A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

On May 5, 2024, I ran my very first half marathon. Just six months prior, it didn’t even occur to me that I could do it. It seemed like an impossible feat for someone who could barely run 8 km on a good day. And especially not for someone who didn’t think of themselves as a runner.

What pushed me to sign up for the race was a simple mindset shift. The apparent goal was to run the half marathon, but I discovered a better, more personal goal: Become a runner that I can be proud of. Finishing a half marathon is just a tangible mark of this achievement, but wasn’t the true finish line, if you don’t mind me saying. Whether or not I was able to complete the race was irrelevant, it was the journey and commitment to running that mattered in the end. I like to think of this new aspect of my life as not a goal but a journey, one that literally started with a single step.

I’m seeing this new project through a similar lens. Right now, all I see in front of me is a yawning chasm, a lack that represents all the knowledge and skills I need but don’t have. I don’t even know what I don’t know. For me, who thrives from a challenge and loves to solve problems, it’s an equally scary and exciting place to be.

I have my eyes on the end goal and a commitment to see it through. However, although the big picture is certainly important, I know the key to my personal success is to focus on each step I take into the aether. Each step illuminates something that was previously unknown. Every stride gives me a stronger foothold. Knowing that I am learning and growing simply by inching closer and closer to the goal holds incredible meaning to me.

Regardless of whether this project succeeds or not in the eyes of the market, I know I will become a product leader that I can be proud of. And I’ve already taken the first step on that journey.