Thanks for a great post on what it means to be able to take advice, critial and otherwise, when trying to get a new venture off the ground. I think not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur, and having a thin skin might just be one of the factors that leads people to decide they don’t want to join the ranks of the business startup successful. Your post is exactly on topic for my audience, so I cross-posted on your piece, along with some comments, at http://blog.innovators-network.org The Innovators Network is a non-profit dedicated to bringing technology to startups, small businesses, non-profits, venture capitalists and intellectual property experts. Please visit us and help grown our community!

Best wishes for continued success,

Anthony Kuhn
Innovators Network}

When I founded my company, I brought on advisors that didn’t understand the web but I avoided saying that they “just don’t understand” and then firing them. They were vital because they also asked “Why are you trying to do it that way when you could do it this way?” and in the process provided less costly methods based on solid business principles rather than what the other ‘web’companies were doing. They also forced us to justify an expense or a strategy.

I now have an angel investor as an advisor and the other day he indicated that based on his criticisms we might not want to continue our monthly meetings.

I responded by saying we DO want to continue because he forces us to justify decisions and also tests our pre-conceived ideas of what will or won’t work. I love criticism because it forces me to think harder than compliments.}

Its like the whole change management metaphor. Think of your idea/organisation/strategy as an iceberg, to change you need to break it up, rearrange it and refreeze to get back. Hopefully this process will make it stronger.}