Don't Fall In Love With Your Ideas

Have you ever watched Joe Rogan’s first ever podcast?

It’s hilarious.

It’s from 2010. He’s with his friend. They’re filming on a webcam in his room. There’s no structure, at all. They’re just messing around, hanging out. Not thinking about an audience. Learning as they go.

In 2020, Joe Rogan sold the rights to his podcast to Spotify for $100 million dollars (~₹7,38,63,05,000.00).

Watch any creator’s first video and you’ll laugh.

Same with any startup’s first website or any artist’s first song.

They’re all the same. All choppy and rough with no indication of future success.

Ideas are built on stumbling blocks.

There is no such thing as a wrong first move. The only requirement is movement.

Movement creates answers. So long as it’s forward. So long as you’re moving into the unknown. So long as you’re putting something out into the world.

All first moves come with a cocktail of fear and excitement.

They’re never good.

We live in a culture of final results. Of only seeing the perfect 200th take.

A culture where the slightest slip up can get you exiled.

Of course we’re afraid.

Of course we’re paralyzed by fear.

If our decisions are based on likes, why would we risk trying anything new?

There will be something wrong with whatever you decide to do or whoever you decide to be.

There will be people who don’t approve. People who judge and condemn you.

That’s why you don’t want to fall in love with your ideas. Your ideas are birthed by you, but they are not you.

That distinction is essential. Your ideas will get bashed so if you think they define you, you won’t be able to handle it.

You are the excavator, not the mud or gold that you excavate.

So don’t obsess over your first draft.

Fall in love with the process instead.

Fall in love with wrong turns.

Fall in love with movement.

Love,

Dhruv.