This is a 2017 blog post. It's a throwback to earlier hustle culture writings, before writing like this on LinkedIn became a pop culture meme.
Like most of the hustle culture writing, it's based on a single experience that may or may not have actually happened: The author approached someone in a bar and had a conversation, and now they're preaching this method as some groundbreaking business technique.
Cold approaches like this are not, in my opinion, a good idea if you want valid feedback. When you approach random people in a bar and interrupt them with some request, many people will go into defensive mode where they try to tell you what you want to hear to de-escalate and get you to go away.
Note their reaction:
> Their reaction was notably disturbed!
The author noticed they didn't appreciate his question but pressed on anyway, demanding they give him some feedback. Many people will play along for a few minutes and try to deliver something that fulfills the request and lets them get away from the situation.
That doesn't mean it's good advice. Like most hustle culture writing pieces, I don't think this advice to go to bars and interrupt random people and demand their feedback is a good idea.
I've been working on a few ideas in my free time for several years, and I'm also a frequent bar visitor. I live in a central part of a European city that is quite tourist-heavy, and I don't have a problem talking to strangers, whether they're locals or tourists. I never initiate discussions about my hobby projects, but if enough beer is consumed, such discussions are inevitable.
I have a clear impression that you can't get much reasonable feedback this way. Most people just don't know what you're talking about and will either support or dismiss your idea without knowing anything about the topic. They mostly react based on likeness to previous discussions or on a human likability level. Getting feedback this way has never worked for me.
> I never initiate discussions about my hobby projects, but if enough beer is consumed, such discussions are inevitable.
Bringing up a business idea as a conversation topic after getting to know someone over beers is one thing.
This blog post isn't about that, though. It's about ambushing people at a bar and demanding they review your startup idea.
> ...It's about ambushing people at a bar and demanding they review your startup idea.
That sounds even worse to me. That needs a very friendly bar to afford to be that annoying. :)
> I don't think this advice to go to bars and interrupt random people and demand their feedback is a good idea.
Since so many of the comments on here have been exceedingly negative and pearl-clutching...
Given the context of the typical user of this idea, buy them a shot each for their opinions later at night. You'll get a ton of feedback. It won't be coherent, but maybe it doesn't matter. What was the point of this idea again?
> negative and pearl-clutching...
It's not "pearl clutching" to explain why the feedback you get from this method isn't going to be helpful.
Annoying your focus group and intruding upon their night out isn't the way to get valid advice. It's how you get "please go away" advice when they start telling you anything to de-escalate and finish the task so they can get on with their night
> It won't be coherent, but maybe it doesn't matter.
I don't understand why people are fixated on the idea of gathering user feedback at a bar, even when they admit it's not going to be good advice.
What's even the point of this exercise? Why go to lengths to extract feedback from bar goers if you don't think it matters?
It's pearl-clutching because bars typically aren't full of people with their assholes puckered quite so tightly and generally appreciate anything different than staring at the wall or talking to people they've known for years (do you remember?)
> Why go to lengths to extract feedback from bar goers if you don't think it matters?
We say this place isn't becoming reddit but man is this the ultimate moment to say "woosh"!