Give Feedback
Read a blog post with a viewpoint opposite to your own on growth—summarize its strongest point in one sentence.
Pause and ask: “What’s another way to see this?” when reacting strongly to a product or team issue.
Choose one habit today to do differently—change the order, tool, or method you normally use.
Read an article from a sector outside your own—note one idea you could apply to your venture.
Challenge your default choice in a low-stakes founder task—try the opposite for flexibility.
Use the phrase “That’s interesting—tell me more” when your idea is challenged.
Journal about a time when rigid thinking blocked your start-up progress—what might openness have created instead?
Reflect on your reaction to pivots—do you resist, explore, or experiment with new possibilities?
Describe a time you adapted to a market surprise—what kind of thinking helped you shift perspective?
Write about a belief or assumption you’ve outgrown in your start-up—what influenced you to finally change it?
List three recent challenges—did you consider multiple market angles or get stuck in just one?
Explore how curiosity shows up in your founder thinking—when do you ask “what if,” and when do you shut it down?
Present a new idea that challenges your team’s usual way of working—invite discussion, not agreement.
Switch roles in a planning session—see it from a teammate’s perspective and adjust your approach.
Do something this week that scares or stretches you intellectually—then reflect on what you learned.
Pick a topic you know well and explain it as if to a new hire—simplify and test clarity.
Offer a “yes, and” response to a skeptical investor—build on what’s said even if you differ.
Ask your team to challenge your strategy—respond with curiosity and clarifying questions.
Ask a peer to point out when you seem closed-minded in strategy talks—what signals it for them?
Share an example where your mindset shifted during a pivot—ask a peer how they’ve reframed things.
Ask a peer for feedback on your flexibility in brainstorming—do you invite or block ideas?
Start a conversation with someone outside your sector—ask how they approach change in their role.
Share how you processed a tough decision—invite feedback on where you could have been more open.
Create a “blind spots” swap with a founder peer—exchange areas you each overlook.
Reframe “That’s not how start-ups do it” as “What if we tested it once, just to learn and adapt?”
Instead of “That won’t work,” ask: “Under what conditions could this succeed for our venture?”
Recast uncertainty in start-ups as optionality—more paths available, not just more problems.
When stuck, say: “Let’s assume the opposite is true”—see what new founder ideas emerge.
See conflicting investor opinions as data, not threat—what factors might they see that you don’t?
Reframe mistakes as data points in a growth model—adjust your hypothesis and test again.
Notice when you instantly dismiss a new market idea—what bias or fear might be driving that reaction?
Track your inner response when challenged by investors—do you feel curious, threatened, or shut down?
Observe your response to sudden change—freeze, pivot, or adapt—what’s your instinct?
Watch another founder adapt fast—what thoughts seem to guide their behavior?
Observe pitch rooms where innovation thrives—what mindsets are visible in those spaces?
Track your language in uncertain times—do you ask “what if,” or insist “that won’t work”?
