3 Lessons on Giving Feedback

“The Art of Giving Feedback”

Over the years I have given tons of feedback to creators and builders both offline and online.

Have received a fair share of feedback myself as well.

Good, Bad, and Ugly😅

Some lessons on how to give constructive feedback.

A short thread👇

If you have ulterior motives then don’t give feedback to someone.

Don’t try to impress them, or put them down, or criticize them for the sake of criticism.

Don’t give negative feedback to someone just to make yourself feel better.

Your intentions will paint your opinion.

So be very honest with yourself, why you are doing this. If you don’t have a clear answer, avoid it.

It’s a waste of time.

3 good reasons to give feedback👇

That’s it, the only valid reason.

Understand that someone has put their heart and soul into building something.

They care about it deeply.

And even if you objectively talk about the product, to them you are talking about their thinking and their creative process.

Have some empathy.

If you have built something yourself, you know how important the creation is to the creator.

How difficult it is to detach one’s personality/ego from one’s product.

Be compassionate to that.

But don’t change your opinion because of empathy.

You can give negative feedback while staying positive and supportive.

It’s a fine balance. Learn to strike it.

You’ll get better with practice.

Last Point👇

There’s no point in feedback if it doesn’t add value.

Avoid short phrased, no context feedback — “I Like It”, “I hate it”

Be specific about why you love or hate something.

That gives great context to the creator.

Specificity gives them pointers to figure out what is working and what is not.

It helps them improve.

It adds value.

Make elaborate suggestions if you can. What would you do if you were in their shoes?

What would your immediate next steps be?

Try and answer that.

Thank You for reading🙏

If you have any feedback for this post or any of my other work, please share it with me. I love listening to feedback🤗

Also, if you are an indie creator, looking for feedback on something you made.

Let me know, I will be happy to help😅