Feedback on your pitch deck from investors isn’t as valuable as you might think

I’d like to introduce you to the advice monster. You’ve met before, but maybe you just haven’t been formally introduced.

Michael Bungay Stanier, a favorite author of mine, says that each of us has an advice monster inside of us. And it has convinced us that the only way to add value is to have all the answers.

Really, it’s another word for ego. We’re giving advice as a way of satisfying our egos instead of truly being present and helping the person in front of us. And we all do it. Even well-meaning VCs.

I don’t want to pick on VCs here—Stanier is clear that every single one of us has an advice monster. But if loads of “valuable” feedback is sending you down time-sucking rabbit holes, it may be helpful to take a step back and ask, who is this value serving at the end of the day? You, or that person’s advice monster?