The starting line is the name I'm giving to where a lot of us currently are in our lives. The idea that we're at the start of it all, that it's okay not to know what you're doing or feel successful yet. 

I was inspired by watching "Saturday Night" based on the first ever episode of SNL and the creator Lorne Michaels and "A Complete Unknown" based on Bob Dylan's rise to fame. 

I think this one is for everyone from 18 to 32.

The Starting Line: Why Being Lost in Your 20s Is Actually Your Biggest Opportunity

At 24, Josh Felgoise recently watched two movies that completely shifted his perspective on success, failure, and where young people actually stand in their careers. "Saturday Night" (about the creation of SNL) and "A Complete Unknown" (about Bob Dylan's rise) revealed a powerful truth: everyone starts at the starting line, and that's exactly where you're supposed to be.

If you're in your 20s feeling like you have no idea what you're doing while everyone else seems to have it figured out, this perspective might change everything.

The Saturday Night Live Origin Story You Never Heard

Most people know SNL as the polished, well-oiled machine it is today. But Josh's viewing of "Saturday Night" revealed the chaotic reality of its creation in 1975.

Lorne Michaels was just 30 years old when he pitched this revolutionary idea to NBC. Leading up to the first live show, everything that could go wrong did:

• Equipment was breaking

• Actors were leaving

• People were literally fighting

• The network was ready to pull the plug until the last minute

• Everyone (including Johnny Carson) was telling Michaels he would fail

The kicker? They almost didn't air the first episode. The network wanted to wait another week. If Lorne had listened to that advice, if he had said "you're right, let's try again next Saturday," SNL might never have happened.

Instead, he believed in his vision when literally no one else did. That belief—despite all odds—created a cultural institution that's lasted 50 years.

The Universal Truth About Starting Lines

Josh's key insight: "Nothing is anything until somebody believes in it, until somebody has the determination and the passion and the belief to make it."

This applies to everything:

• Job hunting: Taking yourself out before applying because "they won't hire someone like me"

• Dating: Not asking someone out because "they're too attractive for me"

• Creative pursuits: Not starting that Instagram account because "my friends will judge me"

• Career changes: Staying in a comfortable but unfulfilling job because "I'm not qualified for anything else"

Why Most of Us Self-Sabotage Before We Start

The difference between Lorne Michaels and most of us? We usually have the external voices inside our own heads.

Josh explains: "We do that to ourselves so quickly and so often, every single day about so many different things, without the external sources, without the people saying it to us, we say it to ourselves."

Common self-sabotaging thoughts:

• "I'm going to fail anyway"

• "People will think I'm stupid"

• "I'm not talented enough"

• "Everyone else is better than me"

• "I should wait until I'm more prepared"

Being at the Starting Line: Shitty or Cool?

Josh introduces a crucial mindset shift: You can view being at the starting line as either "shitty" or "cool"—the choice is yours.

The "Shitty" Perspective:

• "How will I ever get to where I want to be?"

• "I feel so far behind everyone else"

• "I'm going to get fired"

• "What the fuck am I even doing?"

• "Am I always going to be stuck here?"

The "Cool" Perspective:

• "I have the opportunity to try right now"

• "I can go anywhere from here"

• "I can start running, and if it's the wrong path, I can come back and try again"

• "This is my chance to figure out what I want"

• "I get to experiment without the pressure of having it all figured out"

The Reality Check: You're Supposed to Be Here

If you're in college, just out of college, or somewhere in your 20s (even early 30s), you're still at the starting line—and that's exactly where you should be.

Josh emphasizes: "I don't think we have to feel successful yet. We're young."

This isn't about settling for less or having low expectations. It's about recognizing that:

• Not knowing what you want to do is normal

• Feeling unsuccessful at this stage doesn't mean you are unsuccessful

• Everyone's timeline is different

• The pressure to have it all figured out by 25 is artificial and harmful

The Bob Dylan Parallel

Josh also references "A Complete Unknown," noting that Bob Dylan started by playing to audiences of 20 people in small East Village bars. If he had stopped because the crowds were small, if he had listened to the voice saying "nobody's listening to me," we would never have heard of Bob Dylan.

The pattern is clear: Every successful person started exactly where you are now—uncertain, unproven, and probably scared.

The Startup Mindset for Your Life

Working at a startup, Josh understands volatility and uncertainty. He draws parallels between startup life and being young:

• You never know what's going to happen next

• The "runway" is always a question mark

• Everything feels unstable and uncertain

• But that's also where the biggest opportunities lie

Key Principles for Thriving at the Starting Line

1. Start Before You're Ready

"You have to start before you're ready. You have to start at the line and just go sometimes."

Waiting for the perfect moment, complete confidence, or full preparation often means never starting at all.

2. Success Starts from Within

"If you believe in yourself, others will too. If you see yourself as confident and successful, others will too."

Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for how others perceive and interact with you.

3. Embrace the Mess

SNL's first episode was a disaster by any objective measure. But Lorne Michaels said "we're doing this tonight" anyway. Sometimes you have to launch the imperfect version.

4. Reframe Your Narrative

Instead of "I don't know what I'm doing" (shame-based), try "I'm figuring out what I want to do" (growth-based).

5. Remember Everyone Started Somewhere

Every successful person you admire was once exactly where you are—confused, uncertain, and probably doubting themselves.

Practical Steps for Moving Forward from the Starting Line

1. Identify Your "SNL Moment"

What's one thing you've been putting off because you don't feel ready? What would you try if you knew you couldn't fail?

2. Challenge Your Internal Voices

When you catch yourself thinking "I can't do that," ask:

• Is this actually true, or is this fear talking?

• What's the worst thing that could realistically happen?

• What's one small step I could take to test this assumption?

3. Redefine Success for Your Stage

Success at the starting line looks different than success at the finish line:

• Taking action despite fear = success

• Learning from failure = success

• Trying something new = success

• Getting slightly better each day = success

4. Find Your Inspiration Sources

Josh looks to Lorne Michaels and Bob Dylan. Who are your examples of people who succeeded despite the odds? Study their early stories, not just their eventual success.

5. Choose Your Starting Line Mindset Daily

Some days you'll feel the "shitty" perspective, others the "cool" one. The key is recognizing you have a choice and actively choosing the more empowering viewpoint.

The Long View

SNL has been on the air for 50 years. Bob Dylan is still performing in his 80s. These weren't overnight successes—they were people who started at the starting line and kept going.

Josh reminds us: "You are the only person that can measure your success or determine your success or decide your success."

Why This Matters More Than Ever

In an age of social media highlight reels and "30 Under 30" lists, young people face unprecedented pressure to achieve early and visibly. But most lasting success takes time to build.

The starting line isn't a place to escape from—it's a place to appreciate. It's where possibilities are infinite, where you can still pivot, where the pressure is lower, and where the biggest growth happens.

Your Starting Line Action Plan

1. Acknowledge where you are: You're at the starting line, and that's okay

2. Choose your perspective: Will you see this as "shitty" or "cool"?

3. Pick one thing to start: What's been waiting in the wings of your mind?

4. Start before you're ready: Perfect planning is procrastination in disguise

5. Believe in yourself first: Others will follow your lead

The Bottom Line

Lorne Michaels created a 50-year institution because he believed in his vision when everyone else thought he would fail. Bob Dylan became a legend because he kept playing to small crowds until they became big ones.

You're not behind. You're not failing. You're not lost forever.

You're at the starting line—and that's exactly where every great story begins.

Feeling stuck at your own starting line? Remember that every successful person started exactly where you are now. The only difference between those who make it and those who don't is the willingness to start moving—even when you don't know where you're going.

Want more honest conversations about navigating your 20s? Subscribe to Guyset for weekly discussions about the real challenges young guys face, from career uncertainty to finding your purpose.

Let me know what you think HERE

Email me josh@guyset.com or dearguyset@gmail.com

Watch on YouTube HERE

Connect on Instagram HERE

Ask me anything HERE

Check out Guyset Magazine HERE

Connect on Reddit HERE

Check out Guyset Style HERE

Check out Guyset Guides HERE

See you guys next Tuesday.