Asking for help for fiercely independent people

Amy

Recently I had a realisation that I can do a lot better if I work with people. This blew my mind.

I always tried to be as independent as I could be.

As an entrepreneur, I like the philosophy where the founder tries to do everything themselves, at least at early stages of the business. This keeps the costs down and risks low. The founder can gain a solid understanding of every aspect of the business, which enables them to make better decisions, and hire well when necessary. I thought if I could do it all, then it’s be the most ideal.

Over the last two years, while I’m not coding, I learnt UI design, covered 1/4 of the Personal MBA reading list, managed to be my own accountant, learnt about marketing, and practised writing. (I can proudly report that I’ve been sleeping well and looking after myself too.) I thought it’s awesome that I can be a “super full-stack developer”.

I had an enlightening moment, when I asked a good variety of people for feedback and advice on the software which I’m about to launch.

I was amazed by how much helpful feedback people gave me. I learnt that the most helpful ones are the most frustrating to hear, because deep down I know they are right, but I really want to argue so I can launch the software sooner. I learnt to take a deep breath and realise that this feeling means it’s leading to really good improvements. It reminded me of this piece of advice.

“Seek out people who are willing to level with you, and when you find them, hold them close.” — Ed Catmull, author of Creativity, Inc.

With this new appreciation for direct feedback and criticism, I asked for advice from professional UI designers and people who are experienced with business. This is when I realised the power of community. It would take me years to learn what the experts have learnt.

Knowing a bit of everything is good, it provides the foundation to understand what the experts are saying. The next step is to talk to the experts.

In his excellent book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey said that people grow from dependence to independence to interdependence. This is what it means. We need to realise that our capabilities as individuals are limited. To build the most amazing things, we need to rely on a community, where people help each other out.

It’s incredible how people in this digital age can feel so invincible that we forget the greatest achievements of mankind are made by teams.

P.S. The software that I’ve been building is called MusoPipe, a tool to help you learn music by ear more easily. If I was to do it again, I’d probably still try to do most things myself, but be more open to the idea of asking for help and working together. 🙂