GoKawiilEntrepreneur Essay Revisits Gustave Eiffel's Tower Backlash as Lesson on Chasing Approval
An Entrepreneur opinion piece recounts how Gustave Eiffel faced a public letter from roughly 40 artists and writers, including Charles Garnier and Guy de Maupassant, condemning his planned 300-meter tower before the 1889 Paris World's Fair. Despite the backlash, Eiffel completed the tower, which drew nearly two million visitors during the fair. The author uses this history to argue that founders often keep seeking validation from critics even after customers or results have already settled the question.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The essay frames Eiffel's story as a parable for entrepreneurs who equate success with silencing critics rather than trusting market results, suggesting this mindset can be costly and distracting. This is the author's interpretation rather than a historical claim, drawing a direct analogy between 19th-century cultural criticism and modern business validation-seeking. It implies that founders who chase approval from skeptics risk losing focus on what customers have already affirmed.
- A 1887 open letter signed by about 40 artists and writers, including Garnier and Maupassant, opposed Eiffel's tower before completion.
- The Eiffel Tower drew nearly two million visitors during the 1889 World's Fair despite the initial backlash.
- The essay uses this history to argue entrepreneurs should stop seeking approval once customers have already validated their work.
Source: entrepreneur.com — Saahil Mehta, 2026-10-28
Published there as: “Your Business Is Successful, So Why Are You Still Chasing Approval?”
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