Indie hacking is tough. It's a journey filled with ups and downs, successes and failures. One thing that stays constant throughout the journey is imposter syndrome - the feeling that you're not good enough and don't deserve your success or opportunities.
Successful People Experience Imposter Syndrome Too
According to Arvid Kahl, imposter syndrome is something that affects almost everyone in the indie hacking space, regardless of success or experience:
Everybody has these issues too. And they are probably all willing to talk about them. Like one of the things, like I mentioned the Denver conference earlier, I went on stage, I talked a little bit about my issues and then I told people, Hey, you're sitting at brown tables with like five people, people on each table. You can now talk to each other about your issues. And I wasn't off stage. The room exploded in conversation. Everybody has a story. Everybody had something to share.
Even successful people who have built and sold multimillion dollar companies experience imposter syndrome. Arvid mentions how he still struggles with feeling like an imposter when interviewing extremely successful people on his podcast.
Share Your Struggles to Help Others
One way to help overcome imposter syndrome is by sharing your struggles with others in the community. Talking about failures and anxieties can help put them in perspective and make them feel less monumental. It also helps others in the community by showing them that they're not alone in feeling that way.
Arvid explains:
Do talk about it with people that are in the same predicament and it will be easier for both of you, right? By sharing it, you make it. What do we say? Geteiltes Leid ist halbes Leid, like shared suffering is half suffering.
Focus on Your Journey, Not Comparisons
Another tip for overcoming imposter syndrome is to focus on your own journey rather than comparing yourself to others. There will always be people more successful and experienced than you, so comparing yourself can lead to feeling inadequate.
Instead, look at how far you've come and celebrate your own wins and lessons, regardless of what others are achieving. Your journey is unique to you, so try not to measure your own progress against that of others.
Key Takeaway
Imposter syndrome is a common feeling, especially in ambitious communities like indie hacking. The key is recognizing that you're not alone in feeling that way and to focus on your own journey. Share your struggles with others, learn from your failures, and remember that everyone - no matter how successful - experiences self-doubt and feelings of being an imposter at times. The only thing you can do is continue moving forward, focus on progress over perfection, and support others along the way.
To hear more from Arvid Kahl, check out episode 9 of the Code and Conquer podcast. You can also follow Arvid's work at https://thebootstrappedfounder.com/.