Creating a growth mindset and feedback culture for your team
Durre Tabish Bibikar
??Business Coach for Software Founders | Scaling Expert | Award-Winning in Strategy, Team Development & Profit Growth??
Your team just shipped that game-changing feature, but something's off. The sprint retrospective feels like a formality, and your developers are hesitant to point out potential improvements. If you can relate to this, might as well read til the end.
Let's crack the code on building a genuine feedback culture that drives your software company forward.?
?? Start with Leadership Vulnerability
You're the CEO, but you're not infallible. Share your mistakes openly:
? "Last quarter, I rushed our product roadmap without proper market validation"
? "I missed early signs of team burnout during our last major release"
? "Our pricing strategy needed iteration, and I should have listened to the sales team sooner"
When you model vulnerability, your team follows. It's not about being weak - it's about being real.
?? Implement "Code & Culture" Reviews
Traditional code reviews? Sure. But let's level up:
? Pair technical feedback with process feedback
? Ask: "How could we have approached this sprint differently?"
? Discuss: "What assumptions did we make about user behavior?"
Make it a habit to review not just what you built, but how you built it.
?? The 24-Hour Rule
Implement a simple yet powerful policy: Any critical feedback must be shared within 24 hours. Why?
? Issues are fresh and actionable
? Prevents feedback buildup
? Reduces the emotional weight of delivery
? Keeps your product development agile
Pro tip: Create a dedicated Slack channel called #growth-feedback for real-time sharing.
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?? Gamify Growth Conversations
Turn feedback into a natural part of your company's operating system:
? Monthly "Fail Forward" sessions where teams share lessons from mistakes
? Quarterly "Assumption Audits" to challenge product decisions
? "Impact Awards" for team members who provide the most constructive feedback
? Quick Implementation Guide:
1. Next All-Hands:
- Share your biggest recent mistake
- Announce the 24-hour feedback rule
- Launch your feedback channel
2. Next Sprint:
- Add culture review questions to your retrospective
- Document lessons learned
- Celebrate those who speak up
3. Next Quarter:
- Review feedback patterns
- Adjust your processes
- Scale what works
Remember: In software, your product is only as good as your team's ability to iterate. The same applies to your company culture.
Your engineers debug code daily - apply that same systematic approach to building your feedback culture. Start small, measure impact, and iterate.
The best software companies aren't just shipping features - they're shipping better versions of themselves every quarter.
Ready to upgrade your company's operating system? Start with these changes today. Your team (and your product) will thank you for it.