Do You Know the Emptiness You Seek to Fill?

The great poet Rumi once said:

“I’ve said before that every craftsman
searches for what’s not there
to practice his craft.

A builder looks for the rotten hole
where the roof caved in.

A water-carrier picks the empty pot. A carpenter stops at the house with no door.

Do you know the emptiness you seek to fill?”

Founders love what they are making. Often, to a point of fault.

Are you in love with your creation or the problem it is supposed to address?

If the former, you deserve some kudos for the self-awareness. If the latter, you may want to ensure that you are not under a delusion.

Being passionate about the solution vs. the problem is the most understated and under-examined malaise of our time. Many a startup has been brought to its knees by misplaced love.

Love what you are trying to solve. Love the need that you are trying to fill. If you do not understand it well enough, deepen your understanding of that which is the core reason for thy product’s existence.

This does not mean that your product cannot create new needs (or) inspire new behavior. But, there is a deeper motivation behind even unmanifest needs.

Master the core motivations of who you seek to serve and you shall master everything else. Your tool or product is really a means to serve this need.

Building a startup is bloody hard work. You will face countless obstacles along the way, each of which is capable of ending your dream.

Being in love with the problem you seek to solve is the ultimate pre-requisite for the will, determination, and grit required to persevere, persist and stay in the game.

Do you know the emptiness you seek to fill?