Eventual success in creating products that change the world often starts with the feeling of disgruntled pride. “Ugh. Well, if nobody else is going to do it, I suppose I’ll just have to do this on my own.” At least that is how it starts, for me. I build so many things, small and large, rooted in that feeling where I realize that I need to be the one to get things moving forward. It’s a realization that’s rooted in disappointment, unfortunately, and really it is nobody else’s fault, but it is what it is and I have learned to recognize it.
Luckily, that feeling doesn’t stick around for long, most of the time. Typically hours or maybe days.
The next emotion that shines through after a bit of work is an exclamatory, “oh, there is definitely something here – I better get some collaborators to make this real!”
And so it begins.
There is an emotional framework to be had, here:
- Get inspired about some change to make in the world (or a product)
- Feel disappointed in realizing you must be the one to make that change
- Excitedly share the initial change with collaborators
- Hustle a version over the (initial) finish line
- Feel the rush of excitement as people make use of your product
- Loop back to step #1, with continued change
And that, friends, makes for an emotional journey, which the act of creating products inevitably is. Nobody ever taught me that in Design School. And probably for the better, because I have to imagine that this is personal.
Speaking of personal. It has been a while since I have updated anything on this site. This blog began in 2003, as I was finishing college and entering graduate school. It was a place to ramble, reflect, play with words, and share thoughts. I was at the precipice of adulthood taking hold, and learning so much every day.
Now, some 21 years later, I find myself at another precipice. That of the mid-career, family person. I still have much to learn, ramble, and reflect on, and I have a ton of energy to give to ideas. It’s time to pick this blog back up.
So let’s do that, shall we?