Today I received feedback from a free workshop session I ran a few months ago. I wasn’t expecting to receive any feedback. Certainly not today. And I now know why many authors don’t read their Amazon reviews.

On a browse of the inbox, I didn’t see anything about feedback in the subject line. I opened it. There was some preamble, followed by a bunch of positive comments. And then, a list of negative comments. Three times longer. Maybe four. A few were constructive, but most were… well, brutal.

Being the poised, mature professional person I am, I calmly implemented a number of best practices to effectively absorb and synthesize feedback.

Almost all of that last sentence is a lie.

I cursed at the screen. Spiraled into a deeply depressed state. Texted a friend with a multi-pinging rant. They sent supportive ones back. I re-read the feedback. Cursed some more. Felt a little better. Deleted the email. Just about avoided ruining my day. All in 20 minutes. But it still stings.

I know I have work to do on dealing with feedback , but it did make me wonder something.

When it comes to designing experiences, the unsolicited feedback email (or its equivalent) that lands months later can make just as much impact as the peak moment.

P.S. You’re welcome to give me feedback on this post.