Ever wonder what’s holding people back from reaching their full potential? You might think it’s lack of talent, or maybe just bad luck. Some might even blame it on the economy.
But in my experience, there’s something else at play here. Something more personal, and in many ways, more powerful.
It’s self-doubt.
I know, it might sound cliché. But hear me out. This isn’t about positive thinking or manifesting success. This is about a very real, very common hurdle that I’ve seen trip up even the most brilliant minds in tech.
Even tech icons have dealt with this. Self-doubt in tech often sounds like this:
- “My code isn’t elegant enough to contribute to open source.”
- “Someone else would probably build this app better.”
- “What if I launch and no one uses my product?”
- “Who am I to think I could start a tech company?”
The Almost-Missed Opportunity at Airbnb
Brian Chesky, co-founder of Airbnb, once shared how self-doubt almost derailed their company in its early days. In 2009, Airbnb was struggling and running out of cash. Y Combinator’s Paul Graham advised them to go to New York, their biggest market, and talk to users.
Chesky’s response? “I don’t want to do that. I don’t like to travel. I don’t want to talk to people I don’t know.”
That’s self-doubt talking. Luckily, they pushed through, made the trip, and the insights they gained helped turn Airbnb into the billion-dollar company it is today.
The Pivot that Almost Didn’t Happen at Slack
Stewart Butterfield, co-founder of Slack, faced a moment of truth when their original product, a game called Glitch, wasn’t working out. The team had inadvertently built an internal communication tool that was far more promising.
But pivoting meant admitting failure on their original idea. Butterfield later admitted to moments of doubt, wondering if they were just rationalizing a bad situation.
Today, Slack is a household name in workplace communication, all because they pushed past that doubt and took a chance on their side project.
The Launch Hesitation at Dropbox
Drew Houston, founder of Dropbox, sat on his idea for months before finally sharing it with the world. He later revealed that he was plagued by thoughts like, “What if no one cares about this product?”
It took a gentle push from a mentor to get him to release a demo video. That video went viral, proving there was indeed a market for his idea.
So how do we move past these limiting beliefs in the tech world? Here are some strategies I’ve seen work:
- Embrace the Beta Mindset In tech, we’re familiar with beta releases. Apply this to your career and ideas. You don’t need to be the final, polished version to start.
Try this: Release your “beta version.” Whether it’s a code contribution, a product feature, or a business idea, get it out there. Gather feedback, iterate, improve.
- Reframe Failure as Data In tech, we love data. So why not view failures as data points?
When Spotify launched its first version, it was far from perfect. But they viewed each user complaint as valuable data for improvement. Today, they’re the leading music streaming platform.
Try this: Next time a project doesn’t go as planned, ask “What data can I gather from this?” instead of “How did I fail?”
- Build in Public
The tech community thrives on sharing and collaboration. Use this to your advantage.
GitHub co-founder Tom Preston-Werner credits much of the platform’s success to their decision to build in public from day one. It was scary, but it also built a community around their product.
Try this: Start a dev blog, contribute to open-source, or share your learning journey on Twitter. It builds your reputation and reminds you of how much you actually know.
- Seek Diverse Feedback
In tech, we know the value of diverse teams. Apply this principle to feedback too. When Marissa Mayer was at Google, she famously tested 41 shades of blue to optimize click rates. While extreme, it shows the value of seeking diverse input rather than relying solely on your own judgment.
Try this: Before shelving an idea due to self-doubt, get feedback from at least three different perspectives - technical, user experience, and business.
Overcoming self-doubt isn’t easy, especially in an industry that moves as fast as tech. But the payoff can be immense.
Take the story of WhatsApp founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton. Both were rejected by Facebook for jobs. Instead of letting self-doubt take over, they used that rejection as motivation to start their own company. A few years later, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion.
Or consider the journey of Reshma Saujani, founder of Girls Who Code. Despite initial self-doubt about her technical abilities, she pushed forward with her vision to close the gender gap in tech. Today, the organization has reached hundreds of thousands of girls.
You’ve got more to offer than you realize. And the tech world needs what you have to bring to the table. So go ahead. Take that step. You might just be the next big name.
