A moment I felt like a complete fraud
And how I overcame that feeling
There was a moment not too long ago when I felt like a complete fraud.
I had handed over most of the execution work to my co-founder. Execution is just not my strong suit.
He’s naturally better at it — faster, more precise, and just enjoys that part more than I do.
But seeing him take charge of the work while I was busy networking, bringing in clients, and doing consultations made me question everything.
I kept thinking, “Am I really earning this? Am I actually doing enough to deserve this success? What if people find out I’m not the one doing the heavy lifting?”
That feeling — that gnawing sense of being an imposter — was real and heavy.
For a long time, I thought success meant doing every single piece yourself. You have to be everywhere at once, handling all the details, or else you don’t really deserve it.
That’s how I thought it worked.
But I eventually stopped myself. I searched online, read articles, watched videos — anything that could help me understand what I was feeling.
That’s when I found something simple but powerful: delegation is not a shortcut or a way to cheat. It’s actually the cornerstone of smart leadership.
Every founder, every leader, has to reach this point where they stop trying to do it all and start dividing the work based on each person’s strengths.
My co-founder loves executing the details. I’m better at building relationships, networking, and guiding the bigger picture.
Once I accepted that, the weight started to lift.
The imposter feelings didn’t vanish overnight, but they stopped dominating my thoughts.
I stopped doubting my place or my contribution because I realized I was doing exactly what I was meant to do.
I’m not failing by not doing everything. I’m winning by focusing on what I do best — and trusting my co-founder to do the same.
That’s what winning this battle with imposter syndrome looks like for me:
It’s about shifting from trying to carry the whole world on my shoulders to trusting others and myself in the right ways.
So here’s what I want you to take away from this:
You don’t have to do everything. If you try, you’ll burn out, and you won’t do your best work anyway.
Look honestly at your strengths, and the strengths of the people around you.
Start delegating one thing today.
It might be scary at first. You might feel like you’re losing control. But what you’ll gain — in time, focus, and peace of mind — is worth it.
Give yourself permission to let go a little.
You’ll find your version of success is waiting on the other side.
— Akhil
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