When I have a new idea I fight the urge to talk about it until there is actually something to show for it. I do this because I get very frustrated when others do it. And by “it” I mean seek congratulations, press attention, and sometimes investment, before the actual thing is complete.

I only have this frustration with others because I see the same thing in myself. I despise credit before it’s due because I hate my own tendency toward it. In the past I’ve sought positive feedback (read: ego stroking) for work that was not much more than a good idea. I’ve had plenty of good ideas. But good ideas aren’t worth congratulations or accolade on their own. Good ideas are only worth a damn once they’ve come to fruition.

In my experience, this entrepreneurial jumping-of-the-gun happens in the form of landing pages, tweets, and in some cases full fledged video announcements.

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New business competitions are incredibly tempting. I’ve participated in half a dozen or so in only a couple of years of entrepreneurship. I won once, came in second another time, and completely lost the rest of the times. In my experience the potential return (prize money) isn’t worth the lost productivity and wastes intra-startup networking possibilities.

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