Focus VS Opportunity

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Not all work is equal.

This is why I stopped working on WordRobin.

I realized I was solving a problem that didn’t really exist.

I saw this because:

• Users found the app helpful, had no feature requests, but didn’t stick around.

• People found it “cool”, but no one was desperate for the solution.

And on top of that, I wasn’t learning as much from the project.

It was time to move on.

These past few weeks have been strange.

Since deciding not to work on WordRobin, I’ve been actively embracing new opportunities.

So far, this has meant:

• I have had 2 conversations with potential cofounders & interesting entrepreneurs

• I have learnt how to build an iphone app

• I have learnt how to build an AI-native copilot chatbot

• I have been building a shopify extension for split-testing landing page copy

All things that I would have not allowed myself to explore just a short while ago.

This experience has really changed the way that I think about focus.

Let me share my thoughts with you.

Focus is Good - Except when the goal is to explore.

“In all labour, there is profit”

I’m not religious, but I love this saying.

Every time I work on something, I always get more than I put in.

It might not be the outcome I was expecting, but it’s always something helpful.

With WordRobin, I had built a solution in search of a problem.

But it wasn’t a waste.

While working on it, I learnt about:

• UI/UX best practices

• Seamless onboarding best-practices

• Backend architecture design

• AI model integration

• Payment state machine design

And so much more.

The work itself is helpful.

And there were so many points along the journey where if I had given up, I would have stopped learning.

If I had followed what I felt like doing, I would have never broken through to the painful lessons on the other side.

I dug the well deep enough that I eventually drew water.

But now I am exploring wide rather than deep.

Why?

Because right now, I am solving a different problem.

The question isn’t “How do I get XYZ to work?” It’s “What problem should I solve?”

And a question like that requires a larger surface area.

It’s like a meta-problem.

Whereas before I was focused on problem A, now I’m wondering if I should work on problem B, C, or D.

In a way, it’s like a split-test.

You are testing multiple options, and trying to decide on one that works.

This means, like any good test, you need to be crystal clear on the success state.

Success State: When to stop searching and start focusing

The stop state in this case is the opposite of the start state.

Start state:

• Users found the app helpful, had no feature requests, but didn’t stick around.

• People found it “cool”, but no one was desperate for the solution.

• I stopped learning

End state:

• Users find the app helpful, and demand more from me so that they actually solve their problem

• People thank me for actually making their lives easier (This happened once, with my college consulting work)

• I learn way more than I did in any other project.

Until I find at least one of these to be true, I will keep buiding.

What’s Next?

I will (hopefully) get my apple developer profile approved soon.

Until then, I’ll keep working on the Shopify extension.

Stay productive!

Ben

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