Grandiose plans, little follow-through
A new venture every quarter, each one 'the big one', none past the first prototype. The pitch is always better than the spreadsheet.
Rule out first
Deliberate exploration: some people test many ideas on purpose and kill most of them. Lack of money or people. Real setbacks that ended good projects.
What could explain it
Optimism bias: They misjudge time and cost but do finish when someone gives them milestones and a deadline; the plans are big, not wild.
ADHD in adults: Starts outnumber finishes across their whole life, not only in business; interest dies with the novelty, and the abandoned projects bother them.
Bipolar disorder and hypomania: The plans arrive in bursts, with less need for sleep, fast talk and spending, and are followed by flat or low stretches.
Puer aeternus (eternal youth): The real aversion is to commitment: finishing would close off other lives, so everything stays provisional, including relationships and where they live.
Grandiose narcissism: The plan is about the image of the founder; details bore them, they expect others to execute, and failure is always someone else's.
A next move
Agree one small milestone with a date and their own name on it. Delivery means optimism; drift after the novelty means ADHD; refusing to be pinned down means puer; delegating it away means narcissism. Ask, too, whether the ideas come in seasons.
If it’s you
Am I starting things to build them, or for the feeling of starting?