Freedom is being disliked by other people
25 August 2026
You take a thought, a vision of how the world could work, and you try to make it real. It starts with an idea, then action, then a long stretch of failures, self-doubt, haters, and pivots before anything resembling success shows up (if it shows up at all).
The way you lead is also self-expression. And not everybody is going to like it.
- Some founders lead with vulnerability. Some people call that brave. Others call it soft, too emotional.
- Some founders are assertive and decisive. That reads as charismatic to one person and domineering to the next.
- Some founders are animated, high-energy, always hustling. Charming to some. Annoying to others (yuck).
Same person. Same style. Completely different reactions.
The surest way to avoid criticism is to do nothing, be nothing.1 But that’s not what founders do. Founders shape the world based on how we envision it.
Sometimes we’re wrong. And when people tell you you’re wrong, listen.2 It would be foolish not to take in feedback, especially when you know it’s real and a needed medicine for you to grow.
There will always be somebody who disapproves, who doesn’t like your style, the way you do things, or even how you look (happened to me). Sometimes they’re right. Sometimes they’re not. Either way, no point lying to yourself.
Deep down, run your life authentically and kindly3, using your mission and values4 as your compass.
Control what you can control. Build with rigor, enjoy the ups and downs, and have no attachment to the outcome. To me, that is freedom.5
“Freedom is being disliked by other people.”
1 The cost of inaction is always higher than the cost of a failed attempt.
2 Most importantly, listen to your own voice. You have the most context and the most skin in the game. You are the decider.
3 Authentically is easy for me. Admittedly, I could be kinder.
4 One of my ways of doing this is to be explicitly clear on how I operate (my weaknesses etc) and what the startup culture is like. Small disclosures build bonds faster than time.
5 The thought and quote “Freedom is being disliked by other people” are beautifully written and explained in the book “The Courage to be Disliked” by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga.