Afraid to launch 🚀

Hi Kurt!

Oddly, I have a lot of confidence that it will grow quickly. Lots of demand. Huge value for cost. Viral mechanics built in leveraging ore-existing networks.

I hope you're right, but I see my past blunders reflected here.

Im afraid to launch it and actually be successful.

The longer we build, the more pressure is there on the launch itself. And taking 8 months to launch is a lot of time.

Minimize the pressure by not thinking about the launch as a one-off event. Make it a series of soft launches (launch alfa, beta etc.) Capture user feedback as fast as possible. Also, write/blog/talk/record yourself using the app and share it. Present the benefits and value it brings where your target users hang out.

If you are afraid of it being a success, define what success looks like. Elaborate on what you can control and what's outside your control and focus on the former. Go through the worst-case scenario of you succeeding, how would your life look like, is it something to fear? Re-frame success/failure into learning/validating.

Good luck!

It happens with everyone of us. When we are putting too much blood and sweat into making something, it becomes closer to our heart. Kind of like a child.

Subconsciously we start thinking "What if it doesn't work" and that's where we are afraid to launch it to the public.

Fear of the Unknown as we can call it.

But at the end of the day, it can't wait forever. You have to launch. Keep all those fears aside and push that button.

Best of luck 👍.

Watch out,

I work on my project for more than 2 years. I have full-time job, and I started to work 2h on a project every day plus Saturdays.

I am done with features and now the plan is to :

• write documentation
• start with Beta testing

While I was building I collected leads from the Landing page and running Google Ads.

The more closely I am to the launch, beta testing the pressure exists. You are not alone, we are in the same boat.

The way I am planning to reduce pressure is:

• launch beta testing to collect feedback
• React to my customers by sending direct honest emails, personalized for them (WordPress developers), and offering a long free trial.
• Write more on a blog, and tweet more on Twitter ...
• Learn and improve in that process knowing that getting paid customer is hard, but that at the same time it is possible and that I can do it.

Be confident and be consistent every day. That is my plan.

In case anyone wants to check it out, I got through all the brain-funk and launched HuntMob on iOS: https://apple.co/3nLCJEo

Hey Kurt,

It might be worth reflecting inwardly on your beliefs about success. Do you feel worthy of it? Have you had bad experiences in the past related to success that you want to avoid? Any other beliefs you have that might subconsciously be stopping you from achieving it? We can do all the right things but if we ultimately fear success or don't think we deserve it, we'll find a way to sabotage.

How might success negatively impact the good things in your life right now? Think:

• Relationships
• Lifestyle
• Values

Is there anything there that might be stopping you?

For every gain, there's an equal and opposite cost. If you want to dissolve a fear, you need to become conscious of the positives and negatives of both possible outcomes.

What would the benefits be if you launch and it's a success?
What would the drawbacks be if you launch and it's a success?
What would the benefits be if you launch and it fails?
What would the drawbacks be if you launch and it fails?

• Keep answering these questions until you see that regardless of the outcome, you'll be okay. Then strive for the outcome that aligns most with your values.

Good luck!

Oddly, I have a lot of confidence that it will grow quickly

Just one way to find out 😏

I get this a lot Kurt!

I think a couple of things goes into it:

1. imposter syndrome (am I actually good at this)?
2. fear of not having built "the right thing" (did I just waste a ton of time)?

For me, #2 hits hard, often. I've built several things that didn't "just takeoff" and it's always a let down- even after I've done a lot of pre-MVP things like customer interviews, etc... without an audience to launch to, it's just hard.

Let us know your app when you launch it :)

You're not alone, at least with the afraid to launch part. It took me much longer than necessary to make the initial release of my latest app, and now I am worried again to release v1.1.

I am definitely not afraid to be successful, though. I've tried too many things which turned out to be unsuccessful, so I am more used to that. Instead, I am guilty of 1st degree perfectionism.

You’re not alone.

If you’d like someone outside your circle to TestFlight it, I’d be happy to give it a go.

Good luck Kurt

Personally, I've fallen many times into the trap of putting too much significanse into the very launch moment. Telling myself that what happens during the first time (even days) is determining the long-term success of a project.

With experience, I've learned some things to ease this.

First - the launch is only the beginning, not the end. You do want to get started, right? (that's what I tell myself). The sooner you launch, the fewer assumptions you build upon.

Second - you pretty much never nail it the first time. Putting it out there is the start of iterating, gaining insights, changing, shipping, gaining more insights... often you end up getting traction in a place you didn't think of at the beginning.

Ever participated in a running race? 10k, half-marathon? Same thing - a lot of thoughts, even anxiety, before the start - but once you're off running, then you know to put one foot before the other to progress. And you know it is a marathon and not a sprint - persistence is key. The launch is more symbolic... press the button, and good luck!