Stop Solving Alone (Confidence is Overrated)

On Wednesday, I listened to another brilliant person hesitate. Smart. Capable. Knew his industry cold.

But he couldn’t see his full potential from the inside.

Sound familiar?

Don't stress. It's completely normal.

It's why good entrepreneurs build a circle of people around them. So they can hear trusted outside perspectives that help them move forward.

Here’s my dirty secret: I’ve wanted to build a community for food founders since 2015, or an advisory service that U-turns struggling businesses. A place where business owners stop bleeding margins, finally solve staffing hell, and run profitable businesses.

But for a decade now, I’ve told myself: 

"I don’t know enough."

"Who am I to lead this?"

Meanwhile, the industry keeps drowning. Operators are grinding themselves into dust, reinventing wheels, and burning out—alone.

Here’s a truth I faced this week:

Confidence isn’t a prerequisite.

It’s a byproduct.

It comes after you start. After you ship. After you fall on your face and realise it’s okay.

That founder I met? He needed someone else to point at his work and say: "You’re good. And you're already doing it. Now charge for it and lean into it harder."

I had a separate discussion this week where the roles were reversed at I was the on being told that thing.

We often tell ourselves that we don't have what it takes. We lack the confidence.

But we’re often blind to our own potential in the first place.

We need outsiders to hold up the mirror for us.

So here’s your tactical kick in the arse for the week:

1. Stop waiting for "enough" knowledge. 

It doesn’t exist. You learn by doing.

2. Find your wolves.

Not cheerleaders. Not critics. People who’ll say: "That idea’s trash—here’s why, now fix it" OR "You’re a beast—now act like it."

3. Leverage the "People Like Us" effect.

Surround yourself with Founders shipping real things. Momentum is contagious.

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Writing this might be the accountability I need. This is the year I’m launching The Food Founder Alliance (I promise it won’t be called that).

No more "someday." No more hiding behind building more knowledge.

Just a platform for operators who are tired of bleeding alone.

For everyone else, if you’re sitting on something you know the world needs:

• Share it.
• Build it messy.
• Let your community sharpen it.

We don’t need more perfect ideas.

We need more starters and iterators building good things for this world.

I hope that you're one of them.