Praise in Public, Criticize in Private

The post argues that an investor should not have made his frustration public on LinkedIn or ridiculed a budding entrepreneur. It says such conduct from investors, mentors, and advisors adds to discontent in the ecosystem and recalls the rule of praising in public and criticizing in private.

Reading notes

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• The author reports having seen an investor share a screenshot of a conversation with an entrepreneur.
• The investor would have been annoyed because the entrepreneur contacted him at odd hours and told him not to reach out again.
• The entrepreneur replied with references to becoming a new Jack Ma.
• The text criticizes the fact that the investor made his dissatisfaction public on LinkedIn and did not hide the entrepreneur’s identity.
• The author says he expected more humility and modesty from someone in that position.
• The text states that attitudes like this from investors, mentors, and advisors create an atmosphere of discontent in the ecosystem.
• The author returns to the doctrine of praising in public and criticizing in private.
• The closing argues that, whatever position one occupies, the best posture is to be humble and modest, or else remain silent.