Ask HN: What to do when you lose faith on a project?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=575792

by anonymity • 17 years ago

23 16 17 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I've been working on a smallish web project for a few months now. It started off as one of my hundreds of small experiments that I just put out there for lols, but got noticed by someone with clout to push a lot of users to it. This encouraged me to work on it, because I'd never worked on a private project cooperatively with someone, so it was kind of interesting.

Now as the site has gotten closer to a first version, I've become somewhat convinced that it's not such a good idea after all. If it were just my own project, I would have already either stopped working on it or dramatically changed it in some direction. However out of some sense of obligation to my partner, I've continued on it. However every hour has felt more painful than the one before it, as I feel that it's all just wasted time, and that well... the site just sucks. I wouldn't use it myself and don't know why anyone else would.

It's now almost ready to start being promoted, but I feel that if I allow it to get "finished" like that, then my fate will be to continue to maintain this site which I now have become to dislike. Also I can't really envision this site generating any significant amount of revenue, and the time I spend on it could be spent improving my other site which DOES have significant revenue.

I feel just pain working on this, on the other hand wanting to fulfill my promise to the partner to work on it, on the other hand feeling that I am wasting a ton of money and time spending my rare moments of concentrated work on this thing... ideas?

wmeredith• 17 years ago

You have to be real with your partner. It will either end up improving the product (good) or freeing up your free time for other things(good). If he/she can't handle or respect your honesty(bad), you need to know now before you're more invested. This is all assuming you're coming from a place of integrity, which from your post sounds like you are.

koraybalci• 17 years ago

It's very hard to comment when we don't know how bad the idea sucks. Perhaps you're wrong and your partner's right. Since you are close to launch, why not just put some more effort and launch it?

I just read this blog post, and I think I am biased: http://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2009/01/communicating-with-...

puzzle-out• 17 years ago

This may sound odd, but in a way everything you have said suggests you are on the right path. Yes, you may have to ditch this particular project, but the fact that a) you are open and real about it and b) you have a respectful attitude towards your partner, suggests that you have a good team, which is really important. Be open with your partner and suggest you both work together on another idea - theres lots out there. In the past I have lost faith in a project, it hurts a bit but you get over it. Much worse is losing faith in a startup partner.

blender• 17 years ago

Until you get some feedback from real users you'll never know. Just put it out there asap and then you'll know.

Cheers

10ren• 17 years ago

I was sure a project of mine was doomed: though once popular, it was imperfect and there was free competition that was the new darling. Ouch. (Oh, and I was bored with it.) I actually tried to abandon it - scuttle it. Today, it's still making money (a $6,000 sale this month), with almost no work from me, while I concentrate on a new, non-boring project. My experience: feelings of discouragement are not always accurate.

Especially if nearing a scary moment-of-truth release date.

You aren't a slave to the project - talk to your partner, negotiate an exit for yourself (with an option to stay).

rjb• 17 years ago

I agree completely.

I was actually an art major and one thing that I learned very quickly was that the last person to appreciate or even understand a work of art was the artist himself.

It's often very difficult to see the value in something you made simply because you were able to make it. Truly take a step back and look at the problem solved, not just the solution. I am sure you will see great value.

It's funny. The other day I recommended a friend signup for WuFoo as a tool for some feedback he wanted from customers. He was blown away by it! A basic form is something that many YCers probably take for granted, but since he had no comprehension of such a task and was able to complete the part he feared the most so quickly and easily, the benefit to him was colossal.

I also agree that you need to communicate your feelings to your partner. Maybe not so much that you think it's a waste of time, but try to understand his excitement; see if it's grounded.

intregus• 17 years ago

If it's that close I would finish it. Even if it doesn't take off, maybe user feedback can send it in a direction both you and your partner can get excited about. Just my $0.02.

njl• 17 years ago

Some of your ennui might arise from being too close to the project. You've been working on it for months, you've been close to it, you've made compromises, and now you can't separate yourself enough past choices to be able to objectively evaluate your creation.

Once your project starts getting promoted, can you not iterate? Is the direction you think it needs to move in completely inimical from the version you're thinking of as 'finished'? Can you keep evolving it post-launch?

Do you like your partner? Is this someone you want to work with in the future? Have you discussed your objections to the direction? Have you been expressing your reservations, or will this come as a shock to everyone involved?

Is this something they'd launch even if you walked away from it?

Based on what you've described, I'd be inclined to let everyone know I have deep concerns, get it done, and start work on version two immediately. If at any point in that process I felt too large of a disconnect with the rest of the folks involved, I'd start extracting myself as politely and efficiently as possible.

colinplamondon• 17 years ago

Not raising fundamental issues with a project with your business partner doesn't exactly sound like a plan for long-term success. Silence is not a communication strategy.

joshuarr• 17 years ago

Sounds like you need to have a serious tête à tête with your partner. njl has some great points, but if you are miserable then you might want to consider delegating the work to someone else while maintaining the project. It really doesn't make sense to work for yourself if you're not.

paul7986• 17 years ago

If I was the partner I would want to know how you feel, such would allow me time to find a replacement or move on with life or to another project.

middus• 17 years ago

Maybe it is just some kind of fear of failure that you are going through at the moment?

frossie• 17 years ago

And continuing the amateur psychology, is this part of a pattern? You talk about starting hundreds of projects. If you generally have trouble finishing what you have started, it may not be the fault of the project.

I'd say given how close you are and given your commitment to another person, the mature thing to do is suck up a bit of boredom and finish what you started. If your partner is right and it takes on a life of its own, you can hire somebody else to maintain it - either way it won't be a slave sentence.

In Belbin-speak, you are a plant and you need to team up with a completer finisher. But whatever your natural inclinations, you still have made a commitment to your partner and need to deal with that responsibly.

knightinblue• 17 years ago

One could imagine ev williams thinking the same thing. Look at twitter now.

You never know. After all this work, just get it out there. If you're worried about your name, then leave it out. Just use your initials for now.

CatDancer• 17 years ago

It's OK to bail.

Now, naturally you may decide not to bail after due reflection, advice, and discussion. And that's OK too.

But as long as you're deciding not to stop because of your previous promises, you're going to be trapped. And, like you say, the trap doesn't end: there's always more work to be done.

What you need to do is in your own mind to put together a bail plan. For example,

In return for breaking your promise to work on the site, you'll:

- give the code to your partner free and clear, and make no claims on any future revenue the site makes

- if your partner finds someone else to work on it, you'll volunteer X hours to help them get up to speed

with the actual details of course specified by your judgment.

I'm not going to advise you to stop or not to stop. However, once you have a plan for stopping, and it's a fair compensation for breaking your promise, then you can stop. And once stopping is on the table as an acceptable option for you, then you can make a logical decision as to whether you want to stop or not.

minalecs• 17 years ago

Well you already come this far. Finish the project to a point where both are satisfied. See what happens. After release let your partner know.. that you want to look into other opportunities, and won't invest as much time.

Ask HN: What to do when you lose faith on a project?

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