“First become an expert, only then start writing,” “If you aren’t familiar with this industry, don’t start a startup,” “If you are not an expert, don’t express an opinion.”
If these rules really worked, half of the internet wouldn’t exist today. Blogs, helpful YouTube videos, even many of the products that make our daily lives easier were created not by qualified experts , but by people with a passion for learning .
When do experience and knowledge give an advantage?
Some startups have developed faster and better mainly due to previously accumulated knowledge .
- OpenAI, Sam Altman. Success in the field of artificial intelligence does not happen by chance. OpenAI was created in a field that requires scientific research, mathematical models and algorithms. This company was formed on the basis of a scientific approach . Link
- Stripe, Patrick Collison. Patrick and the other co-founders have experienced the challenges of online payments firsthand. Thanks to their knowledge of the industry, they understand the problem better than anyone else. Stripe is now valued at $91.5 billion. Link
- Zoom, Eric Yuan. Video calls existed before Zoom. But they were slow, complicated, and unreliable. Like other expert founders, Eric was involved in improving existing systems and products. Today, almost all of us use this app.
But that doesn’t mean all startups have to be experts .
What is the market showing?
World experience shows that many great products started with a problem, not with great knowledge and experience.
- Airbnb. The founders were not familiar with the hotel business. They simply thought of renting out mattresses in their own home. Later, this project unexpectedly grew. Link
- WhatsApp. A very simple, user-friendly solution to the complex messengers created by telecom giants.
- Dropbox. He did not invent cloud technology. He only made existing systems understandable and convenient for the public.
- Canvas. A solution created for people who don’t know design , not for professional designers .
Here, the key to success was not expertise, but the ability to ask questions .
Why don’t most people start anyway?
The reason is very familiar:
- “I don’t know enough”
- “They criticize me”
- “Let me study first”
This happens to startups, writers, and content creators alike. As a result, people procrastinate , and the market doesn’t wait.
Paul Graham, one of the founders of Y Combinator, put it very clearly:
“Many founders start too late, thinking they’re not ready. Startups are created in the process of becoming ready, not by ready people.”
Who will win?
Today’s real life shows this:
- Experts – excel in areas that require in-depth knowledge
- Non-experts win where they can simplify the problem
- Those who never stop learning – it connects both sides
The difference is not in the amount of knowledge, but in the speed of action .
Being an expert is a big bonus. But it is not an admission ticket. Many ideas that have changed the world started with one question: “I don’t fully understand this. Let me look into it.” Someone wins with knowledge, someone asking a question. The important thing is not to wait for permission to start .
