Ask HN: How can I quit talking myself out of my own ideas?

It is good to fail fast, but you need to prototype or start implementation before you do. There will always be a side that doubts but the entrepreneur in you needs to believe, but also be realistic.

I am always surprised what sells, so you don't really know if an idea is good until you get it out in the market. Your intuition is good to go by but your intuition may also be completely wrong about what might work as well as what might not. Only the customer/market gives you the real answer.

Also don't just do an idea because you think it will work, do one that solves a problem that you are interested in. This will retain your interest and fuel some belief.

It looks like you are bailing at the 'crisis of meaning' http://i.imgur.com/DEOmi.jpg . Sometimes this is correct, other times a friend or community can help you through it. The quicker you can get to market to test the better, all other input is just opinion.

When you research/start everything, a lot of time is wasted. Instead of trying to stay excited about any random one of them, instead write them down (so your brain doesn't have to worry about forgetting them) and then a week later, you'll have more perspective. Your brain will sort them out.

At first they're all exciting. A week later, only a few will still be exciting. Choose one of those, and then go nuts on it. (Continuing to write down the new ideas that keep coming will also help you stay focused on the one you do choose).

Yes. Coming up with bad ideas is easy. It's important to have a good filter. In general, I think creative people begin many more projects than they finish, and often it's only once you get into the project a little that you can tell it's not really that great.

That said, in your case it might be worth taking one of your ideas through to completion just to have the experience of doing that.

See this: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2079237

You can also pick an idea that you yourself would use ("scratching your own itch"). This removes the uncertainty of "will other people use it", and give you motivation at least until you get a demo/MVP done, to show others. It can help to start with a problem to solve, rather than an idea (that might not address a problem).

All-or-nothing thinking can lead to those dramatic swings, from excitement to uselessness. Instead of asking if it will be great or terrible, a solution is ask if the idea has some value.

Obviously, a bit of trust/optimism/faith is required. If that sounds too... religious... consider that a true scientist will do the experiment, instead of going by what he supposes. "Don't think, try". And Feynman: nature's imagination is greater than your imagination. Do the experiment, just to find out the reality. This helps to remove your ego, that can feel hurt by a failed idea... the ego protects itself by never testing the idea.