Set up your work for success with these actually helpful guides.
The other day I was asked how my little startup — the site you are on right now — could have earned over $500 in the first month after launch (actually the first two weeks). Mostly since there was virtually no traffic, and obviously, Google isn’t ranking anything yet.
Sometimes we get so deep into our work everything feels special about it. The truth is, to your potential customers, they may not notice. There is so much vying for their attention you have to do something that stands out.
You should take it personally but don’t take it personally. What the heck could I possibly mean by that? It sounds like I’m just contradicting myself. Let me explain.
This is an exercise where you’ve reached the goal of actually completing your idea. It’s live. It’s available. People are using it and reaping the benefits of your hard work. It’s vulnerable.
How will you know if your idea is a success? You don’t need fancy growth charts, milestone maps, and achievement metrics. Success is different for everyone, but there is some goal or milestone that when you reach it, you’ll feel like your idea was a success.
You’ve probably heard of the 1,000 true fans principle. The 1,000 people who are into your work and support you. But there is a subset of fans within fans. The real, true fans. The super fans.
This is a simple but powerful exercise when you are validating your idea. You could almost think of it as a mental prototype to gain a new perspective of your idea. What would you yourself think about your idea if someone else was pitching it to you?