How do you deal with being "average"?
Hello everyone, I wasn't sure how to address this, but long story short, I'm a jack of all trades. I can code, design, do marketing, etc. But the issue is that I am neither bad nor great at it.
I'm in a way average.
The main issue with this, is that I feel limited compared to other people in the market that can ship lots of great products in a short amount of time.
Okay, let's stay we forget the time to market, and that it simply took me longer to build something. Then the next issue is marketing.
I know well marketing concepts to teach other people, but when it comes to my own stuff, and promote what I do, my brain just become incapable of executing on what I know. And so far, when I try, the outcome aren't that great, so it's a bit discouraging.
So, the biggest issue here, is that I manage to build stuff, but then when it comes to getting traction of it, I have a really hard time to do it.
How would you deal with being "average" and manage to get traction for what you build?
Thank you!
I hear you and can relate 100%. I'm also a jack of all trades, master of none. As a result, even though I have 20+ years of experience building SaaS businesses, running agencies, consulting and whatnot - in the eyes of bigger businesses, I'm not highly skilled in a specific skillset which makes me look unemployable. Plus, having been a CEO and founder of different startups, across different industries, it's hard to fit into other peoples businesses. But that's enough self-reflective bullshit from me. What you're probably experiencing is Imposter Syndrome and self doubt.
I've come to realise that it's impossible to be a Cog in a big Engine. Instead, I realise that I am the engine - I am the cogs, the fuel, the engineering and the driver. Embrace it. Be an engine - and don't be a cog.
Instead, use what you are to your advantage. Embrace being the jack of all and own the journey. I think it'll make for a more interesting ride.
Just because you know how to do marketing and can advise others, taking your own advice can be difficult because if it doesn't work, then that must make you a fraud right? That's imposter syndrome and self doubt keeping you in a vicious loop. I know because I'm in it with you.
Maybe we could develop a small network of "Average Jacks" we could meet regularly to give each other advice and hold each other accountable? Let me know if you're interested in buddying-up - I know I could use someone to bounce ideas off who are in the same shoes as me.
Count me in.
Should we setup a new IH group @hugohamelcom @firefields @ymansurozer @sniper2804?
I think that's a great idea.
Definitely!
That would be great!
sign me up for Average Jacks
Loved what Hugo wrote and this reply. +1 on the average jacks meet. How can we organize that you think?
What you said really hit me in a good way, and I can see that you truly understand where I was coming from.
I definitively was not fully embracing who I was to my deepest core, and I was trying to live with other people standards in terms of how they perceive me... Not good...
Yeah, there was a lot of fear of failure and fear of being a fraud going on there, I can totally see that now.
Having this sort of community/group where "average jacks" can meet would definitively be amazing!
Can relate 100%.
This community ideas sounds great. Is this happening? Would love to join.
Your average is high competence in the eyes of the customer.
See top performers as inspiration, not competitors.
Remember that even a small team can beat a top performer, so find a partner and build a team.
You may not be able to perform because you know the theory but lack the experience. You do more of the same thing, you'll gain more experience, then you'll start to see the reality behind the theory.
By the way, I see you do consulting and you don't look average. Consulting is another beast than building things. An excellent consultant may not be a good entrepreneur, and vice versa.
That's a good point! I might indeed need more practice, and was simply hoping to skip steps.
I actually reverted to consulting to make my "title" more defined, but the reality is that I don't promote it that much. My goal is to build micro-solutions that helps people, and do consulting (custom projects) for people that reaches out to me.
It's kind of what happened recently, someone bought a financial spreadsheet I did, the same day they emailed me for the need of a custom project, the same day I had a call with them, and on the call they agreed to work with me without any objections.
That's exactly the type of "sales" that I want to do. Maybe it's a bit of a fantasy to think this way, maybe not, but I simply don't like the type of sales that is extremely american where you have to go through a sales process, handle objections, and bla bla bla. It's just not how I want to do business. I want real collaboration/partnerships.
I do the same job as you and find the same joy when I make sales organically.
Until I got stuck.
Now I'm trying to escape this overwelming type of business by focusing on a single service.
I don't know if I can be an example.
I think, having a single service is much easier to position and sell, or at least having a defined offer, because people are then able to associate you with something.
Yes, it's much easier.
People want to frame a consultant in a single definition.
Since it is not possible to be recognized in several topics at once, at that point it is better to choose a single service and make the most of the opportunities.
Lot's of negative self-talk, lots of tears...
...then I come to my senses and realize anyone I am comparing myself to are also just as (or at least were) average as I am, they just worked a bit harder and COMPLETED SHIT. They realized that if they only completed what they were working on, and did that over and over as many times as it took to be above average, then they would be.
And that motivates me to continue to plug away at my projects and work through the blinding tears. 😭
You hit the nail on the head. It's quite true that if we commit to simply keep working on what we know we should be working on, one day or another, we will get to where we wished so deeply a long time ago.
In today's fast-paced world, especially in the startup and technology industry, it can be challenging to achieve true expertise in multiple unrelated areas. Even if you are able to reach a level of proficiency in multiple areas, the rate at which these skills become outdated is too high to keep up with. In my opinion, focusing on to be expert too many areas at once can be a waste of our limited time and resources.
Here are the several tips to have a more pragmatist perspective:
Acknowledge: I believe, choosing to be an indie hacker means making the conscious decision to not work as a full-time employee for a large corporation, but instead to have a diverse set of skills and expertise in multiple fields, rather than honing in on just one highly specialized skill.
Have a template & strategy: By having a template projects, you can streamline the process of building new projects by using a generic structure for design, code, and marketing flows. This could include things like a seed Figma file for design or seed web, mobile, and backend projects for development. This approach allows you to quickly bootstrap new ideas in a matter of minutes, rather than spending days or weeks on setup.
Be consistent: Consistently showing up with a clear plan and strategy is essential for anyone, regardless of their level of expertise, to build something good.
Care about yourself: It is important to prioritize your own health, motivation, and personal development while working on a project. You are the driving force behind the project, so it's essential to ensure that you are taking care of yourself first.
In my opinion, if you have a solid foundation of health, clear thinking, focus, and a wide range of skills and resources, being "average" in any one area is not a significant concern. With these assets, you will be able to create what you love with ease.
That's a very good point, and a great perspective that I had not thought of. Thank you for sharing. 🙏
I think that I am definitively missing on having templates and strategies. How would you deal with the dilemma of spending time to build those, when you are also being pulled by wanting to ship fast? I guess that the answer is you have to go slow to then go fast, but I'd love to hear your input on it.
The other thing I see I could be missing from what you say, is to take more time to take a step back and reflect. How do you implement it in your life?
I think, the best time to ship a product is when you have a logical set of experiments for the launch. In other words, ship to test a hypothesis and learn. Shipping quickly is beneficial only if it helps you learn quickly. This approach may help to solve the dilemma.
I believe that having a friend, co-founder, or partner to talk about your motivations, feelings, and ideas is the best way to take a step back and reflect. Seeing our reflections from others' perspectives can sometimes provide a clearer vision
Defintively, having a sound board, is must, that why board meetings kind of exist :P
You don't need to be concerned about whatever you might be missing out on as long as your attention is on the important things. You'll discover contentment in your 'ordinary' existence if you pay attention to all the things you already have and value the little things in life.
That's very true, but also really hard to do, at least for me. So, if you have advice on making sure that you work on the right thing, I am all ears.
Also, do you have any advice on making sure that I always keep my focus on what are my strengths instead of looking at what I might be lacking?
Dealing with feeling "average" can be challenging, but there are several things you can do to help you feel more positive and motivated.
Reframe your thoughts: Instead of focusing on what you perceive as your shortcomings, try to focus on your strengths and the things you are good at.
Set goals: Identify areas in which you would like to improve and set specific, measurable goals to work towards.
https://goappsplay.com/tinder-mod-apk/
Learn from others: Look to people around you who have achieved success in areas where you feel average, and learn from their experiences and strategies.
Embrace challenges: Rather than feeling discouraged by difficult tasks, view them as opportunities for growth and learning.
Stay positive: Keep a positive attitude and remind yourself that personal growth and development is a lifelong process.
Remember, you are unique and have your own special talents and abilities. Don't compare yourself to others, instead focus on yourself and your own journey.
Right! I definitely think that I need to take more steps back, more often, to reevaluate myself. Especially when I am thinking negatively, I must stop myself and shift my perspective to something more positive.
Thank you so much for your advice and support, it was tuly helpful 🙏
Simple answer: Hire smart people where you lack once you grow.
Absolutely! In the short term, as I am not there yet in terms of growth, what would you say is the best thing to do?
I'm very dyslexic. I was bottom of most classes in school and was taken out of language classes so I could be put in extra English classes. I studied graphic design because it was the only thing I didn't suck at (it's pretty hard to be bad at graphic design, just really hard to be good at)
I learned some software because I was using it and I worked at a web design sweatshop for minimum wage and started learning to code on the job because there was stuff no one else would fix up. I don't think anything has ever stuck in my brain that I didn't absolutely need to remember to do my job. This makes it impossible to be an expert and anything because so much of the expert-level stuff isn't useful.
I didn't think of this till I read your post but I've never got past average at any skill because it's hard for me to learn. I suppose one thing that helps me cope with all that is that I had no expectations. A lot of people don't see that as a pro, but no one thought I'd be able to get a job and take care of myself so it all feels like a win.
That's really inspiring, thank you for sharing! For someone that is very dislexic, I wouldn't be able to tell just by how you write. But you're right about the fact that most expert things aren't used in general. And, I'm really happy that you're feeling like a win, because we don't often celebrate ourselves and for you to be able to see all of that, that's amazing!
If you want to get better in certain fields all it takes is a little learning and practice. I like to read and occasionally buy courses on sites like Udemy for things I want to learn. I believe doing this for some time will make you above average in your endeavors. Good luck!
Very true, continuous learning and improvement is the way to go!
I tend to think that nobody is average but you can always improve with the right plan and the right help. I'd say when I'm pair programming I'm a 10x programmer and when I'm coding alone I get distracted - does this mean I am a 1x programmer or a 10x programmer? It's about what you really love and programming isn't for everyone. I'm probably average in Maths and Chess but on the second I've made some really good progress by slowing down when I am outside of preparation (or my opponent makes a weird move) and just really looking for a set of three or four good moves and thinking about my opponents weaknesses more strategically.
Also I'd say asking the right questions of yourself is key. We all have self doubt and I think the way you build yourself up is through very small deliberate practice over long periods of time. If you want to get better at programming I highly advise doing Advent of Code one year. Alternatively if you want to pair with me a few hours per week you'll learn a lot and I'll do much better work on my project than I would have otherwise. Good luck!
Slowing down is clearly underrated, and definitively something I need to practice more. It's not always easy when we are in "survival more" as we just want to more, and we think that slowing down will not help us.
"I feel limited compared to other people in the market that can ship lots of great products in a short amount of time"
Not to be hyper literal hahah, but no one ships lots of great products in a short time.
Either:
Also, I'm of the opinion the 3 things you mentioned are 1 in the same.
You design it to be marketable, you code to fulfill the design.
e.g. You design a feature to be sharable between users, you write code so that their data is safe but still sharable where permissible. Users share information and market the product to each other.
Favorite example of this is Figma. They designed a workspace where multiple people can design together. The value of sharing the app is implicit/valuable. They wrote the code to work async, send invites, create projects, etc...
Ahah I think that you're 1000% right, great correction!
That's very true, these are indeed great elements of a good product with elements of virality, user-friendly interface (fun and easy to use), and more.
Thanks for the perspective!
I guess, I'll have to work on having better systems to build things faster :)
Average is in the eye of the beholder. You are the best you and you are the only you. Met a founder over coffee last week (we meet monthly) who grew a $110m a year restaurant chain. He shared, if you're interested in a topic, read 10 books on it, and you'll be ahead of 99% of the people, even people w/ deep knowledge of that subject. I'm just an average guy that's built 8 companies to cashflow positive (in 90 days or less) since 1989. I mainly read books on marketing and startups, and always learn something. Every startup is a 5,000 piece puzzle and we are all just trying to find the four corners to start w/. Good luck Hugo.
That's a great advice, and it's definitively true that we are all just trying to figure it out. Most people indeed doesn't have it all figured it all out. Thanks for the advice and the reminder 🙏
I've been at it since 1989, and still trying to figure it out. It always changes. And it's a journey, not a destination. One step at a time.
I think that's the one thing I need to work the most on, focusing on enjoying the journey one step at a time, and not focus on the destination (the results). If you have any advice on that, I am all ears.
What do you do every day you enjoy? I enjoy coffee w/ my wife every morning, I make sure that happens daily. I don't have meetings or biz calls after 5pm. I try to build elements of making the world a better place daily/weekly/monthly w/ tangible results, which I care about deeply, and focus much less on hockey stick growth, which is much less interesting to me. I do my best to not book out my calendar w/ endless meetings. I try to have as many meetings happen in email & over the phone as I can. I try to turn founder meetings into founder walk and talk meetings (even if we're both on the phone). I'm 100% attentive in a meeting w/ a founder, if my wife or one of our sons calls, that's more important than who I'm meeting with (all other calls go to voicemail). Make up your list of the 6-12 things that make you happy in biz building and try to do some of them each day. Try it for 21 days and please let me know how it went. Good luck.
Love the way you set boundaries! That's an amazing idea, especially having founders' talks while doing something good for your body.
I'm curious, how do you connect with all those founders at first? Or are they already in your network?
I think that what I am indeed missing is taking the time to make that list of 6-12 elements every month that I now will move the needle the most and have the most impact for my business.
Thank you so much for taking the time to give me a detailed answer of how you do it, it truly helped me to better understand.
Yeah, I started doing the walk and talks in 2021 when I started better eating habits and went from 241lbs to 177lbs, the walking helped a lot. When growing a coworking space I founded in 2007 (and sold in 2021) I met more and more local founders, so I met them "in the wild" which is great, because I don't really network, not a fan. I propose you make your list of 6-12 things and drop it in this thread & we can dig into them a little bit, if you'd like. Or maybe you/we can start a new thread and get others to join in there. I'm in the process of starting another new biz too (biz #8 since 1989, all cashflow positive in under 90 days). However it plays out I'm glad some of the detail in my answer helped, you can do it, I know you can.
I can definitively see that having a coworking space helps with building relationships and meeting new people.
To make that list, it'll really come down to taking the time to reflect and plan.
That's really impressive to have managed to bring your businesses each time to profitability in 90 days. What would you say have been the most important factor or the key elements to achieve that?
Indeed, that list of 6-12 things really makes you focus on what's most important to you to drive your biz forward.
WRT to 90 days to cashflow positive
Write up your business in one short paragraph and find 25 people who say they'll buy it, and 5 people who put money down for it before you have it ready (or even start building it). This accomplishes a few things. First, it makes you articulate in one paragraph what you are building. Second, it makes you locate 25 people who at least say they are willing to buy it, so you now know how to go find more customers. Third, those 25 people you can now treat as advisors and email out weekly/monthly updates on your progress (if they agree). Forth, when 5 people go so far as to put some $ on the table, they really want it, not just saying they will theoretically buy it (it's best if they are 5 people that are new to you, not friends and family).
That makes a lot of sense, that's pretty much the lean startup approach I think, but that's a great reminder and really helpful to see that it actually works.
I guess I'll stop trying to build too soon, and I'll focus on landing pages and promotion with a payment link or a signup link without having the thing built.
Thanks for sharing :)
Try not to compare yourself to others. It can be easy to get caught up in comparing yourself to others and feeling like you don't measure up, but it's important to remember that everyone's journey is different and you should focus on your own progress.
Indeed, that is very true, thanks for the reminder. It sometimes is difficult to see the forest when we're so close to the tree.
Being a jack of all trades can make you a valuable manager perhaps? Wouldn't it be awesome for a company to have a manager who understands coding, marketing and design. Work with people better than you in these fields and make sure everything is well coordinated and matches the same mission of the business.
Very true! Manager or consultant, both would be descent.
It's ok to be average!
We are not all built the same way, so it would be wrong to compare ourselves to others. You have pointed out your strengths, which you own, and I bet you are exceptional in them as well.
The part you are average at takes time and persistence to build as a skill.
Marketing solely depends on the product you are building, and it has nothing to do with you being average. Teaching is different because you are just sharing the basic concepts, while marketing your product, you need strategies and make moves like in chess, just trying to achieve your goal.
My trick is to be persistent, even when things feel off. I know my strengths, and they will never let me down, so why not focus more on what I am not good at and build my skills? Everything works by trial and error.
Also, personal advice is to never think of yourself as average :D Every day, wake up and say that you are the greatest developer/marketer/founder/human being ever! :D and believe in yourself. You will be able to move mountains.
Thank you so much for your message, it really helped. It's very true that being persistent is the way to go, and that I should focus mon on my strength instead of looking solely at what I am "less good at" and being disappointed.
You got this ;)
More power to you my friend!
🙏
Compare yourself to people with the same journey as yourself.
If you’re a jack of all trades, it’s not fair to compare yourself to an expert designer. They’ll be better at design because they spend 100% of their time on that. But you don’t have to be as good as them at design to be a good entrepreneur.
If anything at all, compare yourself to other jacks of all trades. But even that is risky. They might have been doing it for longer than you have.
And (important) the person you see online is often an ideal version of themselves that they want you to see. If you get to know them better, you realize they actually have a lot of rough edges, too. They just don’t talk about them.
I’ve talked to a lot of indie hackers and entrepreneurs who, from the outside, look like perfect and efficient people, but it was never actually the case. They struggled in other areas. Some of it even admitted that they didn’t know what they were doing and that their LinkedIn was way over the top and not representative of what they actually did.
Another comparison worth considering: How good were you yesterday? How good are you today? Strive to be better than yesterday’s version of yourself.
Very true, social media is a dangerous place to compare ourselves, as we rarely have the true detailed story of everything that is happening in the background.
Good point, being continuously better is the way to go. Do you have a way to make sure that you are better than the day before, as I sometimes find it difficult to evaluate?
Maybe think about it differently.
Examples:
Fitness: do 10 pushups every day.
Marketing: send 5 cold emails every day.
Start small. The gains will compound over time.
Right, that makes a lot of sense. That's funny, I'm actually reading the book The Slight Edge that is all about compounding small habits over time.
Awesome! You can do it, Hugo! 💪
Yes sir! 💪
"I know well marketing concepts to teach other people, but when it comes to my own stuff, and promote what I do, my brain just become incapable of executing on what I know"
This should be eye opening for you. You can teach marketing to other people because the other person is responsible for being consistent, following the advice, etc. You're just giving advice, not doing the work.
When it comes to doing the work you have to be consistent and follow your own advice.
I used to deal with this problem too.
Whenever results wouldn't come quickly, I thought I wasn't using the right growth strategy or whatever - I thought I should learn how to make things happen right away. In my head I would think "oh well PayPal did x and DropBox did Y."
In reality, it takes a lot of time, grind, and consistency to find traction for your business or product.
You couldn't have said it better, I definitively think that you're right, and that I must be more mindful of that. Thank you so much for opening my eyes to it!
Sure thing!
I am not average, you are average :P
Jokes aside though, I think you are selling yourself short. It's very hard to know what other people can and cannot do, and what kind of circumstances they are in.
If you wake up every day and do your best, then eventually you will get what you need. All you can do is improve yourself.
At the same time as you doubt your skills, there are hundreds of thousands of people doubting theirs, and most of them are probably not as good as you are. There's no free lunch. Some people work harder, some people get more lucky, but you cannot change what heppens to them. Put in the work, and maybe you get lucky too.
Don't believe me? Here's a good Hacker News post on this topic.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=15659076
No you are 🤣
That's a good point, we too often assume things from people, without knowing what's truly going on behind the curtains. That's a great reminder!
Indeed, focusing on doing 1% better than the day before is definitively a great way to improve. I find it hard something to evaluate if I am truly doing better than the day before, so you have any advice to "make sure" that you keep being 1% better, I am all ears.
Very true, when you get in business, in moments like these, it gets sometimes frustrating to see people that you know are not as good as you believe yourself to be, and yet they seem more successful than you are. I think it's truly something I need to keep reminding myself. Almost like the Memento Mori that was being whispered in the ears of Roman leaders.
I'll definitively take a look at the post on Hacker News, thanks for sharing 🙏
Being average at a lot of things is extremely valuable. However, this means that you also need to be able to identify the key areas that will take the end product from average to excellent, then partner with experts in that area. Initially, this may look like trading work with one of your many average abilities for their only expert ability.
Also, promoting your own work is extremely hard for probably anyone who doesn't focus solely on promoting their own work.
That's very true. It's definitively something I need to work on, as I have a hard time to delegate, as I have this desire of being able to get to a certain level of success and income by myself to sort of future-proof myself and be confident that I can generate income for myself.
Indeed, when we focus on other things than promotion we don't "flex" that muscle so we don't get better at it. I'd be curious to know how you go around this yourself?