Experiments In Capitalism

…is to kill something you’ve been working on for a while.

I guess I’m old school - I never give up.  Sometimes perseverance is a strength as an entrepreneur and sometimes it’s a weakness.

I think the reason it’s so hard to kill a product that you’ve worked really hard on is because the idea becomes integrated into your mind.  You’ve been working on it so passionately and for so long, that the synapses in your brain have literally reorganized themselves around the idea and the vision of how you are going to change the world.  Killing the product is like killing off part of your mind.  It’s like killing part of yourself.  It’s unnatural.

The notion of killing your idea creates a lot of anxiety and fear.  Primarily, the fear comes from two places 1) fear that other people will think you are a loser or an idiot or both and 2) fear of the unknown of what you are going to do next.  Both fears are obstacles to growth and can inhibit one’s ability to evolve.

In the face of evidence that challenges the fundamental premise of your idea, your mind becomes conflicted.  On the one hand, there is something to your idea and you believe in it.  If you didn’t, you wouldn’t be working on it in the first place.  On the other hand, it’s just not working, usually for reasons outside of your control.  The market doesn’t always agree with your point of view on what products should do or how your customers, suppliers or competitors should behave.  You might be 100% right, but it doesn’t matter when you’re surrounded.  This is a hard, cold reality.

To resolve this internal conflict, you have to make a painful choice.  Do I fundamentally believe this idea will ultimately be successful and I am willing to pay the price?  Or, are the conditions just not right for this idea at this time given what I’m going to have to go through to get there?  It’s a gut check and you must make a decision.  If you do not make a choice, you will be miserable as you tear yourself apart inside.  Making a decision frees you from this internal struggle.

I think it comes down to this.  Look at the cold, objective data and evidence you’ve collected around your idea.  If there is significant evidence that the fundamental assumptions about your business are not turning out to be true, then it’s time to put a bullet in your product.  If you believe the problem is still worth solving, create another iteration of your solution.  If not, move on abruptly and fearlessly into the unknown.  Know that it’s a big world out there with an infinite number of problems that need to be solved.

To move on, you must personally pull the trigger and kill the product you envisioned and created.  It’s a necessary part of the grieving process.  You must do it personally so you can start the process of healing and opening your mind to new possibilities.

Today, I’m killing our lead gen platform.  It hurts.  In fact, it’s excruciating.  In a place where my mind and my heart come together, I know it’s the right thing to do.

Here’s to moving on to new and better possibilities.  Here’s to closing one door so you can see another door open.  Here’s to moving fearlessly into the unknown.