founders paras chopra, chapter by chapter
58. Don’t Ask Friends or Family If They Like Your Idea
Kindness, lack of expertise, and your own confirmation bias make close feedback unreliable.
People avoid hurting someone in front of them, and close relationships intensify the urge to encourage. Friends and family may also know little about the target market. Combined with a founder’s tendency to remember praise and explain away criticism, their approval creates confidence without evidence.
Seek feedback from people who understand the market, can be candid, and have little ego invested in the answer. Ask about specific assumptions and behavior rather than whether they “like” the idea. Weight evidence by the source’s knowledge and incentives, not by warmth or certainty.
Original sketch and model by Paras Chopra. Read the source chapter.