Article · ~8 min read

The Problem With Working on Multiple Ideas at Once

Wil Schroter · Startups.com Free Beginner

This speaks straight to the kill the lukewarm ones part of the answer. Hedging across several ideas feels safe but actually lowers the odds any of them work, because you starve each of focus. Read it when you are tempted to keep three ideas alive instead of committing to one.

  • Spreading effort across ideas lowers the odds any of them succeed
  • Focus is the one input you fully control, do not split it
  • Commit to one and give it the energy it needs to work
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The question it answers

  1. I have too many ideas. How do I pick which one to actually work on?

Read with it

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  2. The definitive essay on where good ideas come from: notice problems you personally have, don't force it. Use it as the lens for... paulgraham.com Essay · ~20 min read How to Get Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  3. Bridges the gap between 'I have an idea' and 'I have evidence.' Gives a concrete framework for cheap, fast tests so you stop... YC Startup Library Video · ~30 min How to Get and Test Startup Ideas YC
  4. A YC partner turns 'how do I get an idea' into a concrete checklist you can run today, plus the traps (tarpit ideas) that sink... YC Startup Library Video · ~50 min How to Get and Evaluate Startup Ideas Jared Friedman (Y Combinator)
  5. A short, pointed essay on why the best ideas grow organically out of the founder's own life and knowledge, the essence of... paulgraham.com Article · ~5 min read Organic Startup Ideas Paul Graham
  6. The definitive founder essay on why raw ideas are worth very little and why secrecy is the wrong instinct. Graham's argument... paulgraham.com Essay · ~15 min read Ideas for Startups Paul Graham
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