Whenever I hear someone talk about “the next big tool” for entrepreneurs, I can’t help but roll my eyes—half in skepticism, half in self-recognition. Because, let’s be real: I’ve been that person, too. Forever on the hunt for the platform, software, or methodology that’ll magically bridge the gap between my big ideas and my bank account.
The Early Spark: SMART Goals and False Certainty
It started out innocently enough. I believed in the power of SMART Goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. They worked wonders for my professional life, my personal life, and even my side hustles. Naturally, I assumed building a course around SMART Goals would be a smash hit.
So I went all in. I poured hours into filming videos, creating worksheets, designing slick slide decks. By the time I was done, I had a robust, polished product that I was convinced would change lives. The problem? No one was waiting in line to buy it.
A Revelation in Startup Philosophy
That’s when I stumbled upon The Lean Startup by Eric Ries. Cue the cliche: “It changed my life.”
Ries’s philosophy basically says: Stop perfecting things in isolation. Build a Minimum Viable Product—the smallest, most streamlined version of your idea—and get it in front of real people. If they bite, add more. If they ignore it, pivot.
I realized I’d done the exact opposite: I built a full-fledged product with zero real-world feedback. If it failed, I had no fallback plan. I’d wasted months of my life—and a chunk of my sanity.
Enter the AI Toolbox
Then I discovered GPT. Specifically, how it could:
- Expand my brainstorming capabilities—I throw it a seed, and it spits out entire forests of ideas.
- Help me ask better questions—sometimes it’s more important to figure out what I should be asking.
- Save time—no more waiting for the perfect moment to write or think. GPT is always awake.
But of course, I didn’t stop there. I also stumbled on Gemini AI, which promised deeper research capabilities. Suddenly, I found myself toggling between two AI platforms, rummaging for the “perfect” solution.
The Dilemma in Action
You see the pattern, right? I replaced one tool chase (LMS platforms) with another (AI platforms). One day, I realized I could end up collecting tools in a digital graveyard, never actually finishing anything.
That’s the entrepreneur’s dilemma: we want the perfect tool. We think if we just find it, everything else will click into place. But we forget that success often comes from failing fast, not from tool perfection.
Testing Ideas With Minimal Risk
So, I merged Ries’s MVP concept with my new AI toys. The result was a kind of stripped-down system for testing ideas in microdoses:
- Brainstorming with GPT: Rapid-fire idea generation.
- Creating a Basic Ad in Canva: 1:1 square ads, easy to adapt for Facebook or Instagram.
- Running $3/day Campaigns: Just enough money to gauge interest.
- Email Capture: Offer a tiny PDF or cheat sheet for an email address.
- Measuring Clicks and Sign-Ups: If no one cares, I pivot. If they do, I develop more content.
No more 500-hour marathons. No more heartbreak when my big idea landed with a thud. Instead, if an ad flops, I dust myself off and try another angle next week.
The Beauty of “Pre-Orders”
One trick I’ve picked up: never fully build your product until you know people will buy it. Instead, I throw up a landing page and let people sign up for a pre-order. If they pay, that’s proof of real demand. If they don’t, I haven’t wasted half a year on something the market doesn’t want.
This approach might sound raw or even a little cynical—like I’m testing the waters without committing. But I see it as practical. The world is flooded with well-intentioned ideas that never see the light of day because nobody tested demand early on.
Another Path: Build the Tribe First
Now, not everyone goes the paid-ad route. Some prefer building a community or tribe first. They get on Facebook Groups, YouTube, or email newsletters, providing free advice, tutorials, or behind-the-scenes looks at their projects. Over time, that consistent, genuine engagement builds a loyal following.
Then, when they eventually launch a course or product, they already have a tribe of people who trust them. It’s less about “ads and conversions” and more about relationships and loyalty.
For me, it’s a balance. I see the value in community-building—especially for something like a course—but I also like the fast feedback loop of small paid campaigns. Both approaches can work; it depends on your style, your audience, and how quickly you want to iterate.
Four Months of Lessons
It’s been about four months since I vowed to stop chasing the “perfect” tool. During that time, I’ve discovered:
- There is no perfect tool. There’s only the right tool for your current challenge.
- Process beats platform. Whether I’m using Thinkific, Podia, or Teachable, the difference is in how I test and refine my ideas—not which tool hosts them.
- Failing isn’t the enemy; not learning is. If I quickly learn that an idea isn’t viable, that’s a win compared to spending six months on a dead end.
Policy vs. Passion
In business school, they talk about having a “Policy”—a set process for how you handle repeating tasks or decisions. While that might sound stuffy, the underlying truth is gold: if you have a repeatable, flexible system, you can apply it to any idea.
That’s the essence of the MVP approach: test, pivot, refine, repeat. Passion is crucial, but passion without iteration gets you nowhere.
Final Word: Don’t Let Tools Derail You
It’s exhilarating to discover new platforms, new apps, new AI. But excitement can morph into an unhealthy obsession. You start believing that your success depends on having the next greatest platform or the latest update.
Entrepreneurship is rarely about mastering the perfect software. It’s about problem-solving, talking to customers, and being nimble enough to pivot when the ground shifts under your feet.
So, if you’re stuck in a spiral of researching tools, thinking “just one more” might solve everything—step away from the keyboard. Take a breath. Maybe run a $3/day test on that idea you’ve been dreaming about. Or better yet, talk to a real human who’d be your potential customer.
Because the real dilemma isn’t that perfect tools don’t exist. It’s that we keep believing one day we’ll stumble upon them. We won’t. And that’s okay—because we don’t need them to succeed.
The only way you fail is if you stop trying. Everything else is just research and development.
