Here I am working hard at forcing my brain not to think about it. I have endless work to do on Passdown, so I fill up a ton of time with that, yet, no matter how hard I try not to let my mind wonder what Y Combinator's answer is going to be on October 28th, it still does.
Endless flip flopping of thoughts run through my brain. If you pump your team up and say "We're getting invited" then you seemingly set yourself up for a big heartbreak if the "sorry you didn't make it email shows up".
If you tamp down your wonder with the negative, and keep repeating "you have no chance in hell" well that's just destructive thoughts that no one in life needs. So you are trapped in a waiting hell, some sort of world you don't want to be in, yet you do, cause you want what Y Combinator offers, HELP, and more importantly an environment for your startup to thrive in.
As most of us entrepreneurs know most startups FAIL. So we ought to all be applying for every accelerator we can. Just apply to them all and don't stop. You may never get into any of them, but you certainly won't if you don't apply.
Suffering I am in this waiting period, but I'm not stopping building, testing, seeking out answers to see if Passdown is worth building. I've had a ton of ideas that never made it past my thoughts. I've also built my last startup without testing. A mistake I had to learn. The thing about Passdown is that, Wael and I kind of don't have to test to see if there is market, as others have already done that for us, like Box and Dropbox. We know people want and desire data storage. We also kind of do not need to test auction services as Ebay did that for us too. The thing about Passdown is, our data storage and auction service is for reason's people have not thought they needed it for. It's the great uncertainty about a startup idea. Do people need it? Do they want it? Will they pay for it? Can't say, but we can see what people have already done and the answer is yes to those.
We also have some unique 'potential users' responses, and they have been so overwhelming positive. Filled with amazingly great comments about the desire for what we are building. Just wish we had the beta ready for use, so we could put the meat into the fire people are expressing about Passdown. Yes,we'd like to see if they want some dessert with the great dish we are serving.
Yes my team is going to be heartbroken for a period of time if we do not get invited. I've experienced it a few times already, but my cofounder Wael has not ever. Wael is so excited, pumped and positive. I will be so heartbroken for him. I will be heartbroken for humanity too, cause I know my team needs an accelerator to bring this good to the world. We need the environment to thrive in as so many other applicants do. The competition right now is all the other teams. As much as I wish them the best of luck. I hope my team smokes them!
Every startup starts with a thought. The thought in your head, that, wow, that's a great idea! You wander around your house, thinking you just thought up the million dollar idea! Oh yeah! your're amazing! You know what, someone, somewhere is already ahead of you, and they are, already building it.
Ahh Fuck! How Can That Be? You Were Sure No One Else, Could Have Ever Thought Of It
I used to think that. The easy answer is. Just type your name into Google, and see how many people have the same name as you? You thought you were unique, and surely no one else has the same rare name as you have, but there it is, 400 John Doe's, or Jana Monroe's! Ah fuck!
The Same Applies To Ideas.
If you thought of it, it's most likely been thought of by someone else. Sorta sad. But here is the thing, don't let it stop you if someone is already doing it. Because competition is the name of the game. The company that builds the gift, that works better for the user, wins! If you are a startup builder, you know, Myspace was before Facebook. Well, we all know what happened there. The person who didn't give up, even when their idea was already on the market, was the winner. The BIG FUCKING WINNER!
I Have A Great Idea Right Now, But I Know Someone Surly Is Already Building It.
It could be out on the market right now. But I know, it's not big yet, cause I have not seen it. Still, I'm not giving up. I'm not going to stop building because someone else is already doing it. Why? Because mine is laced with my ideas, mine is better, mine is totally fucking awesome. I won't let my competitor intimidate me! Because they are not my competition. It is I, who is my competition. I am the one, who takes the idea out of the mind, and builds it. I am the one who lived in the problem, and I am the one who solved it. I don't think about the competition, yet I am happy they exist. Because they validate there is a need for the problem.
When You See Your Idea In Real Life.
If you gave up when you realized your idea was already being done, then your not a startup builder. A startup builder goes after the great idea in their head. A startup builder ignores the ever sinking feelings, that you are being crushed by companies with more seed funding, series A, B or don't fuck with me funding. Yeah a beautiful startup, ignores all the benefits they see their competition getting, while they are suffering, struggling, and building a damn fucking awesome gift for humanity. Yeah you! Don't worry about the fact others are already building it. Don't worry if you have no money. Don't worry, cause you are following the nag in your head, and that nag, has more power then all the blessing you think your competition got.
Yea, You, The Startup Builder
If the nag, plus your idea equals, it's haunting your thoughts, then don't give up. No matter all the doubts. No matter all the hardships. If you give up, then you will never know, that your idea, was the best idea. Push forward in all the craziness. Cause those who do ~ find the minds nag to be ~ Mind blowing!
