Focus on Momentum First
The one thing that had the most influence on my entrepreneurial journey so far is momentum.
People might wonder why I'm spending money on Meta ads (see previous posts) even though they don't sell. It's a negative sum game.
But I'm doing it for momentum. The money I spent is not for conversions but for my own motivation to work on the project - so it feels more real.
When you try to improve your life by becoming an entrepreneur (or anything really), you're trying to become somebody else. You switch your identity from employee to entrepreneur, unhealthy to gym freak, chill person to productive person.
Those who have attempted such a step know that this comes with friction; thoughts like "Is this truly me?", "Do I have what it takes?", "Should I do something else?" are common.
If you decide to switch your identity but don't take action to cement it, the frequency of these thoughts increases. You feel guilt because you're not moving towards that identity. Worst case, the guilt accumulates so much that you completely avoid the topic.
If you do act, on the other hand, you reinforce the new identity, piece by piece. Your brain recognizes every new action and treats it as proof that you're already the person you're trying to become. People see your ads, they visit your site, and some sign up for the waitlist. Apparently, you have published an app. You are an entrepreneur.
As a result, the new identity actions become easier and easier. There's less friction with your old identity because that one continues to dissolve. You're now the entrepreneur guy, so it's only natural you make quick decisions. It's only natural to work on marketing instead of features.
Focus on building momentum. Quickly, everything will become easier, and you will make better decisions.
So, what can you do to build it?
Take a look at your schedule first. Can you tweak it so you make meaningful progress every day? I work a 32-hour job, theoretically four full work days per week. But I like to spread those hours out over five to six work days, so I have three or more hours per day to work on my own stuff. I get something meaningful done every day.
Next, release early. When you start a new repository, deploy it immediately and keep pushing to production. Having it "up there" increases the realness, plus you can always show your app to friends and anybody who's interested.
Also, start growing traffic first. Deploy a landing page with a waitlist. Post it everywhere, share it with friends, and even use paid ads. Let people use your beta version app without paying (up to a point; please don't go broke, but there shouldn't be many people using it anyway). Anything that makes the product feel more real. 20 visitors per month can go a long way.
Last, prioritize small wins. You need a row of quick successes. Create the layout and build the core feature without auth, whatever. Defer difficult stuff that users don't see. Show it to people, process their feedback, and enjoy the reactions.
Even if this seems like a lot right now, focus and start with a single step. Your identity will shift, and the rest will become much easier.