do you use feedback to learn or to confirm?

many builders don’t want feedback. they want applause disguised as insight. they’ll say they value feedback, but what they really mean is “please tell us we’re right.” confirmation bias is a hell of a drug. it keeps you warm, safe, and blind. it turns every customer conversation into a mirror that only reflects what you already believe.

real learning, the kind that actually changes how you think, requires letting someone punch holes in your ideas. it means hearing “this doesn’t work” and not immediately explaining why they’re wrong. it means asking, “what are they seeing that i’m refusing to?”

many companies run feedback loops that aren’t loops at all. they’re echo chambers. they collect comments, cherry-pick the ones that validate the plan, and call it customer-centricity. meanwhile, the real insight is sitting in the trash folder, ignored because it was uncomfortable.

the hard truth is this: if every piece of feedback feels good, you’re not learning - you’re marketing to yourself. listen for the feedback that makes you wince. that’s the gold. that’s where the breakthrough lives.