Grateful for Feedback
Giving constructive feedback is easier said than done. We experienced this first hand. As part of what we do at Corrob, we dive in to get deep insight into the who the founders are and what their startup idea is all about. Through that process, we get asked for feedback. That’s not a surprise to us. We have been super privileged to speak to a whole range of startups. Whether they are startups that pre-revenue and just four months into it or a startup that has raised a couple successful rounds from angels and about to see cash-flow, giving them our thoughts has been difficult.
As much as we’re delighted and honoured to be asked, we realised its hard to not just come off as critiques or, simply put, be negative. We never want to end a chat with a startup with a simplistic conclusion of ‘nah, it doesn't sound that good’.
Its been good to always bounce thoughts off each other here at Corrob. As part of that process, we always push each other a little further and get more serious about it just like we do with the startups we talk to. We’ve found that trying to break-down the startup and get specific in terms of what is good and / or what doesn’t right is essential. You’ll notice the italics of trying and thats because not all of the times we’ll be able to know straight away or be able to pin-point exactly what it is about the startup that doesn’t excite us. However, the commitment to at least try and force each other to be more analytical with precision makes a huge difference.
At the end of the day, we are looking at a startup from the outside and we as cofounders ourselves, know how painfully important is to get feedback. Therefore, recognising how personal biases or emotional reasons can come into play, we still believe that each and every founder deserves a level of time and attention when they’re asking for feedback. Not just your gut feeling but rather constructive thoughts.
If you’re reading this and have been asked for feedback or thoughts on a startup, please feel free to reach out to share how you’ve managed to address this similar situation!
