If you feel lonely while working on your projects then I can recommend that you look for more people who can give you feedback more frequently.
If you don't show & tell people what you are working on it is easy to feel lost & lonely. Show & tell, ideally people also hacking away on something, set up some routine checkins, and it will get easier. Having some external accountability really helped me to not feel lost & overwhelmed.
I agree with the point that it's pretty much about what one gets out there. One question: What are your personal ways for looking for more people to talk to?
Most of my network is in startups or has a startup background, so I rely heavily on existing connections & friends who can relate. And who kick & shake me if I am too down or tell them that I need a pep talk.
If you want very specific feedback (e.g. which stack? which growth channel?) then I would recommend IH for this, or, if possible, physical meetups (difficult currently, I know).
Getting through the "valley of tears & sorrows" is just part of being a founder. No shame in asking for help.
Sometimes! I work from home and it's very easy to hunker down in the cave and neglect socializing. Fortunately, I have a live-in girlfriend. But that's not enough.
Some solutions I use:
Participate regularly in forums like this one with fellow travelers on my journey
Make it a conscious habit — I use everyday app — to have at least one daily conversation with someone in my inner circle
Hello @channingallen, thank you for sharing your daily routine of asynchronous topic-centered discussions on the one hand and at least one quality conversation with a friend. Since you are mentioning working from home: Do you consider working from an office at times or do the benefits of working remotely just outweigh any cons?
BTW everyday.app is a great tool! Have been using it over the past years too. It's great to hear that others found out about it too.
Do you consider working from an office at times or do the benefits of working remotely just outweigh any cons?
Novelty is good for the brain so I like changing my environment occasionally. This used to mean a lot of coffee shops before the pandemic. (And years ago when I still lived in San Francisco it meant a couple days a week in the Stripe office.)
But these days I'm content to just work from the home office in my apartment.
BTW everyday.app is a great tool! Have been using it over the past years too. It's great to hear that others found out about it too.
The founder is an indie hacker so I also hope more people find out about it!
Pretty much all the time. I work from home, and don't really see people in person M - F between 9 - 5. Of course, on the weekends, I am active and see friends. And after work, I will see my partner or meet up with friends. But during the day I really feel the loss of not being around other people. Their personalities, thoughts, ideas. It's why I'm online so much, it's replacing that need for connection.
Maybe I'm just a nerd ;) or perhaps other people are also living a life similar to mine...
Hey @sethking! Probably other people are also living a life similar to yours 🙂 I like how you differentiate between meeting someone in person versus online. Also I get the impression that the loss of being around occurs while working from home in contrast to working from an office. Would you say there is any way to emulate this situation while sitting in front of one's computer? And if so, how would it need to look like for you?
Yes! I work a day job and I also write a lot. Both are remote and there can be weeks that I never, ever leave the house to meet anyone other than going out for a jog. But that's also a solitary event, it's great to get some headspace but in this setting I have to actively seek social interactions rather than them happening organically during the day.
I'm not sure if I'm an extrovert or an introvert because I enjoy both being solitary but also really find myself when I'm connecting with people. Yeah so there's no coping but maybe balancing.
I definitely feel lonely sometimes. Honestly, I don't think I could name anyone who doesn't often feel lonely right now. Hang in there!
For me, I often don't want to interact with people because I tend to be a little on the introverted side of things. But whenever I do, I feel way better. So I try to force myself to make social engagements from time to time.
Going to the coffee shop near me to work is helpful too — they know my name now so it's always nice to be recognized. Plus I feel cool when I say "I'll have my usual" 😀
You should also check out online co-working like Weekend Club — I've heard that can help, but I've never done it myself.
Thank you Toni! I feel like for us introverts - would myself consider that too - it's so much about getting the "right" amount of external stimulation and being able to control that. Hearing the people at your coffee shop recognize you honestly warms my heart! Out of curiosity: What did prevent you from joining an online co-working like the Weekend Club? Because I am pondering on creating a really convenient and naturally feeling solution to this problem of loneliness right now.
I actually enjoy the loneliness while working on something that's important to me. It's a good escape method and blastik music while focusing on something I really enjoy is refreshing for me instead of depressing. I already have enough chaos in my daily life :)
Before starting my indie hacker journey I was already used to working remotely full time.
I've struggled with loneliness, but only after I started living on my own. I've written my story (and how I overcame loneliness) on my blog. Hope someone gets some value from it :)
Sure, sometimes I feel lonely. That's CEO life...you are the last stop. I would say that taking internal and external feedback helps, but there will always come a time when you stand alone. I don't mean lonely in a negative way, but I mean it as: you stand on your own and make decisions on your own that you live with.
I joined the Wannabe Entrepreneur community by @tiagorbf - the virtual coworking space is really good to work with others, and the random coffees each week are a great way to get to know the other members.
Join our virtual coworking space for 4 euros month and start befriending and working with other entrepreneurs from all over the world 🌎 Https://wannabe-entrepreneur.com/coworking
If you feel lonely while working on your projects then I can recommend that you look for more people who can give you feedback more frequently.
If you don't show & tell people what you are working on it is easy to feel lost & lonely. Show & tell, ideally people also hacking away on something, set up some routine checkins, and it will get easier. Having some external accountability really helped me to not feel lost & overwhelmed.
I agree with the point that it's pretty much about what one gets out there. One question: What are your personal ways for looking for more people to talk to?
Most of my network is in startups or has a startup background, so I rely heavily on existing connections & friends who can relate. And who kick & shake me if I am too down or tell them that I need a pep talk.
If you want very specific feedback (e.g. which stack? which growth channel?) then I would recommend IH for this, or, if possible, physical meetups (difficult currently, I know).
Getting through the "valley of tears & sorrows" is just part of being a founder. No shame in asking for help.
Sometimes! I work from home and it's very easy to hunker down in the cave and neglect socializing. Fortunately, I have a live-in girlfriend. But that's not enough.
Some solutions I use:
Hello @channingallen, thank you for sharing your daily routine of asynchronous topic-centered discussions on the one hand and at least one quality conversation with a friend. Since you are mentioning working from home: Do you consider working from an office at times or do the benefits of working remotely just outweigh any cons?
BTW everyday.app is a great tool! Have been using it over the past years too. It's great to hear that others found out about it too.
Novelty is good for the brain so I like changing my environment occasionally. This used to mean a lot of coffee shops before the pandemic. (And years ago when I still lived in San Francisco it meant a couple days a week in the Stripe office.)
But these days I'm content to just work from the home office in my apartment.
The founder is an indie hacker so I also hope more people find out about it!
Indeed, the pandemic was quite a game changer when it comes to work. Let's hope the world will normalize rather sooner than later! 😎
Speaking of Stripe, I watched your interview with Will Kwan a while back. Great points!
Pretty much all the time. I work from home, and don't really see people in person M - F between 9 - 5. Of course, on the weekends, I am active and see friends. And after work, I will see my partner or meet up with friends. But during the day I really feel the loss of not being around other people. Their personalities, thoughts, ideas. It's why I'm online so much, it's replacing that need for connection.
Maybe I'm just a nerd ;) or perhaps other people are also living a life similar to mine...
Hey @sethking! Probably other people are also living a life similar to yours 🙂 I like how you differentiate between meeting someone in person versus online. Also I get the impression that the loss of being around occurs while working from home in contrast to working from an office. Would you say there is any way to emulate this situation while sitting in front of one's computer? And if so, how would it need to look like for you?
Yes! I work a day job and I also write a lot. Both are remote and there can be weeks that I never, ever leave the house to meet anyone other than going out for a jog. But that's also a solitary event, it's great to get some headspace but in this setting I have to actively seek social interactions rather than them happening organically during the day.
I'm not sure if I'm an extrovert or an introvert because I enjoy both being solitary but also really find myself when I'm connecting with people. Yeah so there's no coping but maybe balancing.
I definitely feel lonely sometimes. Honestly, I don't think I could name anyone who doesn't often feel lonely right now. Hang in there!
For me, I often don't want to interact with people because I tend to be a little on the introverted side of things. But whenever I do, I feel way better. So I try to force myself to make social engagements from time to time.
Going to the coffee shop near me to work is helpful too — they know my name now so it's always nice to be recognized. Plus I feel cool when I say "I'll have my usual" 😀
You should also check out online co-working like Weekend Club — I've heard that can help, but I've never done it myself.
Good luck!
Thank you Toni! I feel like for us introverts - would myself consider that too - it's so much about getting the "right" amount of external stimulation and being able to control that. Hearing the people at your coffee shop recognize you honestly warms my heart! Out of curiosity: What did prevent you from joining an online co-working like the Weekend Club? Because I am pondering on creating a really convenient and naturally feeling solution to this problem of loneliness right now.
I actually enjoy the loneliness while working on something that's important to me. It's a good escape method and blastik music while focusing on something I really enjoy is refreshing for me instead of depressing. I already have enough chaos in my daily life :)
I like the way you are thinking @HenryDobson77!
Before starting my indie hacker journey I was already used to working remotely full time.
I've struggled with loneliness, but only after I started living on my own. I've written my story (and how I overcame loneliness) on my blog. Hope someone gets some value from it :)
Thank you for sharing @Twan 🙂
Sure, sometimes I feel lonely. That's CEO life...you are the last stop. I would say that taking internal and external feedback helps, but there will always come a time when you stand alone. I don't mean lonely in a negative way, but I mean it as: you stand on your own and make decisions on your own that you live with.
I joined the Wannabe Entrepreneur community by @tiagorbf - the virtual coworking space is really good to work with others, and the random coffees each week are a great way to get to know the other members.
https://wannabe-entrepreneur.com/coworking/
Thank you for recommending @MaxwellDavis! I will take a look 🙂
Join our virtual coworking space for 4 euros month and start befriending and working with other entrepreneurs from all over the world 🌎
Https://wannabe-entrepreneur.com/coworking