Tackling a new business venture as a budding entrepreneur requires persistence and perseverance. Most entrepreneurs and start-ups fail, so it makes sense to think encouragement from friends, family, and peers would help morale. However, research suggests that what may be even more helpful is a baseless critic telling them they’ll fail.
A team at North Carolina State University gathered research from three studies involving a combined 1,400 participants. They found evidence that the majority of those who defined themselves as entrepreneurs were more driven when told they would fail. In fact, the less credible the critic, the more persistence the entrepreneur displayed to prove them wrong.
The researchers explained this “underdog effect” as part of Psychological Reactance Theory. The theory suggests that when a person’s freedom is challenged, they tend to push back harder and stronger than before. In this case, when someone tells an entrepreneur they’ll fail, the response tends to be, “Watch me!”
Entrepreneurs offer their thoughts
Entrepreneurs and business leaders spoke to GOOD to weigh in on this discovery. Many related to the entrepreneurs who felt more motivated after being disregarded by critics. However, they also urged caution against basing decisions and motivation solely on proving others wrong.
“This resonates with me to a degree. I think someone should be able to intuit when their persistence has become too much,” said Nathan Silvernail, co-founder and CEO of Plantd. “Often, folks are unwilling to pivot when a pivot is required. They’re afraid of change or hesitant to course-correct even when all of their signals are telling them to. Stubbornness paired with ignorance is a dangerous combination in any regard. A truly successful person will understand what this means.”
“Being told you might fail can absolutely strengthen someone’s resolve. But entrepreneurship isn’t just about endurance,” said Samyr Laine, co-founder and managing partner at Freedom Trail Capital. “If you ignore every piece of criticism because you’re trying to prove people wrong, you damage relationships and miss useful signals. Business is relational. Investors, customers, employees, they’re all giving you feedback in some form…You need resilience, but you also need self-awareness.”
“Proving others wrong might push you to short-term wins, but it’s consistency over time that drives championship-level results,” said Christina Reckard, president of the Pat Summitt Leadership Group. “The entrepreneurs that make it the distance can’t wait for a critic to give them the fire inside they need to motivate them, they need to have a great product or service, with the customer at the center, and the self-discipline to pursue excellence regardless of the obstacles.”
“For those of us who don’t have unlimited personal resources, entrepreneurship takes against-the-odds tenacity…If you’re deterred by a dismissive word, you’re not an entrepreneur for very long,” said Matt Graber, co-owner of Cool Hand Movers. “When acute adversity hits, or is even implied, the urge to swim upstream naturally kicks into high gear. Is this a healthy dynamic? Probably not. The results aren’t surprising but I wouldn’t go searching for negative reinforcement in place of traditional coaching and productivity tools.”
Psychology experts weigh in
Psychiatrists and therapists who spoke to GOOD explained why entrepreneurs can get a boost from such negativity. However, they also warned that persistence can turn into stubbornness, causing entrepreneurs to miss opportunities to learn and improve.
“When a person feels as though their competence is being challenged, they may become more motivated to prove themselves,” said Krista Walker, a therapist and clinical director at The Ohana. “This may be especially true for entrepreneurs, in particular. That is because their identity may be tied to their business or performance. It can feel like a personal challenge.”
“When we cling too tightly to an idea, an approach, or a specific outcome, we lose flexibility,” said psychiatrist Dr. MaryEllen Eller. “It can become easy to confuse commitment with rigidity and stubbornness for strength.”
Balance is key
“Being told ‘you’ll fail’ or ‘you can’t’ can actually make us want it more. It fuels a drive to self discover autonomy and prove your abilities,” said psychiatrist Dr. Sam Zand. “However when this fuel is from resentment, it can become unhealthy if it takes over who you truly are. Some of the biggest entrepreneurs use stories and experiences of doubt as fuel, but stay open to constructive criticism and learning.”
Based on the thoughts of these professionals, it seems best to pay attention to any data that conflicts with your vision in case changes need to be made.
