NEW EPISODE – Shiny Object Syndrome Is Ruining Your Progress

New ideas feel exciting.

But if you’re constantly chasing the next thing, this episode might explain why nothing’s sticking.

In this episode of the Self Startup Podcast, we reflect on a year of growth, consistency, and what actually moves the needle — especially as everyone starts thinking about “resetting” for the new year.

🎙️ We get into:

• Why shiny object syndrome quietly kills progress

• Asking ChatGPT to do our 2025 wrap-up (and what surprised us)

• Whether moodboarding actually works or is just aesthetic procrastination

• The difference between planning that builds momentum vs planning that stalls it

• Why starting before January is the real advantage

This one’s for anyone feeling the pull to start something new — when the real work might be staying with what you’ve already begun.

Prompt:

Tiktok --> @Eva_Meena_: Here’s the prompt: Make me a Spotify Wrapped-style year-end summary of all my conversations with you this year, highlighting my top recurring topics, most-discussed hobbies or projects, any memorable conversations, and quirky patterns in what I ask or how I talk. Present it in a fun, Spotify Wrapped-style format with headings like “Top 5 Topics,” “Most Unexpected Question,” “Biggest Obsession,” and “Signature Style,” and include a month-by-month recap that notes my biggest hyperfixation, favorite topic, or mood shift for each month. Keep the tone playful and witty, with bold headings, emojis, and short punchy commentary like Spotify does.

Self Startup Links

Sorry to catch you offguard but…are you even PMFing rn?

This week Zaynab and Hafsa break down the buzzword we’re all guilty of throwing around: 

Product Market Fit.

What actually is PMF?

How do you know when you’ve hit it or when you’re miles off?

And what can we learn from the brands that nailed it and the ones that definitely didn’t?

On the podcast, the team even try to invent a competitor to ice-cream trucks live on the call and debate whether it would ever find PMF 🤣

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All SSU Links: https://linktr.ee/selfstartup

Podcast References:

Find Product Market Fit Video, that Zaynab referenced: https://youtu.be/rgaP-tMkJaw?si=80wcqbi8PEyvsXGt 

Paul Graham’s How to Do Great Work Essay: https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html

Anyone else feel like their spark is fading lately?

You are not alone.

This week, Zaynab and Hafsa dive into how your words, the way you carry yourself, and your own self-image shapes the way the world sees and reacts to you.

They also explore the reality of being a founder: success is often about having relentless confidence.

Hear about lucky mindsets and serendipity, why acting like the person you want to become is the ultimate cheatcode to success.

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All SSU Links: https://linktr.ee/selfstartup

Podcast References:

Sunrise Lamp - https://healf.com/collections/sleep-quality

The Courage to Be Disliked are Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga

Lamide Elizabeth - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lamideelizabeth_this-year-marks-five-years-since-i-started-activity-7298250127083802625-sxLO/

Is the grass really greener outside a 9–5?
 Are we glamorising the founder path without understanding the real risks?

This week, Hafsa and Zaynab talk about the parts of entrepreneurship most people never talk about.

The moments where the dream feels more like a trap.

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Share your own dilemma: https://tally.so/r/3yd0eX

Follow Self Startup: https://linktr.ee/selfstartup

Email us at [email protected]

You don’t need to be an influencer to have a personal brand 👀

This week on the Self Startup Podcast, Hafsa and Zaynab dive into what it really means to be visible — both online and offline — and how that visibility shapes your opportunities, confidence, and career growth.

🎙️ We get into:

* Why visibility is the foundation of your personal brand

* How to be intentional with what you share online

* The power of vulnerability and authenticity in building connections

* Creating opportunities through your presence and digital identity

You don’t need to be an influencer to have a personal brand 👀

This week on the *Self Startup Podcast, Hafsa and the Zaynab team dive into what it really means to be *visible — both online and offline — and how that visibility shapes your opportunities, confidence, and career growth.

🎙️ We get into:

* Why visibility is the foundation of your personal brand

* How to be intentional with what you share online

* The power of vulnerability and authenticity in building connections

* Creating opportunities through your presence and digital identity

✨ If you’ve ever felt unsure about putting yourself out there — this episode will remind you why your voice, story, and journey matter.

Is work your identity?

Have schools made us risk averse?

In this episode, we unpack the key differences between the employee mindset and the entrepreneur mindset.

Can the habits that make you thrive in a 9–5 could actually hold you back when building a business or side hustle…?

We also dive into:

- How the education system might be shaping us to avoid risk and follow rules

- Why your identity isn’t defined by your job title

- The myth of the “one right path” unconventional careers and defining success your way

- Why Y Combinator prefers new grads to start companies? We discuss if the employee mindset holding people back?

Tune in for an honest conversation about mindset, identity, and the courage to carve your own path.

Follow us: https://linktr.ee/selfstartup

Share your dilemmas: ⁠https://tally.so/r/3yd0eX⁠

Ever feel like you’ve planned your life to death… but haven’t actually done the thing? Same.

This one’s for anyone caught in the loop of overthinking, endless journaling, and “perfect plans” that never quite leave the page.

🎙️ We get into:

• Why planning feels productive (but isn’t).

• The sneaky way analysis paralysis kills progress.

• Journaling and finding balance between action + reflection.

• Letting go of self-doubt and just doing the thing.

• Why community + shared accountability beat solo overthinking every time.

✨ Plus: some raw stories of us crashing out of over-planning mode, and what actually worked to get moving again.

If you’ve been saying “I’ll start once I’ve planned it properly” … this one’s your sign to just start.

September is basically the real New Year, and TikTok’s Great Lock-In trend is proof 👀

This week, Hafsa & Zaynab dive into why the last four months of the year are the perfect time to reset, reflect, and get intentional .

🎙️ We get into:

• Why September energy hits harder than January resolutions
• How to plan your life without losing spontaneity (yes, free will is still a thing)
• Work-life balance hacks that don’t involve hustle-culture nonsense
• The grace you need when you “drop the ball” on your goals

✨ If you’re craving a reset or curious about joining the Great Lock-In…this one’s for you.

Resources:

• Dr. Tara Swart’s podcast on Change Your Brain with Ali Abdaal: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/change-your-brain-the-power-of-neuroplasticity/id1587142091?i=1000583255775

• Mohammed Faris / Productive Muslim: https://barakaheffectbook.com/

Follow us: https://linktr.ee/selfstartup

Share your dilemmas: ⁠https://tally.so/r/3yd0eX⁠

We’ve all been there – stuck, overwhelmed, or pretending we’ve got it together when really… we don’t. 👀

This week, Hafsa & Zaynab are breaking down one of the most underrated startup + life skills: asking for help.

🎙️ We get into:

* Why asking for help is actually a strength, not a weakness

* The secret “board of advisors” most successful people have (and how to build yours)

* How to make requests that people want to say yes to

* The myth of the “self-made” founder (spoiler: they don’t exist)

* Stories from our own lives where help made all the difference

✨ If you’ve ever worried about being a burden, struggled with where to start, or want to get better at both asking and giving – this one’s for you.

💌 Send us your dilemmas: https://tally.so/r/3yd0eX

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