What Keeps You Going When Building Feels Impossible

Reflections from the middle of the journey

Every founder hits a point where they wonder if the whole thing is falling apart.

It might come after a tough conversation. A wave of cancellations. A failed launch. Or just the slow, grinding realization that what you imagined would be sustainable… isn’t. At least not yet.

You question your model.
Your timing.
Your purpose.
Yourself.

And in that quiet, disorienting place — where motivation gets tangled with exhaustion — one question rings louder than the rest: Is this really worth it?

If you’re building something right now — a company, a collective, a platform, a space — and you're in that place, I want to tell you something:

This is normal. This is part of it.

What no one tells you early on is that building something meaningful isn’t just about your vision or your talent. It’s about your relationship to uncertainty. It’s about how you respond when the enthusiasm wears off and the cracks start showing.

Do you adapt?
Do you pause?
Do you ask for help?
Do you rest?
Do you keep going?

The truth is, no sustainable project is built without friction. That friction shapes the soul of what you're creating. It reveals who’s really with you — and what parts of your idea need to change or grow or be let go. It tests your ego. And your patience.

But sometimes — not always, but sometimes — on the other side of that friction is a version of your vision that’s more aligned, more resilient, and more alive than the one you started with.

The hard days are not proof you’re failing.
They’re proof you’re doing something real.

And while not every idea survives, the ones that do often look back on these moments as turning points. The ones that taught them how to move forward with less illusion, more clarity, and deeper strength.

So if you’re in it right now — in the fog, the frustration, the fatigue — here’s a gentle reminder:

You don’t need to have it all figured out today.
You just need to stay connected to why you started.
You need to give yourself permission to feel discouraged without deciding you're done.
And when you’re ready… to take the next step. Even a small one.

Building something true is rarely clean or linear.
But it’s worth it.

Keep going.
You’re not alone in this.

Pablo Herrera

TMN, Founder & CEO.