When was the last time you were frustrated by a business?
Their product was weak. Their website was not intuitive. The line was out the door. The customer service was terrible.
Our internet-age tendency is to whip out our phone, pull up Yelp, Google, or Amazon, and write a scathing review. We unload on that product, rip the restaurant, or slam the subpar service to make sure nobody else experiences the same frustration and annoyance that we did.
Does this make us feel better? Temporarily.
Will it help improve the product or business? Hopefully (but not definitely).
I’m not suggesting that we give up reviewing products and services. But could I suggest an alternative option for the next time you really feel like spending your time criticizing something?
Create the solution. Create something to make the world better. Make something better than the poor product, the dysfunctional website, the terrible system, or the subpar customer service. The best products are created in response to real problems that we see with the world. I’m well aware that it’s not practical for each of us to create a business every single time we see a flawed product or service, but I firmly believe that the best businesses, products, and services are created in response to real challenges that people face.
Our high school leadership program, Chick-fil-A Leader Academy, was created in response to the need for young people to have a platform to lead. Many students had an outlet to learn leadership techniques, but very few were given the permission and platform to apply their skills and have a positive impact on their communities. We were just bold enough to believe that high school students could make a difference in the world and decided to give them a better way to do it.
Amazon Dash was created in response to forgetfulness. Instead of going to the store and forgetting to buy toilet paper, Amazon Dash provides a button you can press that will order you a new case to be sent to your home every time you run out. They eliminate the extra step of forgetting common household items.
Uber was created in response to the problem of hailing a taxi at a busy time or on a busy street. Instead of chasing down yellow cars, you can call for an Uber, see the exact time of their arrival, and pay on a convenient mobile app.
The famous artist, Michelangelo, had a modus operandi: “criticize by creating.” He believed the best way to express your displeasure with the status quo is to create something that fixes it.
Learn from the examples of the great artists, innovators, and problem-solvers before you. Stop criticizing. Start creating. Today.
