Never Play It Safe
written by Allan on November 03, 2008
I can't think of any great decision I've ever made that was comfortable, easy or safe. I don't recall being on the verge of a pivotal life decision and feeling at ease about it. When I went freelance, less than a year out of college I remember being scared, nervous and I had plenty of naysayers. Screw the naysayers, negative people suck...wait...that's another blog post.
I recall Steve and I talking about being business partners, I was terrified about relying on or trusting someone else. Playing it safe is human nature. It's much easier to say "I had that idea years ago" than build it and have it not take off. I can think of 10+ people with apps that are beta worthy but they're scared to release them. I think they're fearful of hearing their user's judgment (feedback). It's amazing what you will not accomplish when you use the "I don't have time" excuse. Put yourself out there for criticism don't hide behind an obstacle. Even if that obstacle is just fear. Don't look for a reason NOT to do something.
Playing it safe feels better than risking. But how does it feel in 20 years? Take a risk, accept the criticism, ignore the naysayers.
Leave a Comment
Allan loves his family more than breathing. He lives in Panama City, Florida & grew up washing cars at his family's car washes. Oh and Allan hasn't worn underwear since 2004.
8 Comments
Inspirational. Definitely second guessing my decisions in the last 6 months. Thanks!
So true – I needed the reminder this morning!
“…people with apps that are beta worthy but they’re scared to release them.” rings far more true than I feel comfortable with. One day I’ll get over it.
We have a tagline at Gangplank “Be Dangerous”. It is exactly for the reasons you have stated here.
Not only that – but every time we’ve had a tough decision to make – we have ALWAYS found that just making it and moving on ends up “feeling good” and ultimately being correct in the long run.
You can go and back and forth with yourself – but it’s best to just pick the least-bad thing, only worry about things you actually control, and move on.
Wow – You’ve just made me get off my ass to finish a project and get it out there.
Thanks Allan.
http://www.jamesdeerdesign.com
“negative people suck” Everybody sucks to various degrees. There likely is a correlation between high levels of suck and and negativity, but there certainly must be outliers. I only bring this up because I consider myself a negative person and I would hope that my suck level isn’t significantly above average. Perhaps I should reevaluate my probable suck quotient and take efforts to reduce it…
James: Your stuff is awesome, I love you style. I bookmarked your site in case I need something in the future.
I’ve been saying I will move my app from private to public beta next week for the last six months too. Thanks for the kick in the pants!