Minimum Viable Product
As someone who like to think about what a product could be, I can easily drift off into the romanticizing side of life. While this can seem like a helpful exercise for getting new ideas for features, it can also halt a project in its tracks.
I have been toying with building an application since I began my journey with Oregon State. I want to build a fantasy football app. I play fantasy football religiously. Because of that, I feel like I know what a user would like and what a commissioner would love from a newcomer in the crowded and high powered fantasy football app game. I think of new features, new styles, what I have always wanted and needed from my app and quickly it becomes what would require a team of people and a long time to produce. Then I deflate and the idea sits for months without me looking at it or working on it.
Romanticizing is something we all do. What if I get this job, and the boss likes what I do, and then I get invited to the head of the table, and then I run a whole part of the organization. All before your first interview for your first entry level position at this company. It is not bad to have confidence in yourself. That is what you need to even get to the point of thinking this is possible and I can do this, but succeeding in finishing a product has to do with having reasonable goals and steps to reach those goals.
I recently had a conversation with a manager for a position that was a little above what I do now, on paper, and I felt I would be a great fit for the company and their goals with the project. When I got into the chat they made it clear that this was not an interview just an exploration of the job. Which is fine with me, as the company is focusing on keeping hiring as fair to all as possible. Within two minutes of me chatting with this individual they knew I was not a fit and told me in quite clear terms that was the case. But they continued to tell me about the job and told me to keep in touch and let them know if I find any other jobs so they can find out more about it and get me prepped for any subsequent chats.
On paper, this should have been a very positive experience that left me feeling ready for the next job that comes up. But romanticism got in the way. This job seemed like a too good to be true job for my skills and interests. I started to think about changes that could happen while I was in this position, and how I could impact the company in the future. All the way up to the next job I would get and the impact that job would have. All of this happened on the drive to my current job on the day of the chat. Because I had inflated this simple chat into this perfect position where the qualification that matched my thoughts became glaringly obvious and the ones that don’t become afterthought and skipped over in my head.
The antidote to romanticism is mindfulness. It is perfectly reasonable to plan and prepare a reasonable amount for something in the future, but stopping there is the key. Turning that romanticism and anxiety into action is what helps to alleviate that issue. Some people may think that this is why you don’t get excited, it punishes you, and disappoints you. It absolutely feels like that is the case at the time, but when you step back, the romanticizing made it impossible to feel fulfilled no matter what happened. Focusing on what you can control and reigning in thoughts about romanticized ideas will help to make sure that future endeavors are not only enjoyable but get done.
