I’m a scanner.
I often think of myself as hyper productive. If you need to “get shit done”, put me on the team. At this point I’ve built so many software projects. I’m the master of the minimum viable product (MVP). It’s probably a coping mechanism so that I can complete things. And, complete things, I do. But, not all the things I start. Does anyone?
I write a blog. I try to keep the subject to “tech” but I sometimes write about something else, like auto repairs or wine making. I can’t really help myself. At one point, I tried to create different blogs for each area I discuss, but they just become a wasteland of a few articles once I move on from that hobby. Tech is wide enough that I’m able to stay focused and I’ve done that for more than 20 years. I have shifted between blogging systems, but 20 years is a very long time for software systems.
I’d like to create movies, but I’m not sure I could stay focused for as long as it takes to make a feature length film or maybe even a short. I’ve made some YouTube video’s, and I’d like to make more, but I have a tenancy to think I need a dozen different channels. One for each subject. I probably wouldn’t keep them up to date. I’ve also been told that I’m “monotone” or “boring”, but whatever.
I love to design and make things. Usually small and simple things that I can get done in an afternoon or a weekend. I can’t stay focused for months at a time and I’m in awe of people who can and who make great complex things as a result. I own a 3D printer, one of the best tools I’ve ever purchased. I design and print things that solve little problems around my house. Shims to fix doors. Plastic washers. Appliance repair parts. I do woodworking, but again, it’s the quick stuff. A shelf, a picture frame, or a simple headboard. I don’t play the long game with my design.
It’s my dream to build a bootstraped business as a solopreneur. I’ve owned a couple semi-successful ones, and I’ve tried a lot, but, again, the long game isn’t my strong suit and I think business really is a long game unless you get extremely lucky. I’ve considered building micro businesses for others, but I’m not sure I can stay dedicated long enough to show the potential. Still, I dream.
I just learned about this idea of “scanners” a few minutes ago. I’ve ordered the book, Refuse to Choose by Barbara Sher. Maybe it will help me better understand myself. Maybe it will have some strategies to further succeed.
To be clear, I think I’ve been successful. I found computer programming when I was young and it’s a hobby that I turned into a good career. But programming is the ultimate scanner enabler, isn’t it? You can do so much with software.
Written by Joel Dare on April 4, 2022