Build the launch pad: Small Steps Lead to Big Wins

It can be dangerous to dream too big before you’re ready - you’re setting yourself up to fail, and making the challenge harder than it might need to be.

💡

Imagine trying to climb a staircase but deciding you would only do it if you could leap three steps at a time. It’s an easy way to make sure you’re exhausted really quickly. It doesn’t necessarily mean you get up the stairs any faster.

There's a quote I love from Andrew Wilkinson, the founder of Tiny:

“The number one mistake people make is thinking too big on their first business.

They try to start the next SpaceX when they should be starting a paving company.

Something boring that gets you the money to start the next SpaceX later.

Build the launch pad before the rocket.”

Build the launchpad before the rocket.

💡

Sometimes learning the basics and mastering them allows you to scale faster than you could by trying to start at the hardest level.

Everyone wants to build a rocketship startup. But too many people try launching rockets from the soft earth of their backyard rather than looking to find a solid foundation to launch from.

There’s a reason the average age of the founders of breakout startups is in their 40s and not the 20-somethings you see on the magazine covers. They have experience. They’ve learned what works. They can easily pattern-match and map what they know across new landscapes.

Resist the temptation to take on a giant, grandiose project as a beginner.

You need to try small things, put them into the world, and get feedback. It's the fastest way to learn, and it significantly lowers your risk as well.