# Format Mismatch: Why Your Best Ideas Never Ship
You know the feeling. You're learning something great—say, an Andrew Ng framework on machine learning or product thinking. You get excited. You think: "I should make a video about this."
Then you don't.
"Tomorrow," you tell yourself. "When I have more time."
But tomorrow never comes. Not because you lack the knowledge or ability. But because **the format doesn't match your constraints in the moment**.
## The Real Problem
We often think the issue is motivation or discipline. It's not. The issue is friction.
When creating a video feels too hard *right now*, you're not actually blocked by capability. You're blocked by context: time, energy, setup, equipment, or mental load. A video requires all of these things aligned simultaneously. That's a high bar. So you defer.
And deferral kills momentum.
## The Fix: Flexible Medium, Fixed Idea
The content you want to share doesn't require a specific format. It requires *a* format.
If you can't make a video in the moment, make something else:
- An image breakdown or visual explainer
- A Twitter thread or LinkedIn post
- Annotated screenshots
- A quick written breakdown
**The idea stays the same. The medium flexes.**
This solves two problems:
**First, you actually ship.** You're not waiting for the perfect conditions. You're working with what you have. A mediocre post published today beats a perfect video that never exists.
**Second, you build momentum.** Output compounds. Each piece—whether it's a video, image, or post—gets you credibility, audience, and most importantly, the habit of creating.
## Regurgitate + Productize
This is the marriage of two things:
**Regurgitate** means you're not waiting for original ideas. You're taking proven concepts (like Ng's frameworks), understanding them deeply, and explaining them in your voice. This solves the "what should I create?" problem.
**Productize** means you ship *now*, not tomorrow. You match the format to your energy and context. If it feels too hard as a video, it's the wrong format. Choose one that isn't.
When you feel the resistance—"I'll do this tomorrow"—that's your signal. Not to procrastinate. To change formats.
## The Question to Ask
Next time you're excited about sharing an idea but the format feels heavy, ask yourself:
*"What version of this can I make right now?"*
Not eventually. Right now.
The answer might surprise you. And it'll definitely ship.