Operate Like a Submarine
Most advice says to announce your goals for accountability. That's wrong. The world doesn't care, envy is real, and sharing invites unnecessary emotional risk. Operate like a submarine—stay below the surface and let results speak later.
I once sat with someone who claimed he could tell, just by talking to a person, whether they "had it or not" to start a business. I also often hear the advice to announce your goals to the world because it supposedly helps with accountability. I think that's the wrong approach.
The world doesn't care—and envy is real. Other people's successes can feel like a threat to status, belonging, or self-worth, especially for those who are insecure or in competitive environments. Subtle undermining is more common than outright sabotage: the family member who minimizes your wins; the friend, mentor, or parent who discourages you from taking risks because they won't take those risks themselves; or the "concern troll" who says, "Are you sure what you're after is realistic? I want what's best for you and would hate for something bad to happen to you."
If you have someone you genuinely trust—someone you respect and hold to a higher standard—share your dreams with them. Studies suggest that sharing goals with the right people, especially when it involves weekly progress reports, can help with accountability. But you won't always have these external resources, and learning to push yourself is a skill you need to develop. If you depend on no one but yourself for accountability, you'll ultimately be better for it.
Aside from an extremely trusted individual or group, keep your goals and aspirations to yourself.
My preferred strategy is to operate like a submarine: stay below the surface, avoid unnecessary emotional and psychological risks. Striving for something difficult is already hard enough—why add extra baggage from others?
Keeping quiet and doing the work has several advantages. First, it preserves intrinsic motivation: you're driven by the work itself, not by the image of being a person with big goals. Second, it reduces identity pressure: with fewer eyes on you, there's less ego involvement and less shame if you iterate, pivot, or quietly kill a project. Third, it prevents premature social rewards: you don't cash in the status of "future founder" before it becomes reality. Fourth, it limits exposure to envy and risk-averse reactions from people who might, consciously or not, nudge you off your path.