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  2. When do you know it's time to give up on a project?

When do you know it's time to give up on a project?

Julien Zmiro
21 replies
I find it very important to be motivated, determined, and positive when working on something super early. There are so many things that will go wrong that you need that to go through challenges. That being said, you don't want to be delusional either and keep pushing for something that has not value. So how do you balance these 2 things and know when to keep pushing and when to stop?

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Steve Lou
When you can't find any positive signals on your business when you reflect on your day.
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Julien Zmiro
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@steve_lourdessamy Yeah I'm trying to think a lot in terms of signals (positive or negative). I think it helps a lot to stay measured (because it's never black or white, it's really a sum of stronger or weaker signals).
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Edward G
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Flavored Resume
Lots of good info has already been added, but I would also add "when you're no longer getting anything out of it and it's draining you". As a maker, part of why you do this is to enjoy the process of building, launching, and growing. If your project is not growing and you're suffering through the process, it's likely time to accept it wasn't working.
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Julien Zmiro
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@edward_g Thanks a lot for that! Yeah I think that's the point I'm starting to get from all the feedback I received: it's good to create goals and structure because it will guide your progress, but at the end of the day it just comes down to your personal motivation.
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Hiro - Atsuhiro Teshima
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ste... Loom's story gave me some ideas about iterating over different products, but maybe for indie hackers; it is happier to run something you are passionate about, even if the profit is not that big:) For me, it is education.
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Julien Zmiro
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@atsuhiro_teshima That's a super inspiring story, thanks for sharing! And yeah I think sticking to a domain or mission that you're genuinely passionate about does help a lot you're right. Because then you're never really giving up, you keep pivoting on different approaches. Super interesting.
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Sam D.
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Emailee
When you are starting asking that kind of question to yourself everyday
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Julien Zmiro
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@sam_duc Ahah that's dark! I think it's healthy to constantly question things like that, especially when a project is very early.
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Sam D.
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@zmiro sure thing! Actually, I like thinking about passion in a project and whenever you have it, less you wanna quit on a project ;) BUT there is some key factors that show the business or the concept is not aligned with the market!
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Julien Zmiro
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@sam_duc Yeah totally it's a mix of these objective factors and your subjective personal motivation.
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Developer X
it is not about profit, it is about project milestones and satisfy user requirements
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Julien Zmiro
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@newyork 100%. But even that can often be super ambiguous.
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Jeremy Baker
It's a tough call, but usually, if the project's draining resources without progress or the market need shifts, it might be time to pivot or stop. Analyzing metrics and getting feedback can guide the decision.
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aiforme.wiki
Navigating the crossroads between perseverance and realism is indeed a delicate balance. Consider the resources invested versus potential returns. If you're pouring in more than you're gaining, it might be unsustainable. Consider the resources invested versus potential returns. If you're pouring in more than you're gaining, it might be unsustainable.
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Dora
Only when it’s brought to its logical end and new improvements will not bring significant results
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Alice Goode
Hopeless. If you no longer believe that the project is possible or worthwhile, it may be time to give up.
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Sanjay Chandran
If you still believe in your product, then keep moving, analyze what's going wrong. then rectify it
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Julien Zmiro
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@sanjaychandran That resonates a lot thanks. I guess different people have different threshold for keeping believing in a product and that's probably ok. What's hard is when multiple people are working on the same project but have very different thresholds.
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