Appreciation is not evaluation
Two things get filed under being seen: a person responding to the fact that you made something, and a person able to tell you which part of it works. Only the second one carries information, and I spent years reading
tacit transfer
Meaning
An unstated knowledge exchange, referring to the non-explicit transmission of skills, understanding, or insights between individuals that occurs through observation, shared practice, and informal interaction, rather than through formal instruction or documented processes. Tacit transfer is often deeply embedded in context and difficult to articulate directly. Its boundary is where knowledge becomes codified into explicit rules, procedures, or documented artifacts.
Informal Learning
This process facilitates learning that is not consciously taught or formally structured. For example, a new team member working alongside an experienced founder might learn problem-solving strategies or unwritten operational protocols simply by observing how the founder handles various situations. These acquired insights are often absorbed without explicit discussion, becoming part of the individual’s working knowledge.
It is a form of learning by doing.
Skill Acquisition
Through tacit transfer, individuals acquire practical skills and nuanced understandings that are challenging to articulate in words. A founder might develop an intuitive sense for market timing or a particular knack for negotiation through repeated interactions and close observation of mentors. These skills are often honed through direct experience within a specific context.
This knowledge is gained through repeated exposure and practice.
Dependency Creation
While valuable for knowledge dissemination, extensive reliance on tacit transfer can create dependencies on specific individuals. If critical operational knowledge is only held as tacit understanding by one founder and not formally documented or explicitly shared, its loss poses a significant risk to the arrangement should that founder exit. This unwritten knowledge becomes a cost in terms of potential vulnerability and the difficulty of scaling operations beyond the individual who holds it.