Why ‘Fake It Till You Make It’ Is the Worst Advice You’ll Ever Hear
I’ve spent the last 40+ years in business, and I’ve watched hundreds of entrepreneurs, creators, and professionals come and go. Some built real empires. Most didn’t. And you know what separated them? The ones who stayed real.
“Fake it till you make it” might be the most toxic advice in the entrepreneurial playbook. And I’m going to tell you why it’s destroying more careers than it’s building.
The Authenticity That People Can See Through Immediately
I’ve watched it happen countless times. Someone decides they want to be successful, so they rebrand themselves as something they’re not yet. Custom tailored suits. Expensive cars. A McMansion they can’t afford. Name-dropping at every turn. Awkward conversations where you can feel the pretense like a bad toupee.
The irony? Everyone can tell. They always can.
The problem isn’t that they’re trying to grow. Growth takes effort. The problem is they’re performing instead of practicing. They’re building a facade instead of building a foundation.
What You Actually Know About Yourself (Even If You Don’t Realize It)
Here’s what I know about myself: I’m a terrible dancer. I can’t shoot hoops. My singing voice belongs in karaoke bars, not concert halls. I can’t fix a car. I can’t draw. I can’t beat Generation Z at video games. That list goes on and on.
But here’s what I also know: I can write. I can speak. I can listen. I can encourage others. I can come up with ideas that actually work. And I’ve spent decades getting really good at those things.
The moment you stop pretending and start getting honest about what you’re actually good at—and actually bad at—you unlock something powerful. You stop wasting energy on the wrong things and start doubling down on the right ones.
The Difference Between Discovering and Faking
There’s a critical difference between trying something to discover your abilities and performing as though you’ve already mastered it.
Try things. Experiment. Fail. Learn. That’s real growth.
But don’t present yourself as an expert in something you haven’t actually mastered. Don’t come to me with a story about your success if it’s built on rented cars and borrowed money. Don’t tell me you’re a thought leader when you haven’t actually led anyone anywhere.
When you fake it, you know you’re faking it. And that lying—to others and to yourself—eats at you in ways you might not even recognize.
Here’s the Truth Nobody Wants to Hear
You don’t need to fake it. Odds are, the people around you are going to see right through it anyway.
What actually works is being an authentic person on a real journey toward mastery in something meaningful. Not someday. Right now. Today.
Be what you are. Not what you wish you were. Not what you think people want you to be. What you actually are—with all its potential and all its limitations.
The people worth impressing are the ones who will respect that honesty way more than they’d ever respect a performance.
Where Are You Faking It?
Take a real look at your business, your career, your brand. Where are you trying to appear as something you’re not yet? Where are you performing instead of building? Where are you leaning on borrowed credibility instead of earned expertise?
Start there. That’s where the real work happens.
If you’re interested in building a real brand and real business—not a facade—I’m launching a podcast all about AI for people who didn’t grow up with it. Subscribe to my newsletter for updates, or catch the latest episodes on the Bad Crypto Podcast network. And stay tuned for my upcoming book, AI Made Simple.
