The Question That Saved My Business
Dissent. Disagreement. Division. Divisiveness. Dog and pony show. Dereliction of Duty. Demonization. (Why do they all start with D?)
Raise your hand if you're sick of hearing those terms repeatedly in the news - ad nauseam around election cycles. And most of them are wrong or harmful all of the time. But one of them gets a bad rap: Disagreement (which could also be called "Debate"). Not only is it helpful in business - it's necessary.
In fact, I pay people to disagree with me.
Here's how it works; In a meeting where everyone is given the same information and comes to the same conclusion, one person is required to play the devil's advocate. That person is now responsible for disproving all the others. So no matter how many people are in the room, one will be chosen to give their best dissenting opinion to the consensus.
You may think you don't have time for something like this. If everyone agrees, all the better - why not wrap the meeting up and move on? Because some of the best decisions ever made for my business (and a few that may have saved it altogether) resulted from asking, "What do you think?" and getting answers that I wouldn't have thought of or necessarily even agreed with at the time.
When I took my flexible window screen on Shark Tank, several of the Sharks had strong opinions about the best path forward for my business. Kevin O'Leary believed I should just license the technology to window manufacturers and be done with it. Knowing that our technology was far too expensive and complicated at the time to do that, I pushed back on the idea - but I didn't dismiss it altogether. It got the wheels turning, and I began thinking about how we could simplify our technology to make it possible. Years later, with the help of a premier automation company, we are rolling out an automated window screen line that requires a fraction of the space and workforce and cuts production times in half. The licensing option is a reality now, and the long-term benefits to my business are almost incalculable.
So how open are you to feedback, pushback, and disagreement? It's a question worth contemplating for a lot of reasons. Allowing for and even encouraging debate in your organization builds trust, increases morale, and raises productivity because it speaks volumes about the value you place on your people and your confidence in them.
Insecure leaders require lockstep loyalty. Wise leaders surround themselves with people who are smarter than them, and then they listen. I would rather deal with the temporary discomfort of healthy tension than lead a team of yes-people. But that’s just me…
What do you think?
Joe Altieri is the Inventor of FlexScreen. His product – the world’s first and only flexible window screen - was featured on ABC’s hit show, Shark Tank, where he hooked a deal with the “Queen of QVC,” Lori Greiner. joealtieri@flexscreen.com
BY JOE ALTIERI
Joe Altieri is a third-generation entrepreneur, inventor, speaker, podcast host, and former CEO of FlexScreen.
During his 20+ years in the window industry, Joe recognized the inherent problems with old-style aluminum window screens and dealt personally with constant customer frustrations. Always an outside-the-box thinker, he knew there had to be a better way, so he set up shop in his garage and got to work. After years of trial and error, FlexScreen, the world's first and only flexible window screen, was born.
Since its introduction into the marketplace, FlexScreen gained international attention and earned multiple industry awards. Most notably, FlexScreen was catapulted to the forefront when Joe appeared on ABC's hit show, Shark Tank, in January 2020. Three of the five Sharks battled for a piece of FlexScreen with Lori Greiner, the Queen of QVC, ultimately winning the deal. Since that first appearance, Joe has appeared on Shark Tank two more times in update segments featuring the meteoric rise of FlexScreen in the window industry, with Lori Greiner stating: "I actually think that FlexScreen may wind up to be one of the best and most successful products in Shark Tank history."
In February 2025, FlexScreen was acquired by RiteScreen - the largest independent manufacturer of window screens in America. What started as an idea in Joe's garage has become a true American Dream success story.
Joe is a firm believer in giving back, and he is generous with his resources and his time. He has been honored and recognized as one of Pittsburgh's Volunteers of the Year. Joe lives in Pittsburgh with his wife, Alisha. They have four children, six grandchildren (and counting!), and one very pampered Cane Corso.
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