you are way, way better than you think

I came across a simple yet powerful idea from Lenny’s latest podcast where he interviews Shopify’s CEO, Tobi Lũtke:

You are way, way better than you think.

It’s the kind of phrase that lands differently depending on where you are in your life. Read it on the right day, and it’s a spark—igniting something you’ve been hesitant to acknowledge about yourself. On another day, it might feel like a distant echo, something you wish you could believe but struggle to internalise.

But sit with it for a moment.

Most of us underestimate ourselves. We get lost in self-doubt, stuck in loops of comparison, or convinced that the person we are today is the limit of who we can be. We measure ourselves against impossible standards, forgetting that even the most accomplished creators, thinkers, and visionaries had days when they questioned everything.

The truth is, our perception of ourselves is often skewed. We fixate on the things we haven’t done, the ways we fall short, the skills we haven’t mastered yet. But if we could see ourselves from the outside—if we could view our own journey the way we admire others’—we’d realise how much we’ve already grown and how much potential is waiting to be tapped.

What if you started operating from the assumption that you’re already far more capable, resilient, and creative than you believe? What if you made choices not from a place of fear but from the quiet confidence that you’re already good enough to take the next step?

This isn’t about delusion or false positivity. It’s about recognising the invisible weight you carry—the self-imposed limits, the old narratives that no longer serve you—and choosing to set them down.