I think the only way is to actually embrace failure. Most things that are worth doing have a gigantic chance of failure statistically, and I don't just mean startups. Marriages fail at astonishing rates, most friendships aren't life long friendships.
I think it's important to just say "I want to do this, even if I fail," and really believe that it'll have been worth doing even if you fail.
Right now, my team and I are building a startup that sells fertilizer and seed in rural sub-saharan Africa. On credit. What we're doing is crazy and has all of the challenges of any other startup, but we're also doing it with all of the challenges that operating in Kenya has.
Forgive me if I'm off base, but I am getting a vibe that you are very concerned about what others think of you.
My advice (which is free internet advice, so take that for all it's worth) is that this is holding you back. As long as you don't see yourself as a fraud, it doesn't matter if someone else calls you one.
And, now I've done diagnosing you, I'll now assume you're in the exact same situation as I was (which is even worse internet advice, so prepare to pile up some massive grains of salt)
Because it wasn't that long ago, I remember the first time a project of mine got the focused attention of the HN front page. I was very nearly physically ill, because I was sure I was going to be judged harshly by some internet rando.
And yes, eventually someone did claim that my project was lame / worthless / something else equally stinging, and yes, it did hurt my feelings for a while.
But then I realised that I didn't care what they thought. I'd finished my project to (generally) good acclaim and they were just some bitter armchair expert who felt they had to chip in.
The good news is that it's easily solved, you need a tougher skin. The bad news is the only way you can do that is by putting stuff out there, failing, and then doing it all again :)
I think it's important to just say "I want to do this, even if I fail," and really believe that it'll have been worth doing even if you fail.
Right now, my team and I are building a startup that sells fertilizer and seed in rural sub-saharan Africa. On credit. What we're doing is crazy and has all of the challenges of any other startup, but we're also doing it with all of the challenges that operating in Kenya has.
Just believe it's worth doing.