Solo founders: how do you stay focused?
I'm currently a team of 1, and some days it can be hard (and lonely) to just keep grinding. Curious to hear from other solo builders here how you stay motivated and consistent over the long run?
Things helping me a lot right now:
Private community to share progress
Lots of small releases
Reaching out to current users to get more feedback and direct work
Reminding myself that it sometimes just takes time
Replies
Yeah man, solo building gets real lonely sometimes.
the thing that helps me is just talking to a couple other indie builders now and then, even if it's just to rant.
Also stopped overthinking launches, I just drop stuff, see what happens. Reminding myself that showing up every day already puts me ahead of most. It's hard, but you're not the only one in it.
@harvanshchaudhary Yeah true! I like the framing of showing up every day is already an edge, and your point about "the big launch" just not being a thing really resonates too. Thanks for sharing!
Being part of a community like ProductHunt
Listening and engaging with user groups
Partnering with other founders and makers
Delegating some of the work
@sanoojs What's the best way to partner with other founders?
@rohulp One of the best ways to connect with other founders is through platforms like Product Hunt, LinkedIn, and local meetups. Focus on finding individuals and teams with complementary skills/offerings and look for opportunities for mutual growth and collaboration.
Some days I just take the L and rest. The goal is to play the long game, not burn out trying to crush every single day.
@chritopher_bond Great point. I think I'm especially bad at this!
minimalist phone: creating folders
It usually helps me when I am isolated during work, but I also need to gather with people, so set strict times when you work/when you have fun.
@busmark_w_nika Yes, a balance is definitely important. I sometimes run into conflict when I specifically want to be out of balance because there's some big focus, issue, opportunity, but generally I should get better at this.
I don't have a lot to offer here, but I think reminding myself that it takes time is all I can really do right now.
This community has been helping a lot over the last few days. I can see how motivating it is to see others share their thoughts and struggles - makes you feel less alone in the grind.
Once I figure out how to get that initial set of users for feedback, I think I'll feel much better about the whole process.
The solo builder journey is definitely lonely some days. Thanks for sharing what's working for you .
@rohulp Right back at you Rohul. I think you're right... it's useful to remind ourselves that it's a long path and that it takes time and patience. We can't expect every day to be a big win.
I've been soloing for almost a year and only joined Product Hunt recently - wish I had done it sooner!
What keeps me motivated is constantly reminding myself why I started this journey in the first place. Whatever your goal is, thinking about it regularly and remembering how badly you want it is what drives everything, at least for me.
I'm also brutally honest with myself about the high likelihood that what I'm working on might fail - and that's completely okay. I'll pivot, try again, and learn from the failure. Accepting that possibility upfront actually removes a lot of pressure and keeps me moving forward.
The community aspect you mentioned is huge too. I haven't utilized that enough, but hope that changes going forward.
@olga_shiryaeva1 Thanks Olga! I think we both see this very similarly. A strong why is super important, and yes, having that little network of friends (and eventually) early customers to speak to about ideas, progress, etc. definitely helps. Really good point about constantly acknowledging the probabilities in this world... we're trying to do something... unlikely! But that's also what makes it exciting, right?
@martin_rue Totally agree! It does make it super exciting. I also wanted to mention to your earlier point, anything worthwhile always takes time.
Nomadful
Feedback is my main fuel. I've been lucky to get super positive feedback with my latest product, and overall users have found some value in it. Knowing this just blows my mind and even though it may sound like cliché... knowing that my products have a positive impact on people's lives makes me just want to keep going. I'd say it's also important to acknowledge that things (like you said) do take time, so it's okay to take a break every now and then.
@manuelzarroca That's the killer motivator for me – hearing from a user (even one!) that they are using and like something you're building. Infinite energy comes from that. Great point Manuel.
Make more connects with other makers and keep aiming at your goal!
Never forget your willing at the beginning...