Think Big, Start Small

You don’t need to change the world overnight.

It’s an illusion that we see on social media about how people make millions and billions in one day.

In most cases, they just spent a lot of time and effort building a specific structure that would make it possible.

We need to think in that direction as well and take small steps to achieve it.

Think of how you can scale your business in the future and how it can lead to something much bigger than you could even imagine.

Never start anything if you’re not sure that it can completely change the world.

Of course, nobody gives you any guarantees that exactly your invention will make some impact on the world, but it’s still important to think in that way.

When I built a design agency, I didn’t just focus on building one more boring agency that would take several orders a month. It was crucial for me to understand that this agency can help startups of any size grow further and keep revolutionizing their spheres.

Never think small, and never listen to anyone who tells you to ‘look realistic’ at everything. If someone tells you to stop dreaming, you can either punch him in the face or find someone else to talk with.

After realizing all the potential and future possibilities it’s time to start taking action. A dream left on the pillow is pretty useless, you need to make a plan and make it happen.

Usually, people don’t take any actions at all or take too many of them. To succeed, you need to have balance.

Taking too many actions and hurrying up can cause burnout.

Imagine that you’re lost in the forest. You always take your next steps with the help of a map. Otherwise, you’ll lose the right direction and probably won’t leave the forest at all.

By taking small actions you will have more time to think and decide where to go next.

So, it’s all about looking to the wide horizons and taking baby steps to get there. Think of it

Embrace the Oops Moments

According to Harvard Business Review, about 80% of innovations in Silicon Valley result from iterative testing and failure.

Pretty interesting statistics, it shows us that we SHOULD fail in most situations. Let me explain.

We’ve been hearing that failing is usual and that most of us fail every time. But it covers only the topic of not being afraid of failing. I’m talking about failing on purpose. In other words, learning how to fail and stand upright.

To do that, we first need to stop calling them failures. Instead, call it an ‘oops moments’.

It reminds us that mistakes are external events, not reflections of our character or ability.

It’s an important psychological trick that makes embracing these moments less scary and more constructive.

Secondly, we need to start looking at these moments as opportunities.

Each mistake, each failed attempt, opens up a new understanding of the problem. It exposes the weak spots in your strategy and uncovers new opportunities.

So the next time you find yourself in the middle of an ‘oops moment’, remember that you’re standing at the crossroads of discovery and innovation.

If your boss fired you, then it’s probably time to start a new path and build something on your own. If your startup hasn’t succeeded, then it’s probably an indicator of what needs the most attention in the future.

So next time things don’t go quite as planned, don’t be quick to label it a failure. Instead, call it an ‘oops moment’ and see it as another rung on your ladder to success.

Mix It Up: Diverse Thoughts = Bright Ideas

Diversity isn’t a myth, it’s probably the only way to success. You need to hear different opinions, from people with different views, professions, and philosophies.

The concept is pretty simple. By hearing different voices and different ideas you’ll start looking at things from many views at the same time.

You’ll stop being a one-polar nerd with some established ideology who doesn’t want to hear anyone else.

If you have a revolutionary idea then you definitely need to hear some constructive critics. Only constructive, not the ones from your old friends or your potential enemies.

If you want to come up with ‘this one’ idea, then you also need several guys who would help you to think about it in the right way.

A 2019 study from Stanford University showed that a diverse network can enhance creativity and innovation by up to 35%.

Surround yourself with different voices. They’ll challenge you, inspire you, and make your ideas shine brighter.

In fact, it never has been easier to find new friends and partners. Most of us live in a diverse society, and it’s not hard to find someone who you need.

Stay Curious

The world changes. Yearly, Weekly, Daily.

It’s like a train, you think that it stopped, but it moves again in a second. You never know when it will move, so you can either stand in the same spot for your whole life or chase it to the end.

It’s like a never-ending loop until you’re tired of opportunities and want to relax

Stay in this loop. In other words, keep asking questions, keep staying curious, and never stop learning.

Only by being interested in something can you truly love it and truly achieve something.

When we’re young, we’re like sponges. We absorb every little detail around us.

That’s because we don’t know how it works and understanding ‘how’ becomes our main purpose of the day, week, or even life.

But how can we be as curious as children? The answer is simple, stop thinking that you know everything and find a new path of learning.

In the current world, we only rarely learn something new. Most of us have worked in the same place for years and waited for something that even we don’t know.

And I’m not even talking about learning some not related things. I think it is already pretty obvious. I’m talking about professional skills.

If you’re a designer, you should explore more features, more tools, and more opportunities in your sphere. Not just design some projects for your clients.

Understand that the world wouldn’t wait until you’ll become a better specialist. You need to take action right now and improve over time.

In fact, you never can know everything at the same time. New products & tools come up every day, take Apple Vision Pro as an example. It literally creates an additional sphere of development. Think of it.

Quick and Dirty Prototypes

Your product or startup doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to work.

You need to understand that in most cases you won’t be able to develop a completed startup without prototypes, testing, and, of course, MVPs.

As we discussed previously, it’s much better to take small steps and improve over time rather than try to take the whole pie at the moment.

The concept is simple, get it out there, gather feedback, improve, and repeat.

The ‘Lean Startup’ methodology shows us the importance of MVPs in the growing and testing phases.

Your prototypes don’t have to be great. There’s no need to create a beautiful UI and think of usability. You first need to understand if people will like this product or not.

So, yeah, the only right way to create startups is by trying, testing, taking the first steps, and only then upgrading it.