Title: "Untangling Identity from Projects: Why I?m Decoupling (and How I?m Doing It)"
#### Intro: When You and Your Project Become One I remember the early days of my current venture?sitting at my desk late at night, brainstorming ideas, messaging close friends in my network for feedback, and just being the project. If someone thought of the project, they thought of me. And honestly? That felt great at first. It was personal, it was raw, and it gave me a sense of ownership that fueled those long hours. But here?s the thing I?ve noticed?when your identity gets so wrapped up in a project, it?s hard for either of you to grow independently. Key observation: A project needs space to scale beyond the founder, and the founder needs space to be more than just the project.
Now that my venture has grown to a somewhat sizable level, I?ve realized it?s time to be deliberate about decoupling my identity from it. It?s not about stepping away?it?s about creating room for the project to have its own legs, and for me to keep evolving too. So, I?m starting to make moves in that direction, and I want to share how I?m doing it (and why it matters). Maybe you?ve felt this too?have you ever found yourself so intertwined with something you built that you can?t tell where you end and it begins?
#### Section 1: Why Decoupling Matters Here?s the deal?when a project is small, having your identity tied to it can be a superpower. It?s your baby, your vision, and that personal connection drives you to hustle harder. People associate the work with you, and that builds trust fast. But as the project scales, that tight coupling can become a bottleneck. The project can?t take on new voices or ideas if it?s always seen as ?Gary?s thing.? And on the flip side, I can?t explore new passions or ideas if I?m always tethered to this one identity.
Reflections for the day: Scaling isn?t just about numbers or revenue?it?s about letting go of control in the right ways. It?s about trusting that the project can stand on its own, and that I can be more than its face. If I don?t decouple now, I risk stunting its growth?and my own. So, how do you start pulling apart something so personal without losing the magic? That?s what I?m figuring out.
#### Section 2: My First Steps to Decouple I?ve been experimenting with a few practical ways to create this separation, and I?ll be honest?it?s a work in progress. Here?s what I?m doing right now: