FIRST STEPS, BIG LEAPS

posted Originally published at dev.to 4 min read

FIRST STEPS, BIG LEAPS

Taking the leap is one thing—stopping others in the air and not making them to reach for the stars cause

"how can the sky be the limit when they are people on the moon" - Paul Brandt.

After making the decision to build my startup, I quickly realised that dreaming big was easy, but turning those dreams into reality? That was the real challenge.

This was where things got real.

The first steps were messy, exciting, and terrifying all at once. One minute, I was pumped with motivation (David Goggins Type shii ), ready to change the world . The next, I was staring at my screen, wondering where to even begin.

I wasn’t just a teenager with a dream anymore—I was a teenager with a mission. But how do you turn a mission into something real?

FROM VISION TO ACTION

A dream is nothing without action. I knew that if I wanted to be one of the youngest tech startup founders, I couldn’t just sit around and hope for things to happen.

But let’s be real… where do you even start when you’re 15? Balancing school which I am already managing with the 65% pass mark, and have limited resources, which was just me my Laptop, phone and a Dream so what should I do?

At first, my mind was all over the place. One second, I wanted to build an app, then a website, then an AI-powered platform —my ideas were running wild. But I knew I had to simplify.

So, I took my first real step: writing things down.

I grabbed a notebook (yes, a real one, not an app this time ) and started listing out what I needed to do:

✅ Understand the problem I wanted to solve – A startup isn’t just about an idea; it’s about solving a real problem that people have in there every-day life that I could Also Relate to.
✅ Research similar products – What’s already out there? How can I make something better?
✅ Figure out what I needed to learn – Coding? Business? Marketing? Time to hit the books (Actual Books ).
✅ Sketch my first wireframes – Even though my designs looked like a five-year-old drew them, I had to start somewhere . (Personally, I think they looked good but back to what I was saying)

Lesson learned: The key wasn’t knowing everything from the start—it was just getting started.

REALITY CHECK: FACING THE FIRST HURDLES

Taking the first step felt like an achievement… but reality hit FAST.

I had to face some uncomfortable truths:

I didn’t know everything. Shocking, right? I thought I knew how to code, but the more I dived into real-world projects, the more I realised there was so much I didn’t know.

Self-doubt creeped in. Was I even capable of this? Would anyone take me seriously? Would this idea even work?

⏳ Time became my biggest enemy. Balancing school, homework, and my startup felt impossible. Some days, I barely had time to breathe.

At this point, I had two choices:

1️⃣ Let the doubts and challenges stop me.
2️⃣ Keep pushing forward, no matter what.

You already know which one I chose. (And no It's not No:1 )

LEARNING BY DOING

I stopped overthinking and started learning through action.

I dived deep into research—watching hours of YouTube tutorials, reading startup blogs, and joining online coding communities (I basically Just started Tutorial Hell, till I got to this [https://roadmap.sh][1] )

I started small projects—not for money, not for recognition, but just to test my skills (It was hard ). Every line of code I wrote, every feature I built, was a step forward.

I made mistakes. A lot of them (I can't even give an estimate) . But every error taught me something new.

And that’s when I discovered a secret:

The best way to learn isn’t by reading or planning—it’s by doing
- Saw it in a motivational Video.

SMALL WINS, BIG MOTIVATION

Then, it happened—my first real win.

I built a working prototype of my idea.

Was it perfect? No.
Did it crash a few times? Absolutely.
Did I feel like a genius anyway? HECK YES.

That moment was everything. Seeing my idea come to life, even in its simplest form, was the proof I needed that I was on the right path.

It didn’t matter if it wasn’t 'perfect'. What mattered was that it was real.

Every small win gave me a massive confidence boost. Every piece of progress reminded me why I started.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: WHY THIS MATTERS

The hardest part of any journey is starting.

We all have big dreams, but most people never take that first step because they’re scared of failing, scared of looking stupid, or waiting for the “perfect” time.

Let me tell you something: There is NO perfect time.

If you wait until you have everything figured out, you’ll never start.

I realised that momentum is everything. Once you start taking action—no matter how small—you build confidence, experience, and resilience.

And before you know it…

You’re no longer just a dreamer.
You’re a doer.

⏭️ THE ROAD AHEAD…

I won’t lie—this is just the beginning.

I still have so much to learn.
I still face challenges every single day.
I still have moments of doubt.

But I’ve made it this far—and that means I’m capable of going even further.

Each small step forward is another big leap toward my dream.

The journey continues… and I can’t wait to share what’s next.

Stay tuned for Episode 5!

To anyone reading this: Your dream is waiting. The only question is—will you take the first step?

Your Turn!
What’s a dream you’ve been putting off?
What’s stopping you from taking 'The first step'?

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Drop a comment—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

I also wanna Thank those who commented On my Last Post It was really Inspiring

If you read this far, tweet to the author to show them you care. Tweet a Thanks
This was such a refreshing read! Your journey from idea to action is super relatable, especially the part about self-doubt and the chaos of starting something new. Your mindset of 'learning by doing' is exactly what separates dreamers from doers. Excited to see how your startup evolves—keep pushing forward! :-)
Thank you :)

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