THE VIEW: Stop surrounding yourself with yes men – bubble jump!

We live in an age where we collect likes on what we already think and feel offended by opposition. But for entrepreneurs, simply cultivating their own beliefs is deadly. Too much belief and too little friction can cause even the most celebrated business idea to collapse, says researcher Emma Stenström, who advocates bubble jumping.

As early as the 19th century, philosopher John Stuart Mill warned: “He who knows only his own position hardly understands it himself.” This applies to business as much as politics.

Think of all the entrepreneurs who are stuck in their own worldview. Like Adam Neumann and WeWork. He really wanted to be an entrepreneur – it was his identity. And he had a vision that he was brilliant at selling. Investors flocked, the valuation soared to $47 billion and Neumann became an icon.

But he was both living in and building a bubble. Criticism of the business model was ignored. Neumann surrounded himself with yes men. Every small success was seen as proof that he was right. At the same time, he was obsessed with success and partied hard. And he was married to a woman driven by a neo-pagan philosophy of self-realization, where all the answers are inside you – never outside.

You think you’re curious – but you mostly surround yourself with people who think and feel the same way.

WeWork is a textbook example – well-worn, but fascinating nonetheless – of what happens when all you seek is validation. When conviction is mistaken for clarity. The result? A crashed IPO and eventual bankruptcy. The whole idea was a bubble that burst.

Now, of course, most entrepreneurs are not like Neumann. Not at all. But there is something to learn. Because everyone can get stuck in their own worldview. You think you’re curious – but you mostly surround yourself with people who think and feel the same way. Those who see the world differently can even be disturbing.

Add to that an entrepreneurial lifestyle where you have to be a bit obsessive, believe strongly in your idea and are constantly short of time – and it becomes easy to shut out other points of view. So what can you do?

Bubble hop and become a better entrepreneur

One suggestion is to bubble hop. I know it sounds strange, but it simply means consciously stepping out of your bubbles and seeking out people who see the world differently.

When you meet someone who thinks your business idea is uninteresting, you see what you take for granted. You discover assumptions that may not hold outside your own circle. This makes you better at understanding customers, recruiting more broadly, finding new markets and thinking more innovatively.

A Harvard Business School study shows that the ability to take in different perspectives is crucial in a complex world. Yet many managers – especially successful ones – get stuck in bubbles of like-mindedness and yes-men.

When you meet someone who thinks your business idea is uninteresting, you see what you take for granted.

Entrepreneurs are often seen as norm breakers, but they don’t break all norms. Within their own environment, there are often strict codes: how to pitch, what is considered smart, what to talk about (and not), even how to dress. Take the startup culture: the community is strong, but also restrictive.

One reason is confirmation bias. We seek, interpret and remember what confirms what we already believe. And disregard the rest.

In entrepreneurship, where decisions are often made quickly and with incomplete information, this is not unusual. Data is interpreted as support for an idea and criticism is dismissed as “they don’t get it”. Important signals are missed.

Bubble-jumping – actively seeking other perspectives – is one way to counteract this. Studies show that entrepreneurs, precisely because they are driven by strong visions, often find it harder to take in conflicting views. Inviting others’ voices, asking questions you don’t know the answers to, and listening even when you’re struggling, improves decisions – and increases the chances of success. Bubble popping is not just democratic. It is strategic.

How to bubble jump

Start close. Is there someone you don’t understand? A cousin, an old classmate, your friend’s incredibly annoying partner? Invite them to coffee.

Or leave your usual environment. Otto Scharmer of MIT recommends looking on the periphery, where the future often shows itself first. Film producer Brian Grazer regularly books lunches with people in completely different industries. He calls them curiosity lunches.

In the entrepreneurial environment, codes are often tight.

Curiosity is key. But there are other skills worth cultivating: intellectual humility, cognitive empathy (the ability to put yourself in others’ shoes), and the art of asking questions – not just selling, for example.

But most importantly: listen!

Not to wait for your turn to speak. But for real. Start by setting an intention: what do you want from your listening? Listening takes practice. And there are obstacles: screens, stress, polarization.

But studies show that listening is a powerful – and often underestimated – factor behind organizational success. Better conversations lead to better relationships – whether with investors, customers or employees. And one simple way to have better conversations is to become a better listener.

For entrepreneurs, listening outside their own bubble means improving both learning and judgment.

Listening acts as both a relationship builder and cognitive door opener. For entrepreneurs, this means that listening, especially outside their own bubble, improves both learning and judgment and reduces the risk of getting stuck in self-reinforcing error thinking.

More important than ever

We live in a society where the walls of bubbles are getting thicker. Where algorithms, filter bubbles, polarization, segregation, and time constraints make it harder to innovate – and even harder to rethink.

Entrepreneurs who build bridges instead of walls will not only be more successful – they will also contribute to a healthier climate of conversation and a better society. Opinions are important. But only if they are challenged. That’s when they sharpen. That’s where you, and your company, grow.

Emma Stenström

Associate Professor of Business Administration at the Stockholm School of Economics