Ep. 52 How to Handle Negative Feedback

Hi {{contact.first_name}}, "When people tell you something's wrong, they're usually right. When they tell you how to fix it, they're usually wrong."-- Bill Hader One of the constants of Founder life is negative feedback. It's going to happen all along the way. And it will be inbound from any number of sources: Family and friends (even when well intentioned) Investors Prospects Customers Team members Co-Founders Yourself As humans, we are wired to prioritize negative information over positive information. It's baked into our survival instincts. In my experience, one of the traits of great Founders is the ability take in negative and catalyze it into positive action. But it isn't always so easy. Our businesses are our babies, so it's very easy to take negative feedback personally.  Negative feedback is often fuel for action, via the "Just wait, I'll show them!" response. But that path, while providing lots of fire, still hands a disproportionate amount of power to things outside of you. The key is to be able to take in the feedback, stay grounded and centered, and move forward. This week's Rocket Ship Founder Podcast Episode, all about taking in feedback in positive and healthy ways.  I cover: The Larry David Story - how we are wired to dwell on the negative. How negative feedback triggers deep stories about ourselves (and how to rise above them) 3 steps to staying centered and positive when receiving negative feedback. This 15-minute listen is offers some helpful wisdom for both business and life.