. Inste…

Trump?

Re: Idea Debt

#92

Post by seivan »

qznc wrote: post #65

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11374746 Self-regulation of goal setting: turning free fantasies about the future into binding goals. Oettingen G1, Pak H, Schnetter K. Abstract: Fantasy realization theory states that when people contrast their fantasies about a desired future with reflections on present reality, a necessity to act is induced that leads to the activation and use of relevant expectations. Strong go…

I read somewhere that fantasizing about new features, off spins, optimizations, marketing tactics and etc would release enough dopamine that you'd eventually lose interest as the real deal wouldn't do better. I'll see if I can find it.

But what you posted is interesting and seems to be a perfect fit here and my project app/game graveyard. Someone actually said that I'm not building, im playing with borrowed Lego, pretty much sums it up. I think it boils down to analysis paralysis, that's the root cause. Any anxiety, any doubt, lack of focus, and procrastination stems from that. At least arrived at after really digging.

Re: Idea Debt

#93

Post by seivan »

xhrpost wrote: post #52

This, this is probably the biggest and yet least recognized obstruction for wannapreneurs. I know because I've been there myself for years and have only recently realized what I was doing. I would get really excited about an idea, start working on it, only work on the interesting parts (not on what actually had to come next) and then let it fizzle away as the next wave of emotion came with another idea. I would justi…

Would you say, you got a dopamine kick out of it and suddenly lost interest after?

Can't help to wonder how oddly the pattern is to something else.

Though I still think it stems from the inability to make a decision. That's what I would say is the core. The dopamine kick as just medicine so you won't feel like shit all the time. Some amateur science here.

Re: Idea Debt

#94

Post by kilroy123 »

xhrpost wrote: post #52

This, this is probably the biggest and yet least recognized obstruction for wannapreneurs. I know because I've been there myself for years and have only recently realized what I was doing. I would get really excited about an idea, start working on it, only work on the interesting parts (not on what actually had to come next) and then let it fizzle away as the next wave of emotion came with another idea. I would justi…

I too have done this for years! I'm still not a damn entrepreneur and make no money aside from my day job. I think I finally realized what I have to do to get off this vicious cycle.

Build a habit of working everyday on one project. It's cool to get excited about a new project, but unless I change my daily routine to fit in time to work on said project, nothing will ever get created.

Successful companies and projects aren't created on fleeting enthusiasm.

Re: Idea Debt

#95

Post by graeme »

caseysoftware wrote: post #84
bpchaps wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Love the idea! Don't see any upcoming dates, though :(. Do you guys do anything in Chicago?

Not yet but we're looking to spread the model. Drop me an email and I'm happy to chat details. :)

Montreal plans? I'd love to help set it up here.

Re: Idea Debt

#96

Post by graeme »

ktRolster wrote: post #90
bitJericho wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's called crowdsourcing and I haven't seen it really work because ideas are a dime a dozen. Create. Don't think about it.

As a programmer, I have skills to build basically anything, but I don't have any ideas for what to build. If someone gave me an idea that would really capture my imagination, I would really appreciate it. ("Yet Another Ad Network" doesn't capture my imagination)

The issue is that the ideas aren't just something that can be transmitted in a sentence.

I run a business. I've had ideas, and implemented them. I have ideas for future stuff.

In both cases, the ideas are hard to separate from me. I know the market, I know the users, I know what I can create, I know enough relevant tech.

I could give the ideas to another domain expert, and they could probably implement them. Though they'd have their own take on things. That would change things. Some for the good, some for the better.

Obviously, you can get ideas from external sources. But they'll be more powerful if they're based on your own experience or readings, so that you can bring everything to bear.

Re: Idea Debt

#97

Post by xhrpost »

kilroy123 wrote: post #94
xhrpost wrote: post #52

This, this is probably the biggest and yet least recognized obstruction for wannapreneurs. I know because I've been there myself for years and have only recently realized what I was doing. I would get really excited about an idea, start working on it, only work on the interesting parts (not on what actually had to come next) and then let it fizzle away as the next wave of emotion came with another idea. I would justi…

I too have done this for years! I'm still not a damn entrepreneur and make no money aside from my day job. I think I finally realized what I have to do to get off this vicious cycle. Build a habit of working everyday on one project. It's cool to get excited about a new project, but unless I change my daily routine to fit in time to work on said project, nothing will ever get created. Successful companies and projects…

You're on your way! Consider looking up Stanford Professor Tina Seelig, she's the only researcher I know of that remotely talks about this. Check out some of her talks and blog posts.

Re: Idea Debt

#98

Post by xhrpost »

seivan wrote: post #93
xhrpost wrote: post #52

This, this is probably the biggest and yet least recognized obstruction for wannapreneurs. I know because I've been there myself for years and have only recently realized what I was doing. I would get really excited about an idea, start working on it, only work on the interesting parts (not on what actually had to come next) and then let it fizzle away as the next wave of emotion came with another idea. I would justi…

Would you say, you got a dopamine kick out of it and suddenly lost interest after? Can't help to wonder how oddly the pattern is to something else. Though I still think it stems from the inability to make a decision. That's what I would say is the core. The dopamine kick as just medicine so you won't feel like shit all the time. Some amateur science here.

Suddenly? No, it was more when it came to part of the project that was no longer interesting or was out of my comfort zone. I was dropped an entire app design simply because I didn't want to talk to potential customers :(. I'm learning though.

Re: Idea Debt

#100

Post by bobwaycott »

junto wrote: post #75
xhrpost wrote: post #52

This, this is probably the biggest and yet least recognized obstruction for wannapreneurs. I know because I've been there myself for years and have only recently realized what I was doing. I would get really excited about an idea, start working on it, only work on the interesting parts (not on what actually had to come next) and then let it fizzle away as the next wave of emotion came with another idea. I would justi…

I don't know if this is just me, but I used to be full of ideas, half finished projects and several projects that I talked myself out of. Since having children, I no longer have ideas, and rarely work on anything than paid contract work. Has anyone else experienced this? I feel void of ideas.

Absolutely. I still get cool ideas. It's a constant. But I don't often devote time to them, and fill most of my time in front of a computer on contract work. It's a frustrating thing for me, somewhat, when I hear and read of this obsession and expectation among developers (at least here on HN) to be working outside of work on side projects, as if that really shows you're something great as a developer.

My teenage sons are my primary project. Work is the side project.

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