What advice would you give someone terrified of building in public?
Hey all!
I was chatting with a friend this weekend about our various side projects and building, and she admitted she was absolutely terrified to start building in public. Logically she understood the perks, but didn't want to put anything else out there.
What advice would you give to someone who is scared of building in public?
What metrics are important to share publicly, and what should be better off in private? What are the best tips you've learned about building in public?
I'm curious to understand why she wants to build in public in the first place. Is it something she really wants to do or something she thinks she should do? The reason I ask is, if she doesn't emotionally connect with the benefits (just logically), it becomes much harder to convince oneself to pursue it. There is also no mandate saying one has to build in public, even if it is a trend. :)
She can start by sharing things that are related to the project but not the project itself. She doesn't have to share aspects about the project, but maybe her workflow, or her morning routine, or her own tips for keeping herself motivated. She has full control over what she shares, so I'd recommend to share only what she is comfortable with. It'll be more enjoyable that way. Best of luck!
This is great advice Stephanie! Thank you! Your response makes me realize I'm seeing this "trend" everywhere and feeling like I have to do it to catch up, but the reality is you do what feels right to you. The way you put it "She can start by sharing things that are related to the project but not the project itself." changed the whole idea of building in public for me. It makes it far less scary and especially less "humble-brag-y" which is how I always felt building in public sounded, even though I know it isn't meant in that way.
You're most welcome!
If someone is terrified of something, they have 2 choices. Do the thing, or don't do the thing.
We have to understand the difference between scary and dangerous.
Scary feels scary because it is new, unusual, or we have unresolved issues.
Dangerous is potentially bad for you well being.
So which is building in public? I would posit it lies more on the scary. Unusual, new, but not dangerous.
I have been sharing stats for all my side projects, including the paid one.
What scares you? what they would think about you?
it does not matter, they are too busy thinking about how they look themselves...
I have post from myside projects getting into the 5th of ph to making 100$ a month.... this whole BIP is mostly for you, to have yourself accountable. and not even that,.....
Try it out with something you don't care too much about - maybe a weekend project and see how it goes. Or in other words, dip your toes!
I love this -- dipping your toes is such a good start!
Great question. I was this person at one time. Here’s how I would approach it now.
Validate her concerns. Don't just dismiss them. Yes, building in public shows your competitors what you’re doing, but...
Provide reassurance. Maybe you’ll find a great person to partner up with, take it to the the next level.
Paint the worst case scenario. And the best case. You may trip over your feet and this is embarrassing. But hey, only 5 people saw it. Or you trip over your feet and 20 people come pick you up. The downside is small and the upside huge.
Then realize there’s 7 billion people in the world. And this little corner is a safe space.
Especially on IH, we are very supportive.
Outside of IH if you tell people you’re building the next Microsoft, the default reaction is skepticism. They’re just not used to hearing that. Not their fault.
The average IHer wants you to succeed. Not just out of altruism. But self interest too. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with the next big thing? Who wouldn’t an opportunity to invest early in a rising startup?
As for metrics, I’d focus on the input going in, how many widgets did you make (blog posts, launches)? Because early on, you have no control over the externalities like revenue and traffic. Those goals can demotivate you at the start. Like standing on a weight scale everyday to check if you’re finally 10lbs lighter, versus “hey I did 10k steps today”. Focus on the latter.
I’m still new to this. I’m still learning. The biggest part of building in public is the community - accountability, confidence and drive it gives you. Part of BIP is also giving back and paying it forward. These offset any (often justifiable) fears imo.
I've been trying the whole building in public thing earlier this month, posting revenue numbers and stuff (made $100 so nothing extravagant haha), and everytime I was embarrassed to post, I reminded myself that I had like 50 Twitter followers, and it's not like people were watching my every move !
If your friend doesn't have an audience, just remind her that not a lot of people will see her posts in the beginning, so she really has nothing to be afraid of :)
It's definitely scary building in public. I can understand her fear. The thing that helped me the most was building with someone else in public on the same project. I'm not sure there's a playbook for it (like what metrics are best to share etc), the building in public community has been nothing but supportive to me and I haven't seen many folks shame anyone for shipping something ever (i speak from the twitter community mainly).