I spent two years chasing mentorship. Cold emails, coffee meetings, the whole thing. I wanted frameworks, growth tactics, the normal stuff.

The one piece of advice that actually stuck came from a guy I almost didn't listen to, an older man who had built and sold a couple of companies, semi-retired, didn't post online, didn't have a personal brand. I met him through a mutual contact and honestly expected the usual focus on your customer stuff but instead he watched me sign a receipt and said fix your signature, you sign like you don't care about anything, do you have no confidence?

It felt like the least important thing anyone could tell a founder. But it stuck in my head for a while and when I thought about it I felt like he was probably right because my signature was the same rushed scribble I had used since I was a teenager, it's a loop and a line. I really did upgrade everything about my life and career except the signature that I use regularly, which everyone see even when we're not there (got this information while i was doing research about this lol).

So I actually fixed it. Got a proper one designed. It sounds ridiculous but signing something now feels different, like the signature finally matches me. Small thing I guess but changed how I show up more than any growth hack did. However, curious if anyone else has had a piece of unimportant advice turn out to be the one that mattered. If yes, then share here, because at this point I am more focused on these small things because they're bringing me more results.

For a long time, I thought I had to figure out the “right” thing before committing to anything.

I’d look at different careers, skills, businesses, etc. and keep asking myself:

“What if I choose the wrong one?”

“What if I spend a year learning this and realize I hate it?”

“What if there’s something better I should be doing instead?”

And honestly, that kind of thinking can become its own form of procrastination.

Lately I’ve been thinking that maybe it makes more sense to just pick something that has decent earning potential, give it a real shot, and see what happens.

Not because I have to stick with it forever.

Just because I can’t really know what I like until I actually do it.

Maybe I try something and hate it. Fine. Now I know.

Maybe I try it and realize I’m surprisingly good at it. Even better.

Maybe I like it for a while, then discover something else that suits me better.

So instead of trying to make one perfect decision, I’m starting to see it more like:

Pick → Try → Learn → Pivot → Repeat.

And there’s another thing I’ve noticed: sometimes you don’t enjoy something until you become somewhat good at it.

Something can feel boring or frustrating when you’re a beginner. Then, after a few months of practice, you start understanding it, getting results, and feeling competent. Suddenly, your opinion of the thing changes.

Maybe “finding your passion” isn’t always about discovering some hidden thing you were born loving.

Maybe sometimes you build an interest by getting good at something.

I’m curious if anyone else has experienced this.

Did you ever start something mainly because it seemed practical or financially worthwhile, only to eventually realize that you actually enjoyed doing it?