Does my ass look fat in this?

I wonder how many guys or girls would answer ‘yes’ to that question. Probably not many.

We often say we want the truth but don’t really mean it. When an entrepreneur says ‘I would use it, wouldn’t you?’ is is hard to say no. You probably should, but you don’t.

So how do you get a fair answer?

It is important to find out what people really think about your start-up, your idea or your business plan. A polite ‘looks good’ just doesn’t cut it. It might make you feel good for a few seconds but it won’t help you in the long run.

The trick to getting serious feedback is to ask different questions. A few examples:

– What is the most obvious weak spot in my plan?
– If we end up failing, what would cause that?
– How would you improve our plan?
– Where am I being unrealistic?
– If you were in charge, what would you change?

Getting ‘honest’ feedback is important and can be valuable. Just don’t make it too easy for people to lie to you…