I fell into this trap often enough even though i knew this anti-pattern. Doing a startup, you have to resist writing code like you would as a proud engineer. If the code is quick and dirty, you're doing it right.
It’s a tough lesson every entrepreneur must learn.
And lest a non-technical type think they’re safe, it also manifests in perfectionism around document formatting, logos, product names, incorporation documents, strategic orthodoxy, et cetera.
To the extent there is a single mindset, it’s in execution orientation more than the various deficiencies that interrupt it.
That said, the most common forms are procrastination and perfectionism. The former results in mis-prioritization, e.g. fucking with the font in your incorporation docs instead of making sales calls. The latter in task obsession, e.g. fucking with the wording in a sales message.
My demon was the former, so I can speak to it directly: pick up hobbies that force you to prioritize on the fly. For me, that’s been backcountry skiing, diving and flying. Except, of course, those are hobbies I picked up after my startup. The real answer is to find a co-founder (and/or team) who balances your patience setting.
Yes I really need someone to say “you’re still saving that yak? What the hell are you doing, I’ve lined up x customers already”. Like a non-technical partner who is good at sales and promotion. Absolutely no idea how to meet someone like that though.
