Analysis paralysis in creator economy
I'm working through this problem right now. So I'll update this essay as I practice what I share here.
I think action bias is a spectrum. Some people find taking action easier than others. This essay is for those of us programmed to overthink, plan, and hesitate.
My default mode is striving for correctness. I gather lots of variables and try to consider each input and how it affects the outcome.
It's easy to say, "just start," "just do it," or "take the risk." It doesn't come as easily for a mind trained to observe risk.
I'm not sure exactly what mix of these character flaws makes many of us more paralyzed than ideal. But I have a rough idea of what they may be. I think a few deep-seated defaults trace back to fear, expectations, desires, and attachments.
Instead of analyzing further, I'll experiment with the framework below and share the progress I make.
Create instead of consume
- Guide 1 - Inspired by Steal like an artist
- Find inspiration
- Steal
- Create
- Limitation
- Guide 2 - CODE inspired by Tiago Forte
- Capture
- Organize
- Distill
- Express
- Guide 3 - inspired by Balaji
- List
- Rank
- Iterate
Make it concrete and small: 30 days Keep it small, fast, and stupid to lower expectations; watch out for brain doubt. Kick brain out, command it.
Expect no views, no celebrations; stay consistent. And most importantly, have fun.
My brother Ramji is very good at execution. He is disciplined and very, very smart. He approaches problems in a different way than me. What I learned from Ramji is a skill or mode called “list, rank, iterate.” It’s a meta-algorithm, a simple but useful way to attack unstructured problems. Say you have a problem like, “How do we increase sales?” or “How do we raise capital?” Start by making a list —of prospective doctors to sell to or VCs to fundraise from. Then do a ranking function on them. “Which zip code is this doctor in? Is she likely to prescribe this test?” or “Has this VC invested in companies like ours before?” Then iterate brutally through the ranked list. The key thing is setting a limit. You say, “All right, I’m going to do 150 of these. If I don’t get any hits on them, I’m going to try a new strategy.” This concept of list, rank, and iterate is a great way of structuring unstructured problems. That’s something I owe Ramji.
Jorgenson, Eric. The Anthology of Balaji: A Guide to Technology, Truth, and Building the Future (pp. 222-223). (Function). Kindle Edition.