282: Kevon Cheung — Embracing Vulnerability in Startup Culture
Jan 3, 2024
auto_awesome
Kevon Cheung, an expert builder-in-public and founder of a SaaS venture, discusses the raw intricacies of aligning personal mission with entrepreneurial spirit. He emphasizes the critical role of a financial safety net and shares highs and lows of business creation. Exploring the challenges of building in public, he highlights self-limiting beliefs, fear of showing unfinished work, and difficulty in asking for insights. The chapter also explores the importance of balancing personal and professional life on social media.
Building in public allows for quick iteration and validation of products, leading to successful development.
Balancing professionalism and personality in content creation helps build meaningful connections with the audience.
Setting clear timelines and scoping down projects fosters accountability, achievement, and momentum in building in public.
Deep dives
Building in Public as a Strategy for Building Products
Building in public is not just about long-term visibility and building a personal brand. It can also be an effective strategy for building products in a short timeframe. By scoping down a project to 30 or 60 days, sharing updates and progress intensively, and engaging with the community for feedback, creators can create momentum and drive growth. This approach allows for quick iteration, validation, and improvement based on the feedback received, ultimately leading to the development of a successful product.
The Importance of Balancing Professionalism and Personality
When building in public, it is essential to strike a balance between professionalism and personality. While it is important to focus on sharing the progress and updates of your projects, it is equally crucial to infuse your content with personal touches. Sharing insights, wisdom, and experiences related to your niche, as well as aspects of your personal life, such as hobbies or family, can help create a relatable and engaging online presence that resonates with your audience. By upholding this balance, individuals can build meaningful connections and attract like-minded individuals.
The Value of Scoping and Setting Clear Timelines
Setting clear timelines and scoping down projects are integral parts of building in public. By designating specific timeframes, such as 30 or 60 days, creators can provide a sense of structure and purpose to their building process. This allows them to clearly communicate their goals and progress to their audience, generating interest and accountability. Moreover, scoping down projects helps prevent overwhelm and ensures that creators can deliver tangible results within a specific timeline, fostering a sense of achievement and momentum.
Engaging with the Community and Seeking Feedback
Building in public involves actively engaging with the community and seeking feedback from peers, followers, and potential customers. By initiating conversations, asking questions, and actively involving the community in your decision-making process, creators can gain valuable insights and perspectives. This not only enhances the quality of the product being built but also fosters a sense of community and connection. By being open to feedback and incorporating it into the development process, creators can build stronger relationships and create a loyal and engaged audience.
Finding the Right Platform and Being Intentional
While building in public, it is important to identify the platform that aligns best with your goals and audience. Different platforms serve different purposes, and creators should utilize each platform intentionally. For example, Twitter can be a great platform for professional engagement and sharing updates, while Instagram can provide a space for more personal content and behind-the-scenes glimpses. By being strategic and intentional in using each platform, creators can effectively build their online presence and connect with their audience in a meaningful way.
Kevon Cheung (@MeetKevon) is an expert builder-in-public. The moment his life pivoted with the birth of his daughter is where our conversation begins, and it's a profound one. As we traverse Kevon's journey, we uncover the raw intricacies of aligning one's personal mission with one's entrepreneurial spirit. He bares the soul of his SaaS venture, giving us a real-world look at the trials of founding a company while emphasizing the critical role of a financial safety net. This is a story about authenticity, sharing the highs and lows of business creation and the impactful legacy that transparency can bring.
00:00:00 Building in Public 00:13:59 Course Creation and Building Community Challenges 00:19:55 Building in Public Challenges and Misconceptions 00:28:52 Defining and Exploring Building in Public 00:32:30 Building in Public — again and again 00:41:44 Building Authentic Self Representation
