Every founder treats their startup like it’s their child. I get it, everyone does. You have had an idea, you’re drinking the entrepreneurial cool-aid and you’re hustling like you don’t need sleep.
Now, don’t get me wrong, maybe your startup is life-saving or life-changing. But in my experience, more often than not, it isn’t. I am not saying you shouldn’t pursue your idea, by all means, do, but I do think most founders need to tone down the significance with which they discuss their startup.
There is a lot of hyperbole in startup circles and for some reason, it stopped being enough for a startup to just be a good idea.
So, how can you give yourself a reality check about the significance of your startup? Well here are some questions you can ask yourself. If you don’t answer yes to any of them then it is unlikely that the startup warrants you to work yourself to death or not.
If you make your product will it save somebody’s life?
If you make your product will millions of lives be transformed?
Can only you really make the product to more or less the same level of quality and timelines?
Now, if you can’t honestly answer yes to any of these questions, what do you do?
Still, build your startup. Create it, grow it and launch it. Just don’t take yourself too seriously and enjoy it.
You can still build something great without it having to be transformational for everyone’s lives.
If you put your startup into perspective you might relieve some of the pressure off yourself and enjoy the whole process a lot more. Besides, not every pursuit needs to be transformational to everyone for it to be worthwhile doing.