How to give good startup feedback

Giving feedback is a skill. Good feedback changes what a founder builds next; vague or harsh feedback is just noise. Here’s how to leave the kind you’d actually want to get back.

Start with what it does — in one sentence

Before you critique anything, tell the founder what you think their product does. If you can’t say it in a sentence, that’s the most valuable thing you can report: their positioning isn’t landing yet.

Say what works first

Lead with what’s clear, useful, or convincing. It’s not flattery — knowing what already works tells the founder what to protect while they change everything else.

Be specific about what doesn’t

“The pricing is confusing” helps no one. “I couldn’t tell whether $29 is per month or one-time” is gold. Point at the exact word, button, or moment that lost you.

Name the one thing to fix first

A list of ten problems is paralyzing. Pick the single change that would move the needle most and say why. You’re handing them a priority, not a backlog.

Be honest, not harsh

Honesty respects the founder enough to tell them the truth. Harshness is just about sounding sharp. Aim for the first — react like a real user who wants them to win.

On Startup Feedback every review follows this exact shape — what it does, what works, what doesn’t, one thing to fix — so giving good feedback is the default. Start reviewing →