Why Engineers Overthink Business (And How to Stop) (4-Min)

Most engineers would make excellent business owners… if they could stop trying to make everything perfect first.

Imagine this…

You’re an engineer with a solid salary.

Your family, friends, everyone back home thinks you’re “killing it.”

But deep down?

You can’t shake the thought that you’re meant for more.

You want to start something on the side; a consulting offer, a YouTube channel, maybe even a paid guide.

You’ve listened to the podcasts, watched the tutorials, read the Reddit threads, filled 6 notebooks with “million-dollar ideas.”

And yet… 8 months later?

Still in the research phase.

• No launch.
• No offer.
• No progress.

Why?

Because you’ve been trained to build the perfect system before releasing the prototype.

And while that makes you a great engineer…it makes business really hard to start.

The Conventional Advice (That Fails Engineers)

Some of the most common pieces of advice on business that I ran into as an engineer are here:

• “Just follow your passion.”
• “Sell before you build!”
• “Build in public.”

It sounds exciting, right? It makes you want to start right now.

However, if you’re someone who:

• Values risk mitigation
• Thinks logically, in steps
• Wants to avoid wasted effort
• Has a full-time job and a family

Then this spray-and-pray advice can feel like lighting a fuse and hoping you don’t burn the house down.

You don’t want chaos.

You want clarity.

And no one’s giving you a system that makes sense for your brain.

Until now.

Why This Works for Us (How I Approach Business Now)

One of the things I’ve learned is that we engineers don’t fear hard work (we’re used to this)…what we fear deep down is wasted work.

So instead of trying to “become an entrepreneur” overnight, you need a system that respects your time, your paycheck, and your brain.

• Something simple, not “easy.”
• Gradual, not reckless.
• Proven, not wishful.

Here’s the 3-part framework you can start using today.

The D.I.R. Filter: How to Build Business Ideas Without Overthinking

After years of being in the business world (building my own side business while working full time, and raising my family), here are three things I’d pay attention to if I were getting started today; demand (D), identify alignment (I), and reusability (R).

1. Demand: Are people asking for this already?

Stop guessing.

Look for repeated questions you get from coworkers, family, or DMs.

If you’re answering the same thing 5+ times, that’s market validation.

Example:

When I started sharing personal finance insights, people kept asking me where I parked my savings to maximize interest. To me, that was a clear signal that people wanted that content, and it led to one of my highest revenue years. Keep it simple.

2. Identity Alignment: Would you do this for free?

I don’t mean “do you love it,” but does it make sense for who you are?

Does it feel like an extension of how you naturally help people?

In other words, is this what genius marketing legend Seth Godin would call “a downhill business?” Essentially a business that is relatively simple and “easy” for you.

Another approach is opening a business on something you have some experience in, and which you’d want to get better at. There is a saying that in a classroom…the one that learns the most is the teacher. So teach/solve a problem about something you want to get better at yourself.

Example:

You’re the friend everyone comes to for career advice. In that case, helping other engineers grow and advance in their careers is just a reflection of you. That’s what I did when I started my career coaching services, then when I shared financial content, and now with business…that’s what I do now.

3. Reusability: Can this idea compound over time? Is It Evergreen?

I was watching a YouTube video by Jeff Bezos not too long ago, and one of the questions he asks himself whenever he starts a business is this:

“Does this business solve a problem that will exist in 10 years?”

For Amazon, he said “people will always want low prices and fast shipping. Let’s do it.”

So for you, avoid one-off time traps.

Think about leverage.

Can your business be turned into content? A guide? An affiliate recommendation? A system you can sell?

Don’t build a business selling spinners…

Case Study: Carlos vs Diego

Imagine two engineers; Carlos and Diego are both 32-year-old.

Same income. Same workload. Same desire to “do something on the side.”

Carlos follows the D.I.R. filter.

• He notices people asking about travel credit cards and saving cash.
• He realizes he enjoys learning and talking about travel credit cards himself.
• He makes one video at night after his family went to bed, sharing his experience and review of his credit card
• Then a short guide about how to use and maximize travel points
• Then links to his favorite travel card (for me, it’s this one Capital One Venture Card).

He earns $1,000 in his first 3 months through affiliate commissions, without taking time away from work or family.

(This is exactly what I did)

But now let’s look at the other engineer who’s overthinking…let’s call him Diego.

He’s still planning a personal brand around engineering, woodworking, and gaming. He’s not sure yet.

He bought 3 courses, 6 books, and is still consuming Alex Hormozi’s podcasts.

All planning…and no momentum.

One’s building clarity.

The other’s still stuck in analysis.

But What If I Fail This Filter?

Then you probably just need a smaller test.

Don’t get me wrong. The planning portion is important, for sure. Think it through.

But don’t think it through to the point of inaction.

Don’t overanalyze your “potential” business to death that it holds you back from any meaningful progress.

Don’t try to build the business of your dreams. Just try to solve one problem for someone like you.

I’ve found this is the best, low risk, low investment (of time and money) and with high upside you can do today (without taking up too much time from you already busy life).

And if it doesn’t work?

You learned, shipped, and simplified.

You’re growing.

That’s a win already.

Remember: all work works. It either grows you or grows the business.

Bottom Line:

Business isn’t about having the best idea. It’s about solving the simplest problem that people keep asking you about, again and again.

Especially when you’re an engineer… with a busy life.

Keep building. Keep simplifying.

To your success,

Alex

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