12 Startups in 12 Months Wrap Up
The 12 Startups in 12 Months (Open Source Edition) challenge that I started July 1, 2022 is over and this is the wrap up post summarizing my thoughts.
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@anthony, great write up :)
It was interesting to read about your story for 12 in 12, because it seems to force you to push on esp when "you felt like you were posting into the void."
Theres a saying I've recently heard from Alex Hormozi who says "the work works on your more than you work on it"
Thanks, that's a good quote. Yeah, there definitely was a commitment factor involved that pushed me forward at times when I probably would have gone in a different direction in the past.
Thanks for sharing Anthony. 12 in 12 is a tough thing to maintain. Useful, definitely, but tough. Appreciate reading about your experience.
Thanks Andy! Yeah, it was tough but it was definitely a good experience for me.
Thanks for sharing Anthony. For me, this year has become about doing rather than thinking. I'm getting ready to launch my first project emailglow.com and finally recording the course that I wrote the end of last year. I often feel pulled in too many directions. Doing a project a month, without a co-conspirator lol, seems like I would just explode and then end up going nowhere...do you think this takes a certain personality to take on?
Yeah, I think it definitely takes a certain personality and specific types of projects (for example, I don't think building a course would be a good match for this type of challenge, that seems like a project that would require sustained focus over an extended period of time). I've been doing freelance work for ~20 years so I'm used to juggling multiple projects and having my attention spread thin. Just focusing on one thing would become very monotonous to me.
By having a 12 in 12 goal, it helped me stay focused and resist the temptation to switch to something else when I need to finish the current action.
Congratulations on getting close to launching emailglow.com and getting a course written! If you are feeling pulled in different directions, I think setting time deadlines can definitely help push things forward (the 12 in 12 is basically just setting an aggressive timeline publicly).
Thank you for the super thorough response. Much appreciated.
waow.. In my opinion, it's more of a personal challenge than a good way to create a startup. Randomly launching to see what sticks is ineffective. Success comes from iteration and focusing on marketing and sales, not luck or media exposure. Don't you think?
I think it probably depends on the person and where they are at. If you have a specific startup goal that you know will work and definitely want to work on it for years to come, then yes, iteration and focusing on marketing and sales is definitely the right approach.
For me, I have a long list of projects with pros and cons on working on each one. Multiple versions of these projects I think could be successful if I focus on them long term but I wasn't real sure what I wanted to focus on. By doing the 12 in 12, it pushes me to just start moving forward instead of stuck in an analysis loop.
There have been people who have been successful from working through the 12 in 12 or building multiple projects: @levelsio @yongfook @marclou
I've been working on trying to get a startup off the ground for about 20 years. I think I'm closer now than I've ever been and I would attribute a lot of that to having the 12 in 12 push me forward and focus.
That's crazy ! Correct me if I am wrong. I guess the biggest hurdle always lies at the first attempt
Yeah, I agree, the first time is always the hardest.
Inspirational🙏🏿
Thanks!
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Barbara!
Thank you for sharing your experience friend!
Thanks Swayam!
Congrats! Sounds like a brutal year!!!
I think if you want to be better at selling, you need to think more or your audience.
I would challenge you to rewrite that article thinking more about how a reader will benefit from your experience, instead of a diary entry.
Thanks for reading! I wouldn't say it was brutal - I really enjoyed it, there was a lot of growth and stretching that occurred.
Thanks for the tip about writing towards the audience, that is always good to keep in mind. This actually wasn't really intended for selling and really was more of a diary entry. It was mainly geared for other IndieHackers who are thinking about taking on the 12 in 12 challenge.
I'm a big fan of being open (it's one of the reasons I release my projects as open source). I know I've learned a lot from others over the years, but there are often not too many details from people who try and fail.
When I was deciding if I wanted to try the 12 in 12 challenge, I was always disappointed when someone who did the challenge never did a debriefing explaining how it went (often they would just disappear or never mention it again). I think there is a lot to learn in failure and wanted to capture my thoughts before moving on to new projects.
I feel ya. I can see that it’s a diary entry and that’s cool.
I’m not suggesting you sell anything, instead I was cheering you on and suggesting tips to be better at selling (a goal that you mentioned in the article).
Try adding a few lines at the beginning of each paragraph showing a little empathy for the reader and connecting them with your story. Be entertaining or thoughtful and share cautionary tips or advice to do the 12 for 12 challenge better than you.
Right now your diary entry is very me-centric, and if that’s the style you wanted then you nailed it. But I don’t think people like to read self-centered writing (unless you turn out to be a genius like Beethoven 😂 and I hope you do, don’t get me wrong).
With full love and kudos,
Zaid
Thanks Zaid, those are really good thoughts! And thanks for cheering me on!
I misunderstood what you were saying initially.
Honestly, I didn't really want to write that post but I didn't feel that the project was completely over without writing a wrap up post so it was really more of a "I've got to write this to complete the project."
You're right it is fairly me-centric, but I would prefer to call it introspective 😂. I do tend to use the phrase "I think" a lot instead of just stating what I think which you are right, probably makes it more me-centric and less engaging than simply just making a statement. I'm going to start checking my content for "I think" statements and removing them where appropriate. I even used it in my first reply to you 😂.
You've already spent a lot of time reading and responding so no worries if you don't want to respond anymore but I was wondering if you could give a specific example of how you would accomplish "Try adding a few lines at the beginning of each paragraph showing a little empathy for the reader and connecting them with your story."
Thanks for the insights, I really appreciate it!
It’s my pleasure. For example:
If you ever wondered what it feels like to build 12 startups in 12 months, join the club. I tried this challenge in July 1, 2022 and by July 2023 I built not 12, not 10, not even 6, but 2.5 startups. Let me tell you what I’ve learned so that you could build more startups than I did if you decide to take on the 12 for 12 challenge. So my promise is by the end of this article you’ll have enough insight to build at least 3 startups in 12 months.
The reason I’m writing about my experience is because I was often disappointed to not see any final thoughts when researching the 12 for 12 challenge so I wanted to make sure I wrote about my experience for anyone else considering taking this challenge.
Something like that. Where it says the same thing but is a little clearer in setting the expectation for the reader.
Wow! Your example is much better.
I like how you said to set the expectation for the reader. It feels more personal and your version feels more like the opening to a story.
Thanks a lot for the replies and taking the time to write out an example! You've given me a lot to think about.
Good job on making it - regardless of outcome! I started something similar and did not realize how much of an emotional grind it would be. It can be so hard to just execute on the things that you know you need to do, or re-evaluate and make the decisions you know you need to.
Validation is always a tricky bottleneck, no matter how much the startup culture really hammers on it - did you have more more thoughts on that part of the process?
Thanks! Yeah, there is definitely a grind factor to it. Sometimes things that you think will be easy turn out to be really tough to push through. I think having deadlines has helped me push through the difficult portions.
As for validation, I realize I don't have a successful startup yet so this may be terrible advice but personally I don't really think about validation, I simply try to solve problems I personally have or problems I'm seeing other people have. I think most "validation" problems are really "sales" problems. If I'm solving a problem that other people have, then it is simply a matter of getting the solution in front of those people in a profitable manner.
that's fair - so you just build prototype first when you have enough gut instinct on it? No market research or trying 'getting the solution in front of those people in a profitable manner' first?
Yeah, I'm probably a bit different than most but if it solves my own problem I'm going to enjoy building it a lot more than building something I don't enjoy.
A while back I built a project that had some market validation (I was able to land clients with unoptimized Google Ads and a competitor in the market was making $70,000 revenue/ $40,000 profit (based on an interview they gave, they were spending about $30,000 a year on Google Ads but to my knowledge that weren't doing ads anywhere else - leaving a lot of opportunity for Facebook ads, Instagram ads, and YouTube ads).
That being said, I HATED working on the project. It was incredibly hard to have the motivation to do any marketing.
I know most of the wisdom is to do market validation first and then build but I disagree with the general wisdom.
I haven't been successful yet, but as a solo founder, I think you should do what comes easiest and most natural to you (for me, that is building, for others it may be sales or it may be marketing). Then move to whatever your next best strength is until you have a successful project.
This may be a terrible approach, but it is an approach I'm enjoying.
Thanks for explaining! That's a fair point and one I feel like I'm on the same side with - but it's a tricky balance. I am surprised though that you've done the validation for a project that you hated - but aren't putting in the energy to do similar validation for the projects that you enjoy! I guess that's the whole building vs marketing enjoyment factor for you.
Well, I didn't start out hating it. It's a long story (short story: built it to solve my own problem, was too busy and didn't market it, my solution got old and stale, saw that a competitor who had been in the same market as me was doing well but was also old and stale, rebuilt my solution, saw success with Google Ads but hated working on it).
Yeah, I'd much rather build something I want than try to validate. I'm going to enjoy it much more if I'm working on something I enjoy and it takes off rather than validating something to only realize I don't enjoy working on it. This is not advice I would give anybody but it's just the way that works for me.
Ah yeah makes sense - day to day happiness is really the main reason most of us are doing our own things in the first place.
It sounds like you're referring to a project or challenge where someone builds and launches 12 startups in 12 months. This is a popular approach among entrepreneurs and developers seeking to rapidly iterate on ideas and gain hands-on experience in creating and launching products.
If you've recently completed or participated in such a challenge, here's a general wrap-up template you might find helpful:
---
Project Title: 12 Startups in 12 Months Challenge
Duration: [Start Date] to [End Date]
### Overview:
Over the past 12 months, I embarked on a challenging yet rewarding journey to launch 12 startups within a span of a year. Each month brought a new idea, unique challenges, and invaluable lessons. Here's a brief summary of the journey:
### Achievements:
Diverse Portfolio:
Skill Enhancement:
Iterative Learning:
Community Engagement:
### Key Takeaways:
Rapid Prototyping:
Customer-Centric Approach:
Adaptability:
Networking:
### Future Steps:
Focus on Standouts:
Knowledge Sharing:
Long-Term Ventures:
### Gratitude:
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported this journey - from collaborators and mentors to friends and family. Your encouragement played a significant role in making this challenge a reality.
### What's Next:
As this chapter concludes, I'm excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Stay tuned for new ventures, collaborations, and continued growth.
Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey!
---
Feel free to customize this template based on the specifics of your challenge, accomplishments, and future plans.
Thanks for replying. This looks like you just copied and pasted a ChatGPT response. From looking at your profile, it looks like you use AI pretty often. Most people don't want to read an AI copy and paste. Just a simple one sentence personal reply would have been preferred.
Dude, if you're going to reply using AI text, at least take 30 seconds to make it not so obvious.