Jeevan Kumar

You start building.

You're shipping code, pushing updates, staying in motion.

On the surface, it looks like progress.

You're not stuck in planning mode.

You're doing the work.

But over time, something shifts.

Confidence erodes.

Every decision feels heavier.

You tweak copy, adjust designs, refactor working features.

Anything to avoid the real question: What signal would actually make this worth continuing?

I've lived this.

Months disappear while you chase ghosts in your own head.

The idea isn't bad.

The problem is deeper.

You're building without external signal.

The only feedback loop is internal.

And internal debates never end.

Because you can argue both sides forever.

You'll rationalize staying ("It's still early") just as easily as quitting ("This isn't going anywhere").

Shipping doesn't create confidence.

Signal does.

Real signal.

Someone paying real money.

A user returning without prompting.

An email saying "This fixed my exact problem."

Without that, you're guessing.

Your mind knows it.

That's why doubt compounds.

The fix isn't more building.

It's defining "worth it" before you start.

Set hard criteria.

If I don't get 10 paying users in 8 weeks, I stop.

If churn stays above 20% after 3 months, I pivot or kill.

Without guardrails, you drift.

Hope replaces strategy.

Tweaking becomes avoidance.

It feels productive.

You're "improving."

But really, you're hiding from reality.

Scared of silence.

Scared of "meh."

If you've built for months with zero users or revenue, that's your wake-up.

Not to quit.

But to stop polishing.

Start selling.

Talk to people.

Share the imperfect version.

Charge early, even if it feels wrong.

The market gives clarity faster than isolation ever will.

Reality speaks loudest when you force it to.

How to break free now.

1. Write your kill criteria today. Specific numbers. Hard deadlines.
2. Get external feedback immediately. Post publicly. Message 20 potentials. Run cheap tests.
3. Prioritize human interaction over features. Next conversation beats next tweak.

Once signal hits, good or bad, direction appears.

Clarity isn't from thinking harder.

It's from the world responding.

Give it a voice.