Feedback Fuels Startups: Share Your Idea Early

Let’s talk about this critical step often overlooked by first-time founders: the need to socialize their startup idea at an early stage. The general tendency among these founders is to wait until they have a fully developed product before bringing it to the broader audience. This reluctance to socialize their concept often stems from fears such as idea theft or the misinterpreted need for maintaining stealth mode. Unfortunately, by taking such an approach, these founders inadvertently limit their venture’s potential.

Confining the dialogue to just close friends, family, and perhaps a freelance engineer on Upwork may feel safe, but it lacks the crucial ingredient for refining and evolving an idea – diverse perspectives. It’s crucial to understand that every viewpoint adds value to the bigger picture of your startup and helps you prepare for potential objections.

Consider the benefits of presenting your idea to someone who challenges your viewpoint, someone whose perspective is entirely different from yours. Doing so will accelerate the feedback process and foster a deeper understanding of your startup’s potential strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities. This exposure to varying perspectives becomes a rich source of insights and innovative thinking that could significantly impact your startup‘s trajectory.

This principle is illustrated by the renowned serial entrepreneur, Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and partner at venture capital firm Greylock. In the early stages of LinkedIn, Hoffman upheld the belief that “If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.” This sentiment captures the essence of the need to socialize your startup idea early. Hoffman’s approach encouraged feedback and refinement from a broad base, rather than delaying the launch in pursuit of perfection in a silo.

A common narrative we hear about startups is how they undergo countless investor meetings before securing funding. It’s not uncommon for startups to face 99 rejections before getting a single yes. This sequence, however, isn’t just a series of failures leading up to success. Instead, it’s a process of iterations, learning, and improvements. Each of these meetings allows the founder to gather fresh insights, make necessary adjustments, and come back stronger in the next pitch.

So, I urge you, share what you are working on and why it matters. What’s the worst that could happen? At best, you get insightful feedback, and at worst, you learn how to articulate your idea better. Every founder should embrace humility as a tool for growth and consider each perspective as an invaluable resource for their venture. So take the plunge and start socializing your idea now. Good luck!