Is your business your identity?
Startup Founders: Commit. Your startup is your identity. — Adam Draper 🛸 🌊 (@AdamDraper) January 25, 2021 I saw this tweet and it made me want to smash the “reply” button and disagree. But then I resisted – it needed more words, more thought. As with most topics, and controversial points: it's nuanced
jamesgill.co
if you've got a single monster idea and you're pushing to get to Series B and a 3-comma exit then yeah, you and the idea are one and the same for the next 5-10 years. and you should spin all your marketing & PR around that.
But if you're an indie hacker (and even one who takes some small investment but is keeping feet on the ground) then your identity is "indie hacker | startup innovator | etc" who has a few businesses to your name.
@steveprocter Good point Steve – good to take it from another perspective – thank you!
If your business is your identity you better hope both of them are very strong.
I prefer my business and identity to be independent of each other, that way each can adapt and evolve in their own right. Things change, life is weird sometimes, I say keep your options open.
@johnmarto Thanks for sharing this, John – totally agree. Seems like this is generally the view in the Indie Hackers community too!
Not everyonoe thinks their startup is their identity.
The more of an experienced entreprenuer I become, the less my business is tied up into my identity and self-worth. It's easier to take feedback and change course when your business is not your identity.
@pkafei – I couldn't agree more. It's so hard to be objective when you're tied too close. Thanks for sharing, and I agree with Kelly too!
This tweet from Adam Draper has been doing the rounds and I felt I couldn’t do it justice in a tweet or two – keen to hear what others in the Indie Hackers community think on this subject.
Do you find it hard to separate out your startup and personal identity? Have you managed to draw a line between the two? What traits of your startup are derived from your identity?