Your Inner Critic Is Just a Terrified COO

If that voice in your head had a job title, it wouldn’t be “Imposter.”

It’d be Chief Operating Officer.

Because that voice?

The one screaming at you about risk?

About the thing you’re about to say in the meeting?

The product you’re about to ship?

The client you’re about to fire?

She’s not there to sabotage you. She’s trying to save the company.

Badly.

The Voice Isn’t Wrong — It’s Misassigned

Your inner critic isn’t evil. She’s just miscast.

• She’s not a visionary.

• She doesn’t believe in upside.

• She doesn’t do innovation.

• She does containment.

That’s her job.

And the moment you try to lead from her script, you stop building.

Treat Doubt Like Data

Founders make two mistakes with their inner critic:

1. They give her the mic.

2. Or they lock her in a soundproof closet.

Both are lazy.

Because doubt isn’t the problem. Unprocessed doubt is.

Reframe that voice as your paranoid operator.

Let her write the risk memos. Let her list the worst-case scenarios.

Then do what CEOs do: Make a call.

Here's the Shift

1) Stop Calling It “Self-Doubt.” Call it pre-mortem. Same function. Less shame.

2) Set a Timer for the Critic. Give that voice 10 minutes to say everything it's scared of. Then thank her. And move on.

3) Give Her a Promotion. Turn your inner COO into your Director of Strategic Risk. Consult her. Don’t obey her.

Next time you feel that self-doubt rise up, write down exactly what it’s trying to stop you from doing.

Then do it anyway — with a smarter risk plan.

Because the critic isn’t your enemy.

She’s just scared.

And sometimes, she’s right.

Just not about you.

—Peter