What if you were more cringe? | Milena Matevosyan | TEDxVUB

Milena Matevosyan, who works at the intersection of startups and technology, asks what changes if people care less about looking foolish. Drawing on five years of watching founders pitch unproven ideas and take risks that could fail publicly, she argues that willingness to risk embarrassment is part of trying something remarkable. The talk examines why fear of being "cringe" has become so common and what people might gain by worrying less about appearing cool. It presents embracing awkwardness, stepping outside comfort zones and being oneself as parts of growth. This talk was given at an independently organized TEDx event.

• Fear of embarrassment as a barrier to bold ideas
• Founders taking bets without guarantees
• Why being "cringe" is feared and what it may cost
• Growth through awkwardness and stepping outside comfort zones

What if being cringe was actually the first step towards success? Milena challenges our fear of embarrassment, showing how embracing awkwardness, stepping outside our comfort zones, and daring to be ourselves are essential parts of growth and success. Milena Matevosyan, working at the intersection of startups and technology, and someone who has seen firsthand that bold ideas often come with the risk of looking a little foolish. Over the past five years, Milena has watched founders pitch ideas that didn’t exist yet, take bets without guarantees, and put themselves out there knowing they could fail very publicly. The common thread? A willingness to risk embarrassment in order to try something remarkable. In her talk, she explores why we’ve become so afraid of being “cringe” and what we might gain by caring a little less about looking cool. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx