Don’t be afraid of having opinions
If Elon has proven anything this year, it’s the value of fearlessly sharing your opinions—good, bad, or polarizing. And while we’re not advocating reckless tweeting, having a strong business opinion can be a game-changer.
Sometimes my clients will share a strong opinion and I’ll say, “Let’s write a blog about that!” Then they say, “I don’t know… It might upset some people.” My response is usually a diplomatic version of “That’s exactly why we should do it.”
It’s not that we should upset people, but if we have a business-related belief that could upset people, it’s probably some form of differentiator built on expertise, experience, and/or a good old-fashioned hunch.
I almost always face some form of resistance when I tell my clients to express an opinion, even if it’s something as harmless as, “Here’s why our product is better than the competition’s.” If you’re dedicating your life to a product, you probably think it’s superior in one way or another. What’s the harm in saying that out loud?
So, let’s talk about why you should be more opinionated and put to rest any of the false assumptions you might have about causing a stir.
Strong opinions attract the right audience
I’m so opinionated about music that I started a YouTube channel 11 years ago called “Make Weird Music.” I had originally hoped to get the attention of just 250 people, thinking the word “weird” might attract a small group of people who shared my musical tastes and turn off everyone else. Well, the channel is just about to cross 40,000 subscribers and blew past 5 million total views just this week. In 2024 alone, the channel gained over 1.2M views and nearly 16K new subscribers.
Is my channel going to attract people who listen to Taylor Swift or Enya? Probably not. But those are not the people I want to be interacting with anyway. By filtering those people out — and attracting only people who have a positive association to “weird” music — I’ve built a global community of passionate music fans who participate in the work I do on a daily basis. Without doing anything, I’m gaining 30-40 subscribers a day. When I release a successful new video, that number jumps to 100-120 new subscribers a day.
But building an audience around “weird music” is not the same as building an audience around “B2B SaaS.” The good news is: there’s wayyyy more money and attention going into B2B SaaS than weird music. The bad news is: there’s way more competition in the space, so you have to find a way to break through the noise.
Strong opinions are one of the best ways to break through.
If you think Javascript is one of the worst ways to develop an app, get out there and say it. Depending on the splash you want to make, you can say any of the following:
🔥🔥🔥 “Javascript is the worst way to develop an app”
🔥🔥 “10 reasons not to use Javascript for your app”
🔥 “Why we didn’t choose Javascript for our app”
“Javascript is great, but…”
Obviously, the first headline is the one that’ll get the most engagement, but will also lead to the most “trouble.” But you have to ask yourself, “Is trouble actually a bad thing?”
What do you think are the real consequences of a headline like that? What has happened to other companies that have come out swinging? (E.g. 37 Signals) If anything, they’re a great way to attract the kind of passionate demographic you want for your business.
Expertise makes your strong opinions credible
Strong opinions should stem from demonstrable expertise. It’s one thing to say, “I tried this once and I didn’t like it, therefore it sucks.” It’s another thing to say, “I’ve written 15 apps in Javascript, another 15 in Python, and another 20 in Ruby. Here’s why Javascript always had the worst results.”
You won’t get in nearly as much “trouble” as you think if you can back up your claims. I’m reminded of this quote on the back of Nassim Taleb’s book, Skin in the Game:
“The problem with Taleb is not that he’s an asshole. He is an asshole. The problem with Taleb is that he is right.”
If you can’t back up your claims with demonstrable expertise, then you’ll probably have to water down your opinions a bit. You might not say “Javascript is trash,” but rather, “I tried to do XYZ in Javascript and hated it.” That’s still a good headline that will get people reading. And if you position your words carefully, you’ll get helpful advice in return from people who know better.
The lesson here is really that you will only get in hot water if you share a strong opinion and it’s indefensible. The key is finding the smallest scope in which you can demonstrate your expertise and share it in a way that gets people thinking about what you have to say.
Celebrate your differences—they build connections
There’s an old saying that carries some weight in this discussion: vive la différence. Differences are really what make the world interesting. We should be exploring those differences, rationalizing them, and sharing that process with the world. That’s what leads to books and discussions and dialogue that changes contexts.
Keeping your business opinions to yourself really doesn’t differentiate you from any of your competitors. And if that’s the case, then your prospective customers might as well give their money to your competitors because, hey, what’s the difference?
But if you actually share your opinions and can get people thinking and talking about you, you’ll be top of mind when they think about whatever topic(s) you care about.
The world is better for differences. If everything was the same, life would be super boring. So, why would you keep your opinions to yourself if they are what differentiates you from anyone else in your field?
How many times have you bought something because “Oh, for every purchase, this company gives a free pair of shoes to someone in need,” or, “The CEO of the competing company has had a bunch of sexual misconduct accusations?” It happens all the time. We make purchase decisions because we like the company and what they stand for.
Your company has an opportunity to stand for something. But you have to share an opinion to do so.
How to share bold opinions without fear
Sometimes you know you have something important to say and you just don’t know how to say it. In this case, I’d recommend a ghostwriter, or at least a conversation with someone who can help you “tone down” whatever might be controversial. You can always get something off your chest without alienating other people. It just takes some finesse and intentional language.
If you’re unsure how to express your strong opinions without alienating people, start small. Test your ideas with a blog or a social post. You’ll be surprised how many people resonate with your perspective. You most likely won’t get in any trouble. In fact, you’re more likely to get rewarded!
There’s really nothing to fear about sharing your (professional) opinions on a subject. You will inevitably alienate or offend some people, but are those people your target demographic? Most likely not. And if it is the case, then you might have some deeper questions to answer about your product, approach, etc.
Anyway, feel free to reach out if you need some help in this area. It’s not easy to navigate, but it’s critical to changing the trajectory of your business. No one ever excelled quickly by being boring.
