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Micro pessimism, macro optimism
Caleb Laird
March 19, 2024 • Read Time: 2 minutes
The startup mindset is inherently contradictory.
On one hand, you understand your product sucks in its current state. On the other, you know in your heart that it’ll be spectacular 5 years in the future.
Stripe founder Patrick Collison, in a recent interview on Greylock, explains this paradox with a concept he coins “micro pessimism, macro optimism.”
You must be acutely aware of every shortcoming—clunky dashboards, broken APIs, inefficient navigation.
However, you have to balance this negative outlook with long-term optimism; things take time to perfect.
Acknowledge this tension. Criticize what you have today, knowing that that honesty is exactly what will make your company great down the line.
Cheer on your team while pushing them to innovate.
Embrace micro pessimism, macro optimism.
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