The Hidden Advantage of Not Being an Expert
Being an entrepreneur means there are periods where you just feel lost.
You’re not following a neat, paved road that someone already built.
Most of the time, it’s just you — guessing your way through a jungle of endless possibilities.
And when everything is possible, it’s easy to freeze.
Last Saturday, I read a newsletter from Justin Welsh (if you don’t know him, check out justinwelsh.me — the guy’s a brilliant solopreneur).
He was writing about why some of the most intelligent, capable people often struggle the most in entrepreneurship.
And honestly, it hit close to home.
For a long time, I thought my job was to become the best.
The best at my craft, the best at understanding every little detail, the best at getting it "right."
It sounds noble. And to be fair — it is valuable to strive for excellence.
But somewhere along the way, I realized it was also keeping me stuck.
The pursuit of being an expert made me slow.
It made me second-guess everything.
It made me think I wasn’t ready yet — that I needed to know "just a little more" before moving forward.
And yet, entrepreneurship doesn’t reward the ones who wait until they’re ready.
It rewards the ones who move, learn, adjust — and move again.
At first, I resisted this.
“But shouldn’t I be proud of wanting to master my craft?”
“Isn’t being highly skilled what separates the good from the great?”
And yes, of course — deep skill matters.
But the hard truth is: expertise is only one tool. It’s not the whole game.
Sometimes the people who win aren’t the ones who know the most.
They’re the ones who keep walking when others stop to study the map.
The ones who stay flexible.
The ones who understand enough to take action — not perfectly, but consistently.
The jungle of entrepreneurship doesn’t clear for the smartest or most prepared.
It clears for the ones willing to take the next uncertain step.
If you’re standing at a crossroads right now, wondering if you’re "ready enough," just know — you probably are.
And if you’re not?
You’ll figure it out along the way.
It’s not about mastering the jungle.
It’s about moving through it.
Softly, steadily, forward.