In the book 'Originals,' Fred Sanders cites an interesting study. When experts in a field judge their own abilities, they will consistently over-estimate themselves. When launching a new idea, campaign or initiative, they will tend to do the same.

Focus groups made up of laymen, on the other hand, will tend to underestimate the effectiveness of an expert's new idea. So will potential investors, who tend to operate out of a framework of desire to avoid risk. 

So if you are an entrepreneur/expert, and you want high-quality feedback on how you are doing, or on how good one of your ideas might be, to whom should you turn? 

The study finds that your peers are by far the best judges. They can discern your level of excellence, and the quality of your new ideas, with greater accuracy than any other demographic. 

To own your industry, don't rely too heavily on your own judgement, and don't be too easily deterred by the judgement of laymen and investors. Your most accurate judge is another person who does what you do.