90/10 Feedback Rule

A discussion about how to process and filter feedback, particularly in business contexts. The key insight is that most feedback tells you more about the person giving it than providing actual useful insights.

The 90/10 Rule of Feedback

• 90% of feedback is informative about the person giving it
• Only 10% provides actual insight about you or your work
• Challenge is identifying which feedback falls into which category

Practical Examples

• Twitch Executive Feedback Case:

  • Executives complained about too much top-down decision making
  • When leadership switched to bottom-up approach, they complained about lack of decisive leadership
  • Shows how feedback often contradicts itself

• Course Feedback Example:

  • Student gave positive feedback about energy and performance
  • Critic dismissed it as "just motivational talk"
  • Original student defended value of curated information
  • Shows how criticism often reveals critic's biases rather than actual issues

Managing Feedback

• Don't try to action every piece of feedback
• Some feedback categories to ignore:
  • Pricing complaints
  • Timing preferences (like email sending times)
• Solution for review management:
  • Use VA to summarize overall scores
  • Filter for valid criticism and compliments
  • Avoid reading raw feedback unless necessary

Leadership Lesson

• The Hustle's Approach:
  • Don't ask for group consensus on simple decisions
  • Assign clear decision-makers
  • Accept that you can't please everyone
  • Focus on doing what you believe is right and deal with consequences