3 Reasons Why You Can't Find Success Via Committee
Validation is lovely, beautiful, and affirming. Who doesn’t like to have one’s ideas, thoughts, or opinions rubber-stamped by loved ones, professional colleagues, and even customers-at-large? In short, everyone loves a pat on the back or their gonads fluffed - even for the most minimal of accomplishments.
As an entrepreneur, it's natural to crave validation and approval from others. We all want to feel like our ideas, products, and businesses are worthwhile and valued. However, the constant need for validation can actually handcuff entrepreneurs and prevent them from reaching their full potential.
Steve Jobs changed the world with the creation of the iPhone. To Gen Z, a world without smartphones is like a world without water. Nonetheless, many of us remember when video chatting and touch screens only appeared in science fiction movies - and were considered as realistic as time travel, laser beams, and Santa Claus.
Now, you can find a job, order dinner, and jump on a hookup app where an anonymous sex partner comes to your front door - all from the comfort of your home, in the same afternoon, from your boxer shorts - largely because Steve Jobs courageously eschewed “the wisdom of the crowd”.
Don’t forget to thank Steve Jobs, in part, for your last booty call from OkCupid or Tinder! Do you think Jobs had an easy sell to investors and developers in the 00’s about his vision for the myriad of functions his iPhone prototype would be capable of performing - at a price that many people could afford - and yet still be wildly profitable?
This was at a time when connecting to the internet from a mobile phone was very much a luxury and certainly not guaranteed, especially while in a moving vehicle!
Here are 3 “Reality Checks” why validation can be more of a crutch than a blessing for budding entrepreneurs…
Reality Check #1 - Validation Seeking Stifles Risk Taking
Entrepreneurial success REQUIRES risk-taking, as launching a self-sustaining business is very difficult in itself. There is no guarantee that your invested capital or sweat equity will result in business success, as most new business ventures go belly up within 5 to 10 years on average. Such an individual needs to be comfortable with uncertainty, far away from the comfy confines of validation.
One of the biggest problems with seeking validation is that it shifts your focus away from creating a successful business. When you're constantly looking to others for approval or aiming not to offend people, you make decisions based on what you think other people want; rather than implementing the best strategies to grow your company, executing a bold vision for your product, or attempting something scalably grand that has never been done before.
You might hold back on taking risks or making bold moves because you're worried about how they'll be perceived. This risk-averse mentality can stifle innovation and limit your growth. For an entrepreneur, taking chances is the lifeblood of such projects. As most Americans are risk-averse, taking advice from risk-averse people about your entrepreneurial endeavor is like asking an arrhythmic virgin to give a seasoned stripper pointers on the trendiest twerking techniques. Reality Check #2 - External Validation Comes When You Need It the Least
Another issue with validation-seeking is that it's an external source of motivation, rather than an internal one. True entrepreneurial success comes from a deep inner passion for your work and a drive to solve problems, not from the praise of others. When your motivation is external, getting discouraged or losing momentum is much easier when the validation doesn't come.
Often, praise, prestige, attention, or accolades come when you need it the least - after your endeavor is already successful! However, on those long nights of tedium - where you toil vigorously for an uncertain profit or outcome, endure annoying roadblocks and bottlenecks, and wonder if all your energy and resources are being invested in vain - is where you really need such motivation or validation from a cheering squad to get you over the hump.
Positive, well-meaning - but ultimately empty validation platitudes - don’t get the job done! Doggedly charging forward despite what the “experts” say, while not waiting for your mother’s approval or depending on your BFF’s sage words of wisdom - is your only hope to upend the status quo you seek to disrupt - as a true entrepreneurial mover and shaker. Reality Check # 3 - Seeking Validation Can Lead to Analysis Paralysis
Seeking validation can also make you overly dependent on the opinions of others. You might find yourself constantly asking for feedback, second-guessing your decisions, or waiting for the "green light" from influential people before taking action. This can lead to paralysis by analysis, as you get stuck in a cycle of endless deliberation instead of just executing your ideas.
What if Steve Jobs spent additional months with think tanks, surveying potential users, and fine-tuning every feature in response to the feedback, only to launch the iPhone long after their competitors had already captured market share? If Apple had delayed the iPhone's launch for “extra validation”, it would have entered the market as just another challenger brand, rather than the game-changing market leader and innovator it eventually became.
When entrepreneurs get caught up in endless data gathering, research, and deliberation, perfection becomes the enemy of the good. This “analysis paralysis” leads to missed opportunities, delayed product launches, and stagnated growth. You can’t “focus group” your way to success. Rarely, is there “success by committee”.
Sometimes, you must lead customers, followers, or fans with your vision and not wait for majority approval before every key decision.
What is the Antidote to the Validation Trap?
The antidote to this validation trap is to develop a strong sense of self-belief, inner confidence, and a little contrarianism. Successful entrepreneurs know they don't need anyone's approval to pursue their dreams. They're driven by an internal compass, not an external one. They make decisions based on what feels right for their business, not what they think will impress others.
This doesn't mean you should completely ignore feedback or outside perspectives. It's important to seek input from trusted advisors, mentors, experts, and customers. But the key is to use that information to inform your decisions, not to determine them. Stay true to your vision, even if it goes against conventional wisdom or popular opinion. Intrinsically motivated entrepreneurs - who do what they do, because they love it or feel their passion is a deeper calling, and not because they want accolades - are far more likely to persevere through the inevitable ups and downs of building a business. Conclusion
Ultimately, the most successful entrepreneurs dare to blaze their own trail, rather than waiting for permission or validation from others. By freeing yourself from the need for external approval, you can unlock your true potential and build a business that is authentically yours. The entrepreneurial spirit thrives under daring, not being a pandering pussy…cat!
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