Creativity is infinite. Attention is finite.

Whether you run an established startup or you're in the initial phase of deciding to pursue a product idea that could be turned into a company, you get to a point where you have multiple product flows or customer journeys.

Essentially, you get spoilt for choice about what road to take.

I have faced the above existential quandary a couple of times, both as an engineer and as a startup junkie.

I'd be working on one idea, and like a swirl wind, I'd mentally get taken up by a new idea.

And like clerical work, I normally turn to pen and paper to write out and "think deeply" about how the different pieces connect, and if I can recognize gaps in my thoughts.

Ideas do not come out fully formed - Mark Zuckerberg

Sure, they do not.

But, at one point restricting your creativity bandwidth as a(n) individual/founder saves you and your team from pain - both today and in the future.

I never thought of anything like the above until I came across this tweet:

As a founder with a lot of brainwave aka ideas, please shield your team from this madness as much as possible. Allow them focus on only one thing at a time.

— Oliver De Johnson (@obaoftech) February 23, 2023

I was being sub-tweeted by someone many miles away. I felt seen.

The tweet made me recall the:

• numerous product ideas I sent to my co-founder; sometimes as late as 3 A.M.

• numerous pet projects I'd spin up only to abandon few weeks down the road (time wasted...)

I didn't realize how detrimental my actions were until I read the many stories from other founders.

I now know.

You can can't solve every problem. Pick your poison carefully.