Listen Like You’re Wrong, Proceed Like You’re Right

Note to #Startups: Listen like you’re wrong. Proceed like you’re right.

I was with a colleague talking about a mutual friend. He says, “I love <name changed to Larry David>!! He’s the kind of guy who will tell you if your baby is ugly.”

It got me thinking: The startup world needs more Larrys.

Not because founders need to be knocked down a peg—building something from nothing is already humbling enough. But because honesty is oxygen in an ecosystem where politeness too often chokes progress.

The Feedback Paradox

Here’s where it gets tricky.

In addition to thick skin, founders also need a touch of beautiful, irrational stubbornness. If you cave every time someone wrinkles their nose at your pitch, your roadmap will look like an Etch-a-Sketch in a moving car.

But if you ignore every wrinkle, you risk building in a vacuum. So how do you strike the balance?

Seek the Larrys, Filter the Feedback

Find mentors, friends, and investors who won’t sugarcoat feedback. Places like mHUB and 1871 are full of folks who’ve seen enough babies to know when one’s got potential—and when one’s just colicky.

But don’t just collect feedback. Work at discerning which feedback makes your baby stronger… And which reflects someone else’s taste in offspring.

Not every wrinkle is a red flag. Not every compliment is a green light.

Ugly Ducklings and Early-Stage Brilliance

Sometimes, what looks “ugly” today still looks ugly tomorrow. But sometimes—just sometimes—today’s ugly is early-stage brilliance that hasn’t fully grown into its cheeks.

Your job as a founder is to listen generously, filter ruthlessly, and proceed with conviction.

Because the best founders don’t just build products. They build judgment.

If you’re into founder psychology, feedback filters, and startup storytelling that doesn’t flinch—this corner of the internet might just be worth bookmarking.