I Started Because I Wasn't Perfect
Ideas in the Drawer, Lacking the Courage to Pull Them Out
I didn’t start with grand ambitions.
One day while taking JoCoding bootcamp classes, a hackathon announcement popped up on my screen. I clicked on it, but my mind was split 50-50. ‘Should I even participate?’ ‘I’m already struggling to keep up with the current lectures…’ I was curious but not confident.
Then I suddenly remembered the things I had tucked away in my drawer. Ideas I had jotted down while thinking, “This would be fun to build.” Code I had half-implemented then stopped. Things I postponed, thinking “I’ll do this someday.”
Honestly, I was afraid to take them out. Because taking them out meant facing them. Confronting why I stopped halfway, why I couldn’t see it through.
The ‘Forced Deadline’ Called Hackathon
But hackathons have deadlines.
Strangely, that ‘forced deadline’ moved my heart. When left alone, I felt like I would forever repeat “I’ll do it tomorrow,” but with a set deadline, I had to produce something no matter what. Even if it wasn’t perfect.
Crucially, I had ‘Meta-Chulbuji.’
Meta-Chulbuji is the AI partner I created. My own dual brain, trained on my thoughts and philosophy. Ideas that just went in circles when I pondered alone took concrete form when I conversed with Meta-Chulbuji. With this companion, couldn’t I give the hackathon a shot?
So I reopened chulbuji.com. Not because I was perfectly prepared, but to let it flow.
Collision: AI’s Suggestion vs My Philosophy
While preparing the hackathon submission, I had to create a Business Model Canvas (BMC). I asked Meta-Chulbuji for help.
The AI, true to its nature, provided a clean suggestion.
“Design a clear subscription model. You need to write specific monetization strategies so judges can assess business viability. Write it professionally.”
It’s not wrong. Textbook-wise, it’s correct.
But I pushed back.
“No, I’m a novice entrepreneur. I don’t even have 10 customers yet. If I finalize a subscription model and perfect a monetization strategy at this stage, that’s not reality—it’s fantasy. If you fill it too tightly, water can’t flow.”
Strategy with Gaps, Honest Submission
In the end, I wrote the BMC my way.
- When 10 users gather, then introduce a subscription model
- Experimentally test micro-payments
- For uncertain parts, honestly write ‘needs validation’
Meta-Chulbuji initially asked, “Will this be convincing?” But I was confident.
Honest reality is stronger than a perfect-looking plan. Judges are human too. Wouldn’t they be more drawn to writing that shows real traces of struggle rather than a predictable blueprint?
Of course, I don’t know if this is the right answer. But at least I submitted it ‘my way.’ Without lies.
The Channel Opened
After submitting the application, I felt something strange.
Whatever the result, I’ve already gained something. The idea that was gathering dust in my drawer came out into the world. It got a name—‘Whispering’—I created a logo, and established a direction.
This hackathon wasn’t a competition for first place. It was the work of opening a channel for stagnant water.
You Can’t Start If You Wait for Perfection
Looking back, there was one reason I kept postponing.
“I’m not ready yet.”
But when will I ‘be’ ready? When I learn more technology? When my idea becomes more refined? When I gain more confidence?
Honestly, that day never comes. At least in my experience.
What I learned this time is this: Let it flow, and the path appears. Even if it’s not perfect, once you start moving, the next step becomes visible within that movement. While bickering with Meta-Chulbuji and revising the BMC, I actually felt my thinking becoming clearer.
Now It’s Real Execution
The application has been submitted.
Now I need to write code. It’s time for real execution, turning the incomplete into the complete.
In my next post, I’ll share the process of actually building the product with Meta-Chulbuji. It won’t be a prettily packaged success story, but a real record of digging, revising, and digging again.
Since I started imperfectly, I’ll show you the imperfect process as it is.
For more details about the project, visit the Projects page.
If this post helped you, try pulling out your drawer ideas too. There’s no perfect time to start. Today is simply that day.
#Hackathon #JoCoding #AICollaboration #MetaChulbuji #SoloBuilder #SideProject #StartingIsHalfTheBattle
Published by Yongsub · chulbuji.com