At the time I came across this four months ago, I found the cookie case study fascinating and potentially useful, though I wasn’t exactly sure how. Today (for reasons I’ll explain in one of my remaining columns) the comparison is suddenly super relevant to this project.
That’s the magic of the “startup journal.” It serves as an extension of my brain at a time when my mental faculties are loaded with stress and stimulation. It reminds me of the obstacles I’ve already cleared and gives me incentive to keep pushing forward. And it helps me regain the big picture when it gets obscured by all the day-to-day details.
I could not agree more. One of the best pieces of advice I got before launching Spot.Us was to start a blog the second I mentally committed to doing it. Those early posts were invaluable to me. And today - I still go back and look at them to help refocus and remind myself just what I originally envisioned, how it's changed, etc.
#1 Posted by Digidave, CJR on Wed 2 Mar 2011 at 03:57 PM
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about journaling. I have a similar system for my website: www.revautinmiles.com Keep writing.
#2 Posted by Rev. Austin Miles, CJR on Wed 2 Mar 2011 at 04:47 PM
@Digidave I didn't mention this in the piece, but I think this is an especially important practice for sole founders. The fact that you're working alone in the early going means that you do a lot of wrestling with your own ambition, doubts, ideas, etc. There's great relief in writing all of that down and combing through it later.
Anyway, great work with Spot.Us. Lots to be inspired by there.
#3 Posted by Josh Kalven, CJR on Wed 2 Mar 2011 at 05:17 PM