I took up tango years ago. Well, actually, I took it up twice. The first time was a total bust. But the second time, it stuck.

Here's why: The first time, I did it right. The second time, I did it backwards.

And tango, it's hard.

There’s a lot of technique. My first teacher approached that by trying to instill a foundation: We had to learn to walk. Tango-style walking, back and forth. BORING.

I remember thinking: I’m never going to get there. Do I even care anymore?

The second time, the teacher started by leading me in a real dance. A few steps in, I was totally hooked. There's nothing quite like the thrill of a good tango.

From there, I was in. Eventually, I learned the technique. I went to milongas (tango dance parties). I spent a month in Buenos Aires, the birthplace of tango, completely captivated by the tango subculture. The coolest milonga was actually in a large gymnasium, lit up like daylight, with tables full of families. But when people got up to dance, they were so casually amazing that I couldn't take my eyes off them.

I’ll never claim I was excellent (I was absolutely not excellent), but I loved tango and said yes to every opportunity to dance it.

That tale of two tangos is a perfect analogy for starting something new—like the kind of thing that calls to you from a liminal space (try me, be bold, do the thing).

Say your thing is a business: don't start with the fundamentals. Don't get Quickbooks, don't worry about a fancy website, don't think about how you'll scale it.

Start with the feeling of offering your thing to the world. If it's a product or a service, create a "hacked" version and see what it feels like to sell it. Heck, don't even create anything, just see if you can take pre-orders. (I geek out on how to start a business without heavy investment here.)

Once you have that, you'll be motivated to practice those basic steps (back and forth, back and forth) in a whole new way.

Try this:

What’s one way you could feel the thrill of your idea, just a moment?

• Writing something big? Post a 50-word excerpt and notice how it feels to put your creation out in the world.
• Designing a service? Offer a beta version to one person you trust and enjoy the feeling of being an entrepreneur.
• Curious about moving to a new city? Spend a week there acting as if it's your new life. Savor every minute. (Minus the utility bills—what a bonus!)

It's official...

I’m building Startup by Design, because so many of us get stuck waiting for perfect steps instead of dancing with what’s possible.

If you’re navigating the early stages of building a new business and want more confidence, traction, and joy—I’ve got something for you.
​Reply and I’ll share the details.