Hi there,

Does the below sound like you?

“I just need to do a little more research first.”

Sure you do.

You’ve been “preparing” to start that project for… what, six months now? You’ve read every Medium article about best practices, watched YouTube tutorials until 2 AM, and created a color-coded spreadsheet that would make a consultant weep with joy.

Meanwhile, someone with half your talent and a quarter of your preparation already launched their messy first version. They’re three iterations ahead while you’re still debating font choices.

The relentless pursuit of the perfect plan often leads to paralyzed creators, whose brilliant ideas suffocate under the weight of endless optimization.

You tell yourself you’re being “strategic.”

Really, you’re just scared.

This isn’t just about being busy; it’s often a shield against the fear of judgment or facing the reality that your idea might not be perfect on day one. So you research competitor analysis, create detailed buyer personas, and spend another week perfecting your content calendar.

Because nothing says “ready to launch” like a beautifully formatted to-do list sitting in Notion.

Here’s the plot twist: authenticity doesn’t require perfection but requires actually showing up.

Remember when you convinced yourself you’d start “next Monday” after you figured out the perfect posting schedule?

How’d that work out? Right.

It’s currently three Mondays later and you’re still in research mode.

Stop optimizing imaginary problems, start solving real ones: the future belongs to people who ship before they’re ready.

What if — hear me out — you just… started?

With whatever you have right now. Yes, even with that logo you drew in Canva. Even with that domain name you’re “not completely sure about.”

Your first attempt will be beautifully terrible.

You’ll look back in six months and cringe. But you’ll also have an actual business instead of a really impressive research folder.

The internet is full of perfect plans and empty bank accounts.

So, what’s the absolute minimum viable step you can take today?

Not build the whole thing, just one tiny piece?

What’s gathering dust in your “someday” folder that you could embarrass yourself with this week?

Matt

P.S. If you want additional help with a project that always nags everyone, be sure to check out my guide to Inbox Zero.