It's sad to realize you've worked hard on something that doesn't connect—product, professional skills, political platform, or whatever. That's OK to feel. And then... we take a deep breath and figure out what to do. 7/7

While there's value to "keeping calm and carrying on," I also tell colleagues, friends, and myself that it's important to pause and acknowledge that mismatches can hurt. 6/7

And there's always the choice to decide that you're just _not interested_ in some of them—e.g., the "customer" (user, employer, electorate) simply wants something other than what you have to give. Yesterday I realized a fundamental values mismatch in something I'm working on. Time to change? 5/7

which is less about agreeing than understanding. And then it helps to experiment: with variations, narratives, reframing; thinking through what's missing (or what's superfluous). Quick, tangible prototypes are better than abstract thinking. There are always options. 4/7

Whether it's career/job fit, product fit, election results, or whatever, I keep telling myself: it always helps to be curious—to learn more about the "why" behind the apparent rejection (if it even was an intentional rejection, which it might not have been), and to be empathetic, 3/7

the "product" might be wrong, or the story about the product, or it solves a problem people don't realize they have. Maybe the timing just isn't right—or it's luck: somebody else got there first or a necessary complementary piece (outside of our control) just isn't ready. 2/7