Can you tell us about a time where you received unpleasant feedback?

Question

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

In one of my review cycles, I received tough feedback that while I was
delivering on complex projects, my planning wasn’t strong enough — I sometimes
left insufficient time for code reviews and integration testing, which led to
delays and even a few production issues. Although it was unpleasant to hear at
first, I took it seriously and changed my approach. I started breaking features
into smaller deliverables, built in buffer time for reviews, gave proactive
project-level updates, and focused more on test cases and post-deployment
monitoring. In the very next cycle, I drove the Reverse Penny Drop project
independently without issues, saving the company ₹1.6 lakh, and my manager
specifically called out my improved ownership and reliability. This experience
taught me to seek feedback early, use it constructively, and continuously refine
how I deliver projects.

Anonymous · Answer

D – Drivers

Coming from an academic background, my instinct was to write long,
research-heavy product copy and brand content. I wanted to give customers all
the cultural and historical context behind our products.

I – Impact

I got feedback from a mentor that while the storytelling was beautiful, it was
overwhelming on a PDP. Customers were looking for clarity and benefits, and my
copy wasn’t always easy to digest quickly.”

G – Growth

I took that feedback seriously and started treating brevity as a creative
challenge — finding ways to say less with more impact. Over time, I actually
came to enjoy it. It pushed me to sharpen language, highlight what really
matters, and let the story support the product rather than overshadow it.

It mattered because I realized that even if the story is compelling, if it’s too
long, people stop listening. The real skill is getting to the essence quickly —
enough to hook people without overwhelming them. That shift has helped me write
copy that actually converts and communicate in ways that keep teams engaged
instead of tuned out.

Anonymous · Answer

In the first company I worked as tech lead, even though my performance rating
was good, I received a 360 degree feedback on my interpersonal skills as well.
One of them said that I sounded a bit rude in couple of discussions. When I
asked for the instances, I got examples where I got the feedback from and not
whom. So I had to explain my manager that it was not intentional and the
aggressive demanding nature of mine could have been perceived as rude. But I
considered the feedback and identified, corrected myself, toned down the way I
speak in certain instances which made a set of teams in my org ex: production
support teams reach out to me more often now for guidance. So this helped me
gain valuable experience and unlock a totally different perspective in terms of
collaboration with other squads in the company.

Can you tell us about a time where you received unpleasant feedback?

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