If you've ever had a perfectly good idea and then spent three weeks convincing yourself you're not ready for it, this one's for you. I want to talk about the fear of starting before you're ready, because it's the thing that slows me down more than any lack of skill or knowledge ever has.
There's a woman in an AI group I'm in online. She's got kids, a full-time job, a successful YouTube business. And she's building an AI business on top of all of that.
I know I should feel inspired by that. And I do, a bit. But honestly? It also sends me into a bit of a spiral. What am I doing wrong? Am I not clever enough? Do I just not have a business brain?
I've been turning it over in my head, and I think I finally worked out one of the ways I've been going wrong.
She learned AI by taking on AI jobs and figuring them out as she went. She said yes first and worked out the how later.
I would never do that.
Why "Being Ready" Keeps Us Stuck
I've always wanted to be completely prepared before I do anything. And I know exactly where it comes from. I don't want to mess up and let people down, even though I'm pretty sure I could work most things out if I just got stuck in.
The truth is, "ready" is a moving target. Especially with AI, where things change every single week. If you wait until you feel fully prepared, you'll be waiting forever.
When I was a freelance graphic designer, clients would sometimes ask if I could do something I hadn't done before. My instinct was always to be upfront about it. Say I'd give it a go but make no promises. Which sounds responsible. But looking back, it probably cost me work. Other people were just saying yes and figuring it out.
I don't know about you, but I spent 25 years being the person who was thorough and reliable. That's a hard habit to unlearn. Thoroughness feels like professionalism. But sometimes it's just procrastination wearing a sensible outfit.
The Time I Actually Did It Differently
There's one story that proves to me I can do this when I have to.
A while back, I organised an online event for about 30 artists. I had the idea, and before I had the chance to talk myself out of it, I just sent the email. I knew that if I stopped to think about it properly, I was going to find every reason not to do it.
It was a lot of hassle. But it worked out.
So I know I'm capable of starting before I'm ready. I've done it. I just don't do it often enough.
Choosing the Scary App Over the Easy One
Right now I'm doing an app-a-month challenge, vibe coding a new app each month using AI tools. I had two ideas to choose from this time.
One I knew I'd enjoy. It felt simpler, achievable. A nice comfortable build.
The other one is for inventors. It would be public. I'd be putting it out there for other people to actually use, and eventually, hopefully, pay for. I haven't sold an app yet. And the thing is, I'm not even completely sure I can make it work. So I was almost talking myself out of it before I started.
I went back and forth on which one to choose. Every single day.
I'm choosing the scary one.
Not because I'm suddenly confident. But because I've realised that if I keep taking the easy route, my progress will be slower. And if it doesn't work out? At least I'll have given it a proper try and learned a lot in the process.
How Do You Stop Perfectionism From Holding You Back?
You don't wait for the fear to go away. It won't. You just make the decision before your brain has time to build the full case against it. Send the email. Pick the harder option. Say yes and then figure it out.
That's not reckless. It's how most people who are actually building things with AI right now are doing it. They're not smarter. They're just starting sooner.
If you're sitting on something similar, you probably don't need more preparation. You might just need to send the email before you talk yourself out of it.
Quick FAQ
Is it irresponsible to say yes to work you haven't done before?
Not if you genuinely believe you can figure it out. There's a difference between being dishonest and being willing to learn on the job. Most freelancers and solopreneurs do this more than they'd admit.
What if I try the scary thing and it fails?
Then you'll know something you didn't know before. That's not failure, that's data. I'd rather have a messy attempt than a perfectly planned idea that never left my notebook.
How do you stop overthinking and just start?
Commit publicly or to someone else before you've had time to reconsider. That's what worked for me with the artists' event. Once the email was sent, I had to follow through.
I share what I'm learning about AI, vibe coding and building things later in life in my weekly AI emails. If any of this resonated, you're welcome to join me. I'm figuring it out as I go, and I'm honest about that.