The voices in my head have reached a fever pitch. It must be launch time.
Launching is an emotional game.
It’s so easy to construct elaborate stories about how this or that detail will lead to terrible failure or runaway success. It’s constant. Fully detailed worlds erected by nothing but imagination.
I’m in the midst of launching Hiring Gold. Hiring Gold is an infoproduct that teaches founders & small business owners an 8-week system for hiring awesome people.
My official ship date is December 19th.
It feels like I’ve been working on this forever, but it’s been about four months in reality.
Self-Sabotage, the Launcher’s Lament
I’m confident that Hiring Gold is a great product. I know it works because it’s a process I’ve used a bazillion times.
And yet… I keep sabotaging my progress. It’s like I have a secret hope for failure so I can go back to my humdrum existence!
Here’s an example of a boneheaded thing I did last week. I nearly published a landing page written in the “royal we.”
You know that thing, when micro-business owners try to pretend they’re bigger by saying “we”? I almost pulled that douchebaggy move myself. “We” did this and “we” did that, so listen to “us.”
I’m embarrassed to even mention this. I don’t know what I was thinking. My business is me. It’s just a lie to make it seem like anything different.
And here’s where I have to thank Amy for pointing out the big giant unicorn in the room. This is what she wrote to me:
Little companies don’t get anywhere by pretending to be big companies. There’s little worse than deciding to go with a little guy only to be treated as if you were going with a big guy…impersonal language, posturing, etc.
Most people WANT to buy from people they can know and understand. So by shielding yourself behind fake “we” you are undermining your message.
And you know what? She’s right. I KNOW this.
I wasn’t thinking, after all. That poor decision I almost made? ALL ABOUT FEAR.
Fear of taking the full responsibility for what I’m putting out into the world. Fear of the failure or success of Hiring Gold being on my shoulders alone. Fear of letting people down. Fear of being vulnerable. Fear of playing too small.
The Lizard Brain at Work
This is why launching is such an emotional game.
It’s so easy to construct elaborate stories about how this or that detail will lead to terrible failure or runaway success. Fully detailed worlds erected by nothing but imagination.
When you’re pinning your livelihood on a product, the lizard brain rears its ugly head. The lizard brain pleads for the safer option. It tells you to forget all this launch stuff and go take a nap.
But then where would you be? Without a launch. Without a product. Without a business.
A Plea for Balance
I’m learning that the trick to keeping an even keel is keeping those conversations with myself to a murmur.
Here are three things that are keeping me sane, tips I have to repeat to myself:
- Persevere. It sounds simple but just keep going. Don’t abandon your product. You’ll want to stop and go hide in a hole somewhere at least once a week. Be methodical about ticking off small to-dos, one at a time, and keep going even when you really really REALLY don’t want to.
- Keep good people around. Value people who tell you the truth (like Amy). Keep them close throughout the launch process. Having people you trust who are forthcoming (even if it hurts) helps to prevent self-sabotage and will hold you accountable. As soon as you tell others your plans, it is exponentially more likely that they’ll actually get done.
- Ignore the muck. Know that all the emotional stuff flying around your brain is just that: stuff. It’s meaningless. What matters is the doing. Getting your product out there will be different than any scenario you can imagine, good or bad, so put a cap on the dreams and get to work on your launch!
As I launch Hiring Gold, and as I get started on my next product for founders, The Underground Lab, the conversations in my head are beginning to feel less urgent. As things go on, I find it easier to resist the imaginary trip my ego is leading me on.
Does this mean I’ll have less emotional muck to contend with as I get more comfortable with the launch process?
Probably not. After all, you can’t run a meaningful business without actual meaning.
Editor’s note: This is a great cliffhanger! But from my experience, launching definitely gets easier. Thanks, Scott!
This guest post by Scott McDowell, an expert on designing organizations and a 30×500 alum (Summer 2011). His first product, Hiring Gold, is designed to help you hire awesome talent… and not have to learn the (very very) hard way.
