Reality is somewhere in the middle

I used to think, fk money, money is the root of evil, meaning and purpose is all that matters when it comes to my work. In my teens to twenties, even most of my thirties, that was my mindset. But now, after having family, going through recession, growing older, having more responsibilities, more people depend on me, I realised, reality is somewhere in the middle.

The middle: Money can make me happy too. Just make enough for family to live comfortably, but beyond that, let meaning and purpose steer the ship.

I used to think, build something great, and people will come. Now I learned—the hard, painful way, after too many failed products to count—that without marketing, you’d most certainly fail. You’d have to be a one in a million outlier to succeed without any marketing at all. I realised, reality is somewhere in the middle.

The middle: Build something good, but also market well. 50:50 coding:marketing. One week building, one week market.

I used to think, consistency and discipline is king. Intensity is for people who go hard on a thing for a week and then lose interest. If you got the right habits, you’d win. Eventually. But now I discovered, habits alone can’t bring you all the way. It’s necessary, but insufficient. Working on the right thing, the right market conditions, luck, life stage… all matter. A lot. I realised, reality is somewhere in the middle.

The middle: Go hard, build intensely, for a week. Find the right idea. The one with potential. The one people will pay for. Then build and grow it consistently over months and years.

So, the older I get, the more I realised, everything—every important life lesson, critical market dynamics, trends inward and outward—seems to fall into this pattern. I know this intellectually, theoretically all along, but only now do I feel it in my bones.

That reality is somewhere in the middle.