If you have the runway, take a 2 week staycation before launching. There's a good chance you've been burning hard for a while. You may just need a break.
Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
81–90 of 171 posts
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#82read “do the work”, a 2 hour motivational read
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#83Earlier quoted context omitted.
That _helps_, but I'm a British/EU citizen, living in Australia, who regularly VPNs through servers in Singapore, Tokyo, and the US. I'm still protected by GDPR. (Personally, I reckon that's quite an overreach by EU lawmakers, but that's what they've chosen to do, in response to equivalent or worse "overreach" by internet companies trading in personal information...)
According to this HN discussion you're probably not covered by GDPR: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16751791
Thanks for that!
That actually makes sense (not something that's expected to be true of laws...)
So by my reading of the advice linked there:
If an individual is in the EU, they're covered by GDPR - whether they're a citizen or not.
If a company is based in or does business in the EU, all it's users are covered by the GDPR - whether they're in the EU or not, and whether they're an EU citizen or not.
That's much less over-reachy than I'd thought. The EU arguably does have the right to make laws about how you treat people within it's borders - whether they're citizens or not. (A death threat against a Chinese person in Paris should be prosecutable under French law by French police/authorities). The EU definitely does have the right to make laws about how businesses in the EU or who have offices/presence in the EU treat people everywhere. (A London company discriminating against a homosexual Saudi citizen should be prosecutable under British law by British authorities, even if it's not illegal to so discriminate in Saudi Arabia).
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#84I've experienced this often. Some comments:
- Before a release, I have to hold off major features (like you path system) and it goes slow and boring. But immediately after release, I can suddenly begin the exciting new stuff again. It's a freedom to look forward to.
- When swimming, I would get tired near the end of the lane, but by visualizing the end being even further away, I got more energy.
- My todo list grows faster than I clear it. So aggressively remove pre-release items as much as possible. You're never going to do them all anyway.
- You really need people to be using it or you'll be designing things wrong, perhaps even the major organizing principles will be hard for users to understand. You don't want to end up with a Gmsh or a Blender!
- User requests are a powerful motivator. You're doing work for a confirmed real purpose and know they're going to appreciate it.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#85Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think this kind of reasoning applies to all projects. If you're doing something without the pressure to make money you can make something that you're proud of. Of course, this can only be a side project unless you're already rich. The one thing I know is that if you don't love what you do, it's the same wether you own some super hot startup or you write forms for some accountant firm.
If you want other people to use it, it does apply. You don't know what you don't know until you have user feedback. No matter how much is right about your vision, you need that. This is WHY the idea of having an MVP and iterating has won so thoroughly.
Don't get me wrong, if you are to measure success by the money you raise, then I completely agree with you.
I meant thinking of an app as a mean of expression rather than a cow to squeeze money from.
If you want to make something more in the arts department, getting people to tell you what they think early on might be a horrible and non constructive idea.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#86This is somewhat on topic but people may consider it unrelated. There is a business book that explains the disconnect between many people who say they want to start a business but only focus on the task that they're good at. One of the premise inside the book was that a baker started a bakery and ended up only baking and leaving all of the managing and appointment making to her employees. All of the employees quit an…
the book might have been emyth
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#87I'm in the same boat as you recently, and all I can think of is the story (maybe a myth or fable?) about the painter who was cursed with his paintings coming "alive" when they were finished - to everyone's detriment. So he was always careful to leave one eye or other small element unpainted.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#88In general, I find that the mind doesn't lie when you're stressed out, it just exaggerates a bit. If I had to guess, all of your fears are valid fears and you should sit with each one and address it. However, now is not the time.
You just reached a major milestone, whether it feels like it or not. You are getting near completion on a major project, you are starting to think longer term, you are considering the impact of your work on the world.
Take a week off. Or even a few months. Take a step back and let what you've done really sink in. Give yourself a treat, like playing a video game or binge watching tv or walking in nature. Whatever floats your boat.
Come back to the project in a month or two and you'll have a clearer head about where you're really at and what's left for you to do. Be kind to yourself. This kind of project is a heavy emotional and mental burden. Do not underestimate how much emotional weight it has. Give yourself permission to get back to a balanced, healthy mindset before taking the next steps.
Be well friend. Good luck! And be kind to yourself.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#89This is somewhat on topic but people may consider it unrelated. There is a business book that explains the disconnect between many people who say they want to start a business but only focus on the task that they're good at. One of the premise inside the book was that a baker started a bakery and ended up only baking and leaving all of the managing and appointment making to her employees. All of the employees quit an…
the book might have been emyth
Yes! thank you.
Re: Ask HN: Why is nearing completion so demotivating?
#90Because you realize you haven't thought it through enough, and continuing is daunting. There is no such thing as complete.