How to Deal with Imposter Syndrome

My friend Mar Hershenson and I have been speaking with some amazing female founders lately. In a recent conversation, Mar asked a spectacular question that led to a profound insight: 

Mar: "I hear from a lot of female founders that they struggle with imposter syndrome. How have you interacted with feeling like you don't belong, like you're out of place?"

Founder: "I've just discovered that anytime I feel that way, don't slow down. Rip the band-aid off, and do it ten times. After 10 times, I'm not an imposter anymore; I've done it 10 times!... A lot of the founders who came to speak at the GSB were just like us -- mostly normal people, not insane geniuses. The only difference is, they tried anyway." 

The only way to overcome imposter syndrome is to ignore it. Try anyway. Then rinse, and repeat. Recognize that, after enough attempts, you won't be an imposter anymore! 

Click here to subscribe to Paint & Pipette, the weekly digest of these daily posts.