How do you deal with Impostor Syndrome?
I'm 4 years into entrepreneurship, and Impostor Syndrome has become a part of daily life.
That's the bad news. The good news is that I've kind of become numb to it.
But the early days of full time entrepreneurship were REALLY hard.
Facing the reality of risk while you have a salary-paying job and while you’re going it alone are two very different things.
I fell into a spiral of self doubt with 2 voices in my head:
Voice #1:
“This is stupid. You are stupid. This is a cute, silly joke. See you at your job in 5 years after making no money.”
Voice #2:
“The only way to get there is to start. It may not work, but the perfect idea will never just appear, you must go to it. It’s part of the process. Just start.”
Voice #2 is a nice thing, and I wish I could say it was louder than Voice #1.
It wasn't.
And so... the spiral of self doubt made me anxious…
…which made me worried about my judgement being clouded…
…which crushed my self-confidence…
…which made me more anxious, and so on.
It got so bad at times that I didn't want to get out of bed.
Nevertheless, through a combination of time and experimenting with different solutions, I've learned to deal with it.
What I've found works:
Setting an attainable goal - Sounds obvious, but starting small increases your chances of getting a win, which gets the motivation fly wheel going.
Getting a paid mentor - Learning from someone who has already done it is criminally underrated. Holding them accountable to you with a paid arrangement makes a HUGE difference. Would you try to get good at tennis without getting a coach?
Getting therapy - The benefits of just talking things out with a neutral party are huge. It doesn’t always work, but having a roughly once per month cadence with my therapist has been good for me.
What works for you guys?
Replies
Maybe it’s too simple, but I try to pause, rest for a bit, and list a couple of wins from my day (big or small) to remind myself that I’m moving forward. That doesn’t fix the root issue, but it helps in the moment.
"Progress defines success, not perfection."
@kevlon23 yeah doing that is an absolute must. helps with burnout too!
WebCurate.co
@kevlon23 @emikes919 I also agree with Kev + your tips, Edward. All very helpful and indeed correct.
@hosseinyazdi sometimes its just helpful to know that other people are in the trenches too!
I hear you!! And this is why having a co-founder can be so crucial. If you are 2 living at the same level of "craziness", at least you have that to share with each other.
However, it is hard, in particular when you are the CEO, to keep a confident face.
Surpassingly, and even if I know it is fake, CHatGPT's sycophancy can help sometimes. Just to cheer me up.
@dg_ totally, but it's so hard to find a co-founder who has the same level of buy-in and commitment as you!
@emikes919 100% I guess the ideal scenario is they have already been working on a similar problem, and you joined forces to tackle the problem together... I think something like that happened to the PayPal mafia.
@dg_ yeah super rare! all you can do is keep chugging along and building in public
here’s the simplest way to beat imposter syndrome:
deliver what you promise.
promise only what you can deliver.
do that, and there’s no way you’re an imposter.
@thecommunityman true, but doesn't growth require promising a little more each time? Kind of like lifting weights, you have to increase the weight slowly over time. That means its always challenging
I really felt this. When i first started posting instagram reels for Startup Sunday, I was aiming to build the biggest startup community online. Seeing just 500 views early on felt deflating.
Still, I kept showing up. refining & posting. Then one day — 600k views. and with it, a quiet sense of validation. Not just for the content, but for the mission behind it. What i’ve learned is simple: you keep building until you're not the 'impostor'
@indukeys honestly 500 views on day one is a lot!! congrats on sticking it out!
Pokecut
Thank you for sharing such an honest and vulnerable reflection, Edward. Impostor Syndrome is something many entrepreneurs face, but hearing how you’ve navigated it—especially the importance of setting small goals, investing in mentorship, and seeking therapy—is incredibly valuable advice. I especially resonate with the idea that Voice #1 can be so loud and persistent, and that it takes time and intentional effort to manage it. For me, building a supportive community of fellow founders who understand the ups and downs has also been a game-changer. Looking forward to hearing how others cope with these feelings!
Pokecut
I keep a “brag file”—a private folder where I save screenshots of nice feedback, small wins, or anything that proves I’m not a total fraud. Revisiting it on rough days is like a reality check from my past self.