Circle of Competence: Focus Where You Have an Edge
“Know what you know. Know what you don’t.”
The Problem
Solo founders often try to do everything.
Design. Code. Write. Market. Analyze. Sell.
But trying to be great at all of it leads to mediocrity at most of it — and burnout on top.
The real danger?
Wasting time pretending you’re good at something you’re not.
What Is Circle of Competence?
It’s a mental model that asks:
“Where do I have actual skill, experience, or earned insight — and where am I winging it?”
Your circle of competence is the zone where you can operate with confidence because you’ve done the work or lived the reality.
Everything outside the circle?
You either need to learn it, ignore it, or delegate it.
Why It Matters for Solo Founders
You’re operating with limited time and zero backup.
Working inside your circle of competence helps you:
- Get more done with less resistance
- Avoid faking expertise (and the slow mistakes that follow)
- Know when to partner, learn, or skip a task
The goal isn’t to stay inside the circle forever.
It’s to know when you’re inside it — and when you’re not.
Example: DIY vs. Delegate
You’re launching a product and trying to design the UI yourself.
You’ve never designed anything before.
Three days in, you’re frustrated, behind schedule, and second-guessing everything.
You pause and ask:
“Is this inside my circle of competence?”
If the answer is no, you might:
- Use a pre-built UI kit
- Hire a designer for just the key screens
- Skip the polish and focus on validating the idea first
You just saved yourself a week — and a lot of stress.
Ask Yourself
- What do I actually know how to do well?
- Where am I pretending I know what I’m doing?
- What could I hand off or simplify without hurting the result?
Bonus Prompt
Draw two circles.
In the center: write what you’re confident in.
Outside: list the tasks you’re forcing or faking.
Use it as a filter the next time you feel stuck or overwhelmed.
Final Thought
You don’t need to be great at everything.
You need to know what you’re already good at — and act accordingly.
Stay inside the circle until you’ve earned the edge to expand it.