Exploring success, strategy, and innovation for the modern entrepreneur
- Nov 12
- 3 min read
By Makena Finger Zannini
If you’re a modern entrepreneur, you’re constantly balancing two opposing forces: staying open to feedback and trends, and tuning them out long enough to build something original. Especially as a Gen-Z entrepreneur myself, that line can feel razor-thin. Too reactive, and I’ll end up bending to every opinion. Too stubborn, and I’ll miss real opportunities for growth.
The truth is, success rarely lives in the extremes. It comes from reading the room without losing your own voice.
The danger of being too reactive
Early on, it’s tempting to crowdsource your strategy.
I’ve asked mentors, clients, and peers for input, and everyone has an opinion. It’s easy to tweak pricing because a client balked, change your offer because a competitor launched something new, or test five new marketing channels because “everyone else is on them.”
That constant reaction mode feels productive. It looks like adapting and learning, but often, it’s just masking insecurity. If every piece of feedback dictates your next move, you lose the through-line of your vision and end up exhausted.
I see this with clients all the time.
One rejection, an upset customer, or a hire that doesn’t work out, and they’re ready to abandon their plan. I’ve talked dozens of people out of launching digital products simply because they saw a competitor do it. In fact, a big part of my advisory work is helping founders filter feedback to figure out what actually matters.
Feedback is useful, but only when you filter it heavily through your own lens.
The danger of ignoring the market
On the other extreme, I’ve seen entrepreneurs so locked into their original vision that they refuse to hear what the market is saying. They double down on offers that don’t sell, insist on doing things the “right” way, and ignore data under the guise of confidence.
I’ve made this mistake myself. The agency market shifted hard this year, and we had to rework our messaging and structure. My plans for 2025 and 2026 look nothing like the ones I wrote down a year ago. It’s easy to be late on pivots, and I’ve had to push myself to look closely at numbers and feedback so I don’t miss the signs.
I believe that entrepreneurs are iterative. They let data challenge assumptions, and adapt quickly while keeping their core values in tact.
Finding the middle ground
So how do you know when to trust your gut and when to pivot? Here are my tips:
Filter feedback through your values and vision. Before implementing advice, ask yourself if it aligns with what you want your business to be to yourself and to others.
Give changes time to show results. Constantly switching prevents real learning. I commit to at least 100 data points (think - 100 leads, 100 touchpoints, 100 sales calls) before making a call.
Track behavior rather than opinions. Look at where your audience spends their money and time, not just what they say in passing. Constantly collect data across clients, prospects, and your team so you’re not relying on the loudest voices.
The mindset that sustains growth
As an entrepreneur, you need to stay grounded but adaptable, humble but decisive. And ultimately, you can’t outsource that judgment.
The more I’ve grown, the louder the noise has gotten - from clients, competitors, colleagues, and even random people I meet. My job is to resist getting tossed around by individual comments, while not shutting myself off from the market by gathering broad data to use to make decisions.
I believe that the balance between confidence and curiosity is where real innovation lives.
Connect With Makena
@makenafingerzannini
Comments