When launching a new business, many arenas of work come into the picture. It can be designing your logo to establishing an LLC, to securing an office space. Entrepreneurship requires daily decisions that may leave first-time business owners second-guessing themselves.
No matter how much confidence you have, self-doubt and uncertainty are part of the process of launching your own pet project. If left unchecked, those feelings of uncertainty can become a cycle of negativity. This situation is often referred to as impostor syndrome.
Impostor syndrome describes the feeling that you’re somehow a fraud in your personal or professional life. People who suffer from this psychological pattern often believe that they just got where they are by luck, which invalidates or diminishes their achievements in their own minds.
Also Read: The Definitive Guide to Tech Startup Advisors
Dealing With The ‘Impostor Syndrome’
Impostor syndrome is an extreme form of self-doubt about your capabilities, talent, self-worth, and success — and no one is immune to it.
Even if someone has external markers of success — such as meeting revenue goals, having great client testimonials, seeing strong monthly sales, or booking speaking engagements — it’s still possible for them to be affected by impostor syndrome.
The most important thing to remember when launching a new venture is that impostor syndrome isn’t actually real. The self-doubt and feelings of inadequacy are not reflective of who you are, and there exist ways to combat the frequency and intensity of impostor-driven thoughts.
Following are some of the ways for overcoming impostor syndrome:
1. Highlight Your Accomplishments
The best way to counteract impostor syndrome is by quantifying accomplishments with facts and data. Even though external accomplishments aren’t the only way to measure success, they are definitely a good place to start.
You can write down something professional or personal that brings feelings of pride, so you have tangible reminders of your achievements and progress. Some examples are Positive client testimonials, Professional accomplishments, Selfless acts of service, Highest monthly revenue number, New personal record that’s been reached or surpassed, etc.
2. Practice Affirmations To Boost Confidence
Confidence is necessary when launching businesses, but impostor syndrome drains it. Confidence is a skill that needs to be practiced in order to combat the negative thought process that characterizes impostor syndrome.
Affirmations are a useful way to develop and reinforce confidence. Affirmations are positive phrases repeated to oneself either silently or out loud. Some examples of affirmations are ‘today’s going to be fine, I’m doing great, I’ve got this, I will be okay’. Practicing affirmations is the act of adapting a new way of thinking, and they work well at stopping impostor syndrome.
3. Talk to Your Peers
Talking to your peers can solve half of your problems. You’ll quickly find out that they feel the same thing and must have gone through the same phase as yourself. The pace at which everyone learns is different, so instead of comparing yourself with your peers, you can learn from them and incorporate their advice in your startup venture.
Also Read: Top MUST-Have Skills Recruiters Look For While Hiring Tech Talent
4. Separate Feelings From Facts
The best way to combat impostor syndrome is to separate feelings from facts. You may feel that your skills and capabilities are not as good as those of your teammates, but the reality can be much different. You may be brilliant at something without even realizing it. So, stop believing strongly about your incompetencies and start identifying your strengths to boost confidence.
5. Educate Yourself
Confidence comes from competence, and the way to gain competence is through education. Earn credibility with yourself by mastering your skills so that, every time you do the work but feel unworthy of respect, you have something to lean on. Your professionalism will eventually break all those negative emotions.
Also Read: Why Smart Developers Are Choosing Startups Over Big Companies
Learn With CodeQuotient
Learning is the best way to eliminate any pitfalls in your tech startup. For a robust start, you would need a trusted partner who would not only provide knowledge and hands-on training but also provide you with a pool of fresh talent. CodeQuotient is that perfect partner for your business.
CodeQuotient provides an online ‘full-stack development’ course to software engineers and any interested learners with basic knowledge about coding, thereby helping them upskill and upgrade their knowledge.
So if you are a tech startup or a Placement Officer who’s looking to partner with CodeQuotient to deliver practical, industry-oriented programs to their students then you can contact the team on their website. What’s better than a 3 Month Free Live Online Program in Full Stack Development? Feel free to peruse the website for the details of various learning programs using this link.
