The Challenge That Scares Me Most

I'm Thomas Boogaerts, a machine learning engineer and freelancer. And I'm about to do something that terrifies me: ship 30 startup projects in 2024.

Why does this scare me? Because I know myself too well.

The Brutal Self-Assessment

Let me be brutally honest about who I am:

• I'm a hardcore procrastinator. Like, Olympic-level procrastination. I can turn a 2-hour task into a 2-week ordeal.
• I can't build an audience. Every time I try to "build in public," I get 3 likes and give up.
• I always give up too quickly. The moment something gets hard, I'm already looking for the exit.

So why am I doing this challenge? Because I want to recapture that magical feeling of building something people actually use.

The Fear Is Real

Here's what keeps me up at night about this challenge:

The Noise

There are so many successful entrepreneurs out there. AI tools are making it easier than ever for anyone to build. How do I cut through all that noise?

The Competition

Everyone's launching. Everyone's building. Everyone's documenting their journey. What makes mine different?

The Pattern

I have a pattern: Get excited → Start building → Hit first obstacle → Give up → Repeat. What if this is just another cycle?

Why I'm Doing This Anyway

Despite all these fears, I'm moving forward because:

1. I Want That Magic Back

There's nothing like the feeling when someone uses something you built. It's addictive. I want that back.

2. I Need to Get Out of My Own Way

My biggest enemy isn't the competition or the market. It's my own negative thoughts and tendency to quit.

3. Public Accountability

By sharing this journey, I'm hoping you'll publicly shame me if I start dropping the ball. Seriously, please do.

The Rules of My Challenge

• 30 projects in 2024
• Document everything - wins, losses, embarrassing failures
• Ship fast - no perfectionist paralysis
• Learn publicly - share what works and what doesn't

What I'm Building

I won't spoil all 30, but here are some ideas:

• AI-powered productivity tools (playing to my ML background)
• Simple SaaS solutions for specific problems
• Content tools for creators
• Automation scripts that solve real problems

Following the Journey

You can track my progress (and shame me when I slack off) here:

• Twitter: @toomasb
• Website: thomasboogaerts.com

The Real Goal

Here's the thing - I might fail. Maybe. Maybe not.

The real goal isn't to become the next unicorn founder. It's to stop letting fear and procrastination control my life.

If I can help even one other procrastinating, audience-building-challenged, give-up-too-quickly person see that they can push through their own barriers, then this whole scary challenge will be worth it.

What Happens Next?

I'm starting this month. Project #1 is already sketched out (a simple AI writing assistant for indie hackers).

Will I make it to 30? Will any of them get users? Will I give up after project #3?

I honestly don't know. But for the first time in a long time, I'm more excited than scared.

Follow along and help keep me accountable. Because if I'm going down, I'm taking you with me.

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Thomas Boogaerts is a machine learning engineer attempting to ship 30 startups in 2024. Follow his journey of overcoming procrastination and fear at @toomasb and thomasboogaerts.com.