Neill Dunwoody is a passionate professional who thrives on innovation and collaboration. He is the founder of Spryt, Chief Talent Strategist, and Head of Ireland with Tribes.
Building a company or launching a product is already an uphill battle. The last thing you need is to let negativity from outsiders slow you down. There will always be people who doubt your vision, criticize your ideas, and tell you why your business will fail. But if you believe in what you're building and the data backs up your market potential, there’s only one thing to do: keep going.
As the saying goes, a bee doesn’t tell a fly that shit tastes like honey. Why? Because the bee knows what real value is, while the fly is content with waste. If you listen too much to those who don’t understand your vision, you risk being pulled away from your mission. Here’s why you should be cautious about absorbing negative comments and how to stay focused on success.
Most people can’t see what you see
Not everyone is an entrepreneur. Not everyone has the ability to spot opportunities, take risks, and bring a vision to life. Many critics are simply people who don’t have the mindset or the foresight to understand what you’re building.
Consider the stories of companies like Airbnb, Uber, and Tesla. When they first launched, people ridiculed their ideas. The founders ignored the noise, focused on their data, and built billion-dollar companies.
If you believe in your product and you’ve done the research, remember: It’s not your job to convince people who lack vision. It’s your job to build something valuable.
Critics often project their own fears
Many people criticize others because they’re afraid of failure themselves. When someone tells you your idea won’t work, what they’re often saying is, "I wouldn’t take that risk." They’re projecting their own fears onto you.
But their fears aren’t your reality. Most successful businesses faced rejection, disbelief, and skepticism before proving themselves. If every great entrepreneur had listened to doubters, we wouldn’t have the innovations we rely on today.
Not all feedback is created equal
There’s a difference between constructive criticism and baseless negativity. Constructive criticism helps you refine your idea, improve your product, and fix potential flaws. This kind of feedback is valuable and should come from people who understand your industry or target market.
On the other hand, baseless negativity, in the form of comments like "This will never work" or "Nobody will buy this" without any logical reasoning, should be ignored. Before you take any criticism to heart, ask yourself: Is this coming from someone who actually understands what I’m building?
Market validation matters more than opinions
The best way to know if your product or business has potential is by looking at real market data. If you have strong indicators, customer interest, pre-orders, positive user feedback, or industry demand, then opinions don’t matter.
Data tells the truth – Opinions are just noise
If you can prove that your product solves a problem and people are willing to pay for it, that’s all the validation you need. Keep refining your execution, but don’t let the negativity shake your confidence.
The best way to shut critics up is to succeed
At the end of the day, success is the best response to doubt. The people who said you couldn’t do it will either quietly disappear or pretend they believed in you all along.
Rather than wasting energy arguing with doubters, use their negativity as fuel. Let their skepticism motivate you to push harder and prove them wrong. The moment your product gains traction, starts generating revenue, or disrupts an industry, those same critics will have no choice but to acknowledge your success.
Final thoughts: Stay focused, stay relentless
If you believe in your idea and have the data to support it, don’t let negativity distract you. Most of the people criticizing you don’t have your vision, your drive, or your understanding of the market. Their opinions are irrelevant to your success.
Stay focused, trust your instincts, and execute relentlessly. At the end of the day, bees make honey, and flies settle for shit.
And you? You’re here to build something great.
Read more from Neill Dunwoody
Neill Dunwoody, Founder and Talent Strategist
As the co-founder and COO of Spryt and Chief Talent Strategist and Director at Tribes, I lead two disruptive startups transforming healthcare and tech talent and digital transformation. Spryt's AI receptionist, ASA, reduces patient no-shows by offering 24/7 appointment management via messaging platforms like WhatsApp, increasing patient engagement by 160%. Tribes connect businesses with prequalified tech talent and run an award-winning digital studio. I also advise Manna, Prommt, and HR Duo, working on cutting-edge drone delivery, payments, and AI-driven HR solutions. A HIMSS Pitchfest winner, I use my 812k TikTok and 426k Instagram followers to advocate for innovation. My focus remains on building companies that solve real problems.
