Handling Criticism Like a Pro

Clever Beagle
Aug 9, 2017 · 3 min read

Hands down, one of the silent killers of most ideas is criticism. Someone, somewhere, disagrees with an idea and due to a lack of confidence in the creator(s), the idea never ends up seeing the light of day, or, fails to grow to its true potential. It’s a shame because it’s likely the world has been denied some wonderful things because of a poorly timed comment.

Most critics are wannabes, cowering in fear of judgment for their own original ideas. Sadly, it’s far easier to sit and point your finger at someone and say what they got wrong — shrouding it in a veil of intellectualism — than it is to actually put your work into the world and take criticism for it. That most people are cowards is a bitter pill to swallow and a sentiment that is always met with pushback from the accused. “How dare you! My criticism is of the finest stock!

Of course, seldom do we see those accused actually provide any evidence negating this fact. This is where you want to pay attention to the phrase “consider the source.” We may weight all negative feedback the same, however, it’s rare that two bits of criticism have the same clout backing them. Speaking personally, most of the people who have tried to douse my own ideas have had little to no credibility in the thing I was trying to do. They asserted their opinions but didn’t have any real experience or facts to back them up.

This isn’t to say that all criticism is bad, though. What’s important is to not ignore criticism, but rather, to run each piece of criticism through a filter. Your own filter will be different from my own or anyone else’s, but some questions that may help to develop your own might be:

  • What experience does this person have with the idea they’re criticizing? Do they have insight into the problem that I don’t? Have they had previous success in a related area?
  • Is this person a potential customer or could they be? Does their criticism highlight room for improvement of my idea/product?
  • Does this person have indirect experience I can trust? For example, they’re an experienced software developer but lack expertise in my product’s domain.

You should apply your filter to everyone. Random folks, colleagues, friends, family, even the person you sleep next to every night. Don’t be a jerk if someone doesn’t pass your filter, but also don’t allow undue criticism to derail your plans. Take everything in, weight it accordingly, and keep moving. Remember: an opinion is an opinion, no matter how credible. Think of criticism as clues on how you might improve, but don’t look at as an excuse to give up.

Everyone may know better than you, but the only person who can ultimately decide where you end up is you. Form your own opinions carefully and wisely and don’t waiver from your path just because someone disagrees. What matters most is how well you execute on your idea.


Originally published at cleverbeagle.com on August 17, 2017.

Clever Beagle

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