The most expensive business lesson I've learned is that ignoring your intuition or gut feeling will always cost you—once in immediate business impact, and again in lost time, energy, and direction. Every time I've abandoned my instincts in favor of "expert advice," I've watched my vision dissolve, taking with it the passion that made my business special in the first place. What I've come to understand is that your intuition isn't just random feeling—it's the culmination of your unique experiences, insights, and vision that no advisor, no matter how successful, can replicate.
The Expert Trap
We've created a business culture that worships external expertise over internal wisdom. I recently coached a founder who had successfully raised significant seed capital and secured prestigious grants, but when preparing for her Series A, something changed.
Even before our first full session, I could already see she had lost the heart of her story. The joy had vanished for her. And all due to her board and investors bombarding her with "improvements" for her pitch.
And she is definitely not alone. I've witnessed this pattern repeatedly. Founders take feedback from everyone, believing that's what diligent entrepreneurs do. "You need to focus more on market size." "Your revenue projections aren't aggressive enough." "This slide doesn't match what other successful companies show."
It is like you get pieces of a puzzle that doesn’t fit together. They don't paint the full picture of the puzzle. Each piece of advice seems reasonable in isolation, but collectively they create a patchwork pitch lacking cohesion, authentic passion, and the unique "why" that made the business compelling in the first place.
People fall into this trap because external validation feels safer than trusting ourselves. When someone successful offers advice, it seems foolish to ignore it. But have you noticed how following contradictory expert opinions often leads to:
-
Presentations that feel generic and uninspired?
-
Business strategies that don't quite fit your reality?
-
Marketing that doesn't sound like you or connect with your audience?
Taking Advice is Important, but Filtering is Essential.
Your intuition is the sum of everything you've learned, experienced, and observed. It's not random feeling—it's compressed wisdom. Taking advice is important, but filtering it through your own judgment is essential.
Reflect on your business decisions with these questions:
-
Am I making this change because it feels right for my vision, or because someone successful said I should?
-
Does this advice align with what I know about my audience and market?
-
When I imagine implementing this feedback, does it energize me or drain my enthusiasm?
The next time you feel that quiet hesitation before implementing someone else's "proven strategy," pause. That's not imposter syndrome—it's your experience trying to tell you something important.
Trust yourself. Your intuition is the one business asset your competitors can never replicate.
What Happened To Our Founder?
-
I recommended her to keep her personal story that was central to the pitch (instead of replacing it with more technical details as advisors suggested)
-
We implemented storytelling that created emotions - the same emotions that resonates with the WHY
-
I encouraged her to return to a lot of her original content that had successfully secured her seed funding
-
We followed my proven pitch structure that is built on making sure the investors will see the full puzzle, not just pieces in a mess.
The Results Speak For Themselves:
-
She secured her Series A funding within less time AND double the amount that she asked for—investors specifically mentioned her "clear vision" and "authentic passion" as deciding factors
-
AND most importantly - she started enjoying pitching again. It didn’t just secure funding to scale their business but for her it has also been a great reminder to her WHY
These approaches worked because authentic conviction is magnetic. When you present your business through your genuine perspective, investors and customers don't just see another company—they see your unique vision.
Your intuition is not a weakness to overcome but your most valuable differentiator in a crowded market.