So much noise!

Okay so this week, I finally managed to finish the document I mentioned a while ago. It details what Ingenuity (my new app) is all about. And like all my projects, it ended up being a little longer than I expected — 5,000 words long. You can read it here if you want to learn about my project and give feedback. I’ll much appreciate it :)

Writing this doc took a lot of thought and research. I realized how much I didn’t know, how ignorant I have been these past couple of years. I was completely cut off from the tech world, so when I went back online this month, I was blown away. Not by the ground breaking developments happening around the globe, but by how fast they’re happening.

I got to know that ChatGPT and Gemini aren’t the only AI tools out there. There are dozens of them, from big companies and small. I witnessed that every other month, a new version of these tools is released, that is suddenly the best in the world. It’s a race and the competition is cut throat. Every new app is an AI app, every new company is an AI company.

Companies leveraging AI are earning millions. Non-coders are able to bring their ideas to life by creating their own apps. Everyone is saying that there’s never been a better time to build a startup. I should be happy, right?

Yes I am happy to have so many tools at my disposal that’ll help me build this app. But sometimes I’m get very anxious. There’s so much happening, so fast, that it makes me feel that if I don’t run as fast, I won’t make it.

I opened myself up to social media and the technology space after so long, so feeling out-of-place is natural. But I also think that the reason for my anxiety is the desire to make it in the first place. I am already thinking about all the outcomes that my efforts may lead to. I’m listening to all these opinions so that I don’t miss any points of failure, so that I can optimize my way to success.

While working on the doc, I read so much content that it became difficult to keep track of what’s relevant and what’s not. In the process, I gave myself away to the noise. I started shushing my gut because other people’s words seemed more valuable.

I forgot that I’m doing this for myself. Not for money, not to have my name on a wall, not to hear praise. I’m building Ingenuity because it’s meaningful to me, in and of itself. There’s no external reason to work on it.

I definitely got a bit deflected. It felt good to think about all the money I’d make if it succeeds, or the pride I’d have after shipping such an advanced piece of software. I’m wrong of course. I started this out of personal need and curiosity, and I’ll build it for those reasons only. Other thoughts will come to mind, but I will keep reminding this to myself until it registers in my subconscious.

If you’re doing it for an external metric, you’d want to take the “right” decisions. For that, you’ll listen to anyone but your own gut. This is something that I don’t want. I’ll move forward with my own intuition, whatever feels right, and see what unfolds.

Everything mentioned in that doc is what I actually believe in. I have locked my thoughts in there. It’ll evolve of course, but all my decisions will ultimately be based on the doc. So it’s going to serve as the north star for the journey ahead.

I personally find it extremely hard to keep an online presence while staying focused and calm. Am I the only one or do you struggle with it too? Let me know by replying to this email or commenting on the website.

Until next week,
Aachman