I used to need a lot of external validation from others, but when I worked with Seth Godin, he refused to give me that validation. He said I had to create it for myself. At first, it was painful because I wasn’t sure if I was building the right thing or making the right decisions. He said he didn’t know either, but I didn’t believe him. I thought, "Surely a marketing legend would know the right thing to do, right? Right??" I said, “Okay, I get it... But if making me struggle is a vague buddha teaching moment, this seems borderline irresponsible given the stakes. So you should just tell me if I’m on the right track." Still, nothing. The lack of validation drove me nuts. But eventually, I learned to validate myself. I learned to live with the tension of making a decision that will have consequences (every decision does) and not knowing if it’ll work, which is what every founder and leader has to carry. And I learned to be super pleased with myself when I do something well. I don't need someone else to say, "Wes, that was awesome." I celebrate accomplishments big and small in my own mind. For example, a well-crafted Slack message. This might seem small to others, but in my head, I’m like “Damn that was a good response. Nice job Wes.” This emotional validation can happen *from yourself, for yourself.* Was it infuriating not to get reassurance I felt like would have been easy for Seth Godin to give, and would have meant the world to me at the time? Yes. Is it liberating to feel deep pride for a piece of work I did, regardless of who else praises it? Definitely.