I tried to help 9,000 laid-off people find jobs.

Yesterday I tried to help 9,000 laid-off people find jobs.
437 wanted to help make it happen.
5 came at me with pitchforks.

Those 5 shouted about GDPR violations. Identity theft risks. Called me naive for even trying.

But you know what else happened?

A few people reached out privately.
Offered different suggestions and solutions.
Shared better ways to accomplish the same thing.

Actually helped improve the idea instead of just tearing it down.

And in public?

2,025 appreciated the effort
278 dialogues started with comments
159 people reposted it to spread the word
Offers of help, resume reviews, and job listings poured in

226,833 people saw the post...

This is what I've learned about sticking your neck out:

There will always be that vocal minority ready to tell you why it won't work, why you're wrong, why you should have done it differently.

They're loud.
They're confident.
They make you question yourself.

But they're not the majority.

The majority are the quiet ones taking action. The ones who see someone trying to help 9,000 people who just lost their jobs and think, "How can I contribute?"

Not "How can I criticize?"

I'm not complaining about the critics.

Their concerns had merit.
Security matters.
GDPR matters.

But there's a difference between "Hey, here's a better way to do this" and "You're an idiot!"

One builds.
The other tears down.

And if we let the few who tear down stop us from building, then 9,000 people stay stuck without help because we were too afraid of 5 critics.

So if you're holding back from helping because someone might criticize, remember:

For every person ready to attack, there are 50 ready to support.

For every voice saying it's impossible, there are dozens quietly making it possible.

The critics will always be louder.
But they should never be more powerful.

Because at the end of the day, I'd rather try and fail while helping people, than succeed at doing nothing.

What will you do today to build someone up?

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